With the acquisitions of receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, and a creative new role for returning veteran Devin Hester, the Chicago Bears are trying to adopt a new personality on offense that will be "explosive," offensive coordinator Mike Ticetold ESPN Chicago on Friday.
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"We want to play fast," Tice told reporters at the team's rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. "We don't want to be out on the field and have the kids think[ing] too much. ... We have to put them in a position to show us and show the fans, and show the people that love the Bears, their athleticism and explosiveness. We want to be explosive."
According to ESPN Chicago, second-round draft choice Jeffery will play the "Z" receiver spot in the slot, while Marshall, who was picked up in a trade from the Miami Dolphins, and Hester will play on the outside. Hester is also expected to be deployed creatively in a variety of places, and play a larger role in the offense.
Comments by Bears general manager Phil Emery had recently led NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal to speculate that Hester's days as an every-down receiver might be over. Tice countered that notion.
"Devin is going to be on the field," Tice told the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday. "If he's not on the field, then they should fire me."
An NFL source told ESPN Chicago that the Bears' will run a passing offense that is very similar to that run by the Denver Broncos in 2008, when Marshall, current Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and current quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates were with the Broncos. The source also told ESPN Chicago that Cutler "really likes Hester in the new system."
Coach Lovie Smith told the website that Tice has been doing a "super job, rallying and just organizing our offensive staff and getting them all on the same page."
"I think he'll like the look of our offense this year," Smith said. "It helps a lot when you get more weapons, which we've done."
