Hester vs. Knox

[emperorjones]

If you could only keep one as a full time receiver, who would you chose. Projected for the year:


Knox:
Catches - 50
Yards - 613
Ave. - 12.1
TD - 6

Hester:
Catches - 66
Yards - 839
Ave. - 12.6
TD - 4

Last year, people on this board said trade Hester. I called them synics (sorry) as IMO Hester was our best weapon. I think Hester is solid, but Knox seem to have that knack for big plays that Hester has lost. Knox is 23 and a burner at WR & KR. Hester is four years older and progressing at WR and a threat. If I had to choose, I would try to trade Hester for a 2nd round pick and grab the best RT or FREEEEEEEEEEEE Safety on the board.

[blumeany]

Well, both are inexperienced and both make mistakes. With Knox, it's route running and holding onto the ball sometimes. With Hester it's route running and not lining up properly/knowing plays. In the end, I think the nod goes to Knox because he has less false start/offsides penalties.

But I think they need to put Hester back on returns. He just doesn't have the skillset or the build to be a #1 or even a #2. He was much more effective when all he had to do was wait for the ball to come to him and make people look slow.

[dingojazz]

I would love if we could get some trade value for Hester. Knox and Hester are too similar and Knox now has a higher upside. D.A. needs to get on the field. I think he is a nice match opposite Knox.

If Hester goes to a team that has 1 or 2 established receivers, he could really help an offense and a return game. Maybe that would be worth a 2nd round pick to someone. If that happened, although I'd be happy, it would be a kick in the nuts to think we basically traded Hester for Gaines Adams and most likely moved down in the 2nd round. Blah.

[Cliff Levingston]

If we got a true big bodied #1 receiver, then this wouldn't matter. You could Knox on the outside as your burner and move Hester into the slot where he could maximize his quickness and ability to change directions.

[SpinninHouse]

hester would be a premier slot receiver in the NFL. he is not and never will be under any circumstance a #1 receiver. but no team would give up a 2nd round pick for him. and even if they did, Angelo would draft a bust.

in 2009 he drafted Gilbert, Melton, DJ Moore, and Inglasies with his first four picks. None of which have been able to make it on the field. It's entirely possible that not one of them will even make it in the NFL. how horrible that with two 3rd round picks and two 4th round picks Angelo goes 0-4? DJ Moore is short, fat, and slow....yeah thats a great idea when drafting a cornerback. Some DL have quicker 40-yard dash times than him....pathetic.

[emperorjones]

in 2009 he drafted Gilbert, Melton, DJ Moore, and Inglasies with his first four picks. None of which have been able to make it on the field. It's entirely possible that not one of them will even make it in the NFL. how horrible that with two 3rd round picks and two 4th round picks Angelo goes 0-4? DJ Moore is short, fat, and slow.....

HEY!!! DJ Moore is NOT FAT!....no comment on the short & slow bit...
I actually am ok with last years draft. Everyone was on Beekman and a bum who couldn't get on the field and he turned out to be a decent player who I wouldn't be surprised is our starting center soon. Same with Bennett. During the offseason this guy was labeled a total bust. In his first year on the field he's on pace to put up 57 catches and 745 yds. Not bad for your first year on the field for a team with no running game.

If those 4 'redshirt' draftees follow suit, 2 would be serviceable backups/part time starters and two would be contributors. Which would be bad in their 1st years of action.

[Howling Mad]

I would keep Knox as the full time WR. Rotate them at Kick/Punt return, and get a legit #1 WR.

Neither of these guys are #1, or even good enough to act as a #1 part time. Both would improve if a legit #1 was added. Hester is a ready-set-go guy. Meaning, once he starts, keep him going and don't make him stop. If, for one second, he has to stop and think about what he's doing-he's done.

The Bears special teams, in the years Hester was a rockstar, was more talented. Now with the injuries and just the plain lack of talent, our special teamers are glorified practice guys, ranked up by default. The blocking isn't as sharp which creates traffic jams for Hester. He stops, doodles a little dance, does a little pirouette and gets tackled for a gain of 4 yards. I'd say its Hester's lack of a brain that doesn't allow him to adjust and use his athleticism. That to me, doesn't go further than a #3 WR.

Knox has speed. Maybe better than Hester, but the one thing that splits them apart is Knox's head. He's a football player. During the Hester return days, we saw a few guys break some nice returns, besides Hester. Manning, Wolfe, Berrian, Wade etc. All guys with speed. Ready-set-go guys. When you see Knox in a return situation, its stop, go, stop, burst, juke, go. Afterburners. He's got speed, but he also has vision. He knows where the pockets are going to open up and understands spacing and movement. He's a small guy, and doesn't have much core-strength(one of the faults I mentioned on why Hester would never be a #1..in another thread), but with a legit #1, he can get away with that as a #2. A true possession receiver, a guy that can get into open spaces, catch the ball with his hands or shield the ball with his body while making the catch, while also having enough athleticism to strecth out and make an extended grab, a guy willing to make the block, and not give up on a play not designed for him. He's bound to make some rookie mistakes but he's much more a football player than Hester is.

My vote is for Knox.

[Nolan]

I'd keep Knox as a full time wide receiver and make Hester our full time return guy and a situational wide out.

[kozelkid]

I''d like to trade Hester, but realistically we are going to get very little for him. He's overpayed and nothing more than a slot receiver. A gm would have to be incredibly stupid to trade anything more than 3rd round pick for Hester. You obviously try though. More realistic, however, is to try to restructure Hester's contract. With that said, we have to many 2's and 3's at wr. Something has got to give, we need to fix other more pressing holes and we got enough wrs to hopefully swap for a db or guard.