Devin Hester: DeSean Jackson or Joshua Cribbs?

TBO once said to me about Hester being a wide out and a kick returner (possibly on a podcast, but I don't think so): how many guys do you see that's both the teams #1 wide receiver and also their punt returner? You don't see Randy Moss or TO out there on special teams do you? Why do the Bears think Hester can do the same? (I might be paraphrasing a little, and by a little I mean a lot). This was before Cribbs and Jackson became prominent on their respected teams, and he brought up a good point.

But with the advent of the stellar season that DeSean Jackson had both in the special teams game and being the teams number one and best receiver (in fact Jackson was named to the Pro Bowl twice in 2010- for being a wide receiver and a kick returner), it is clear that there is nothing inherent preventing a player from being both a great kick returner and receiver.

But then we have an example of what mostly happens- Josh Cribbs. After a few years, when Hester's talent seemingly inevitably declined, Josh Cribbs took his place as the best return man in the game (fun fact: both Hester and Cribbs were named to the NFL's all decade team, Hester as a punt returner and Cribbs and a kick returner). And what the Bears did with Hester, the Browns did with Cribbs- made the man the teams number one receiver. And the same happened happened to both guys- they sucked in their respected offenses.

After years of the Bears promising us fans that Devin Hester would be the teams' number one receiver, and even after the team finally got a QB able of actually making completions to his receiver (and of course to the other teams as well...), I am declaring the Devin Hester experiment over. I think Devin has come to this conclusion as well. Last Thursday, ESPNChicago reported that Devin wants a bigger role in the return game and if it comes as a sacrifice to him being a wide out, so be it.

I said (Click on the "PODCAST" link on the top and listen to the one with me and Keith on 7.7.09, see 7:50 into it) before the 2009/10 season that after 8 games, if Hester is sucking as both a receiver and a returner- make him a full time returner. Of course, the Bears didn't listen to me and Hester was the teams #1 wide out and had limited work returning. As it turns out, Johnny Knox was the teams best kick returner (Danieal Manning was the teams best last year) and Devin Aromashodu was the teams best receiver (don't deny it, plus DA had one more TD in 7 less games).

Last year, Hester had 57 receptions for 757 yards and 3 TDs, 31 returns for 434 yards (both on punts and kick returns), and 6 rushing attempts for -1 yards.

DeSean Jackson had 63 receptions for 1167 yards (about 1055 if he had 57 receptions) and 9 TDs, 30 returns for 441 yards and 2 TDs, and 11 rushes for 137 yards and a TD.

Joshua Cribbs had 20 receptions for 135 yards and a TD (504 yards if he had 57 receptions) and a TD, 94 returns for 1994 yards and 4 TDs, and 55 rushes for 381 yards and a TD.

Plato talks about in The Republic, that in a perfect society, each person should do the job they were meant to do. You could be a great carpenter but if you were meant to be an ever better warrior, then you are doing a disservice to society by being a carpenter over a warrior. The same logic applies to Devin Hester. The man was on his way (maybe even there) to being the best return man of all time. Then the Bears made him a wide receiver and both his skills as a returner and a wide out diminished.

When the Bears made Hester a wide out, they really didn't have any other options. However, with a corps of DA, Johnny Knox, and Earl Bennett (all being a different type of receiver) and having Joaquin Iglesias and, uh, I don't know, Rashied Davis be the teams 4th and 5th receiver- there's not even a need to make Hester a receiver anymore.

Devin Hester is clearly MUCH more like Joshua Cribbs than DeSean Jackson and the Bears (and the Browns) should treat him as such. Let the man do what he do best- make him a full time punt returner, and stop putting him in the offense.