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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- It’s impossible to predict if wide receiver Marquess Wilson will land on the Chicago Bears' final 53-man roster after the way his college career unraveled at Washington State.

Wilson quit the team last year and accused Cougars head coach Mike Leach of abuse, a story he eventually recanted.

But the damage was done.

Wilson’s decision to walk away from Washington State for the final three games of 2012 and the subsequent controversy with Leach overshadowed what been a productive college career. The wideout posted back-to-back seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards in 2010 and 2011, catching a career-best 82 balls for 1,388 yards and 12 touchdowns his sophomore season.

Wilson made 52 catches for 813 yards and five touchdowns last year before he pulled the plug. He still left Washington State as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 3,207, the ninth-most in Pac-12 history.

Wilson had 14 100-yard games.

From a pure talent standpoint, Wilson deserved to be drafted higher, but his stock plummeted for obvious reasons.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Saturday’s fifth-round choice of Louisiana Tech offensive tackle Jordan Mills is just the latest in a series of moves the Chicago Bears have made to overhaul the offensive line -- clearly the weakest unit on the team last season in the eyes of general manager Phil Emery.

The Bears are set at left tackle with Pro Bowler Jermon Bushrod.

On the right side - it’s a different story.

Veterans J'Marcus Webb and Jonathan Scott are expected to battle it out for the starting right tackle job, but neither is assured of a spot long-term. Webb and Scott are signed through 2013.

Mills is a versatile player who lined up primarily at tackle at Louisiana Tech, but also spent time at guard in 2009. At 6-5, 315 pounds, Mills has the size to play offensive tackle in the NFL, however, the Bears do seem determined to plug in larger bodies inside at guard.

“I’ll play anywhere, left side or right side.” Mills. “I told my coaches I’ll play anywhere they need me. Wherever they need me to win, I’ll be there. Like I told my coaches, if they need me at H-Back to lead block, I’ll do that.”

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Despite comments indicating a possible desire to retire in the wake of the firing of former head coach Lovie Smith, veteran Bears return man Devin Hester admitted Thursday his remarks came as a result of overwhelming emotion, not his true intentions.

Upon hearing the news of Smith's firing back in December, Hester, clearly distraught, said, “I don't even know if I want to play again. That's been something on my mind for two years. It's not (much fun anymore). I've got my workers comp papers in my pocket. I'm going to go home and talk to my wife, and talk to my family and see where we go from there.”

Obviously, Hester determined a return to the football field was the best course of action.

“That was in the past,” Hester said. “At the same time, people were just emotional, upset. So I would say that (my remarks were) emotion and upset coming out of me. I really wasn't thinking about what I was saying. That's in the past. You say things you really don't mean when you're upset. That's how it was.”

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. – There is a possibility Devin Hester could be asked to do more than return kicks next season for the Chicago Bears.

In addition to serving as the Bears' primary return man, Hester lined up on the second-team kickoff and punt-team coverage units during the second day of the team's voluntary mini-camp.

While the Bears already have a strong nucleus of special teams tacklers already on the roster, such as Blake Costanzo, Eric Weems, Zack Bowman, Sherrick McManis and Craig Steltz, special teams coach Joe DeCamillis said after the workout the Bears are evaluating Hester for an expanded role on special teams, seeing as how he no longer participates on offense or sits in on offensive meetings.

"He's definitely going to be fresher to do those things," DeCamillis said of Hester covering kicks. "Again, that's something we are evaluating right now and still working on all those things. He'll be working on all the cover teams, and he'll also be working on other things for us too. He's a great weapon, and we want to try and use him as much as we can."

Although Hester rose to NFL stardom due to his ability to avoid tacklers, he does have experience on defense and actually entered the league in 2006 as a cornerback. Hester had 11 tackles his rookie season before the Bears moved him to wide receiver the following year, but at least there is some history of Hester attempting to take down a ballcarrier in live game action.

Regardless of how serious the Bears are about having Hester cover kicks, DeCamillis said the three-time Pro Bowl return man reported to the offseason program sporting a terrific attitude.

"Change is hard for a lot of people," DeCamillis said. "We all have to go through it in this league. He probably said too much at the start (of the offseason), but he's in a great frame of mind right now and we want to get him back to where he was."

As the offensive players broke for individual drills Tuesday at the Walter Payton Center on Day 1 of voluntary minicamp, Devin Hester stood on the sideline swinging his helmet alongside long snapper Pat Mannelly, kicker Robbie Gould and punter Adam Podlesh.

For right now, Hester can no longer call himself a Chicago Bears receiver. He's fine with that. So are the Bears.

“I'll make it clear because I've been asked a number of times," new Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “Devin's gonna focus on being our returner. He's got to be the returner for him to be here. Once that's locked into place, which we expect that it will, then we'll see where it goes from there."

Asked at the NFL owners meetings in March whether Hester would practice with as a receiver during the offseason, Trestman expressed uncertainty, saying the matter hadn't yet been fully discussed. The coach left little doubt Tuesday about Hester's expected role.

Since the start of the 2011 season, Hester has caught 49 passes for 611 yards and two touchdown with the team looking for ways to give him more of a role on offense. Hester returned 40 punts last season for an 8.3-yard average, but didn't score a touchdown and also failed to find the end zone on any of his 24 kickoff returns in 2012.

The Bears hold a 13-4 record when Hester scores on a return.

“We made a collective decision organizationally. I've talked to the guys that have been here. (General manager) Phil (Emery) and I had a long conversation about it as well," Trestman said. “Just talking to Devin (I want to) let him get back to doing what he does best first. Then when that's all in place, we'll see if we need to or if we're in a position to be able to incorporate him in doing more things."

Set to earn $1.857 million in the final year of his contract, Hester isn't spending time in the meeting rooms with his fellow receivers, and he isn't learning the new offense. Instead, as a specialist, that's where he's spending all his time: with special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis.

“He'll spend all his time with Joe," Trestman said. “When we're in an offensive meeting, he'll be with Joe. He'll be with (long snapper) Pat. He'll be with Robbie and the kickers. He'll be spending time totally focused in on being the best returner in the National Football League."

ESPNChicago.com continues its daily Bears draft preview with a look at the receivers.

The Chicago Bears lost any semblance of a speed element for their 2013 offense at receiver when Johnny Knox was forced to retire, and the club decided Devin Hester should focus on returns.

So it's reasonable to expect an infusion of speed into the receiving corps for what could be a dynamic offense in 2013, provided the club finds an explosive target in the draft to complement Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. Still, general manager Phil Emery stressed that speed isn't necessarily the determining factor in any decision the team plans to make at that position.

"Anytime you lose a player (Knox) of that quality and that kind of speed, it does impact you," Emery said. "We'll look at all avenues in terms of finding somebody that can add to that mix of wide receivers. I would say specifically (the goal is) to find the best player that can help us (regardless of speed)."

The Bears are believed to be interested in Texas A&M's Ryan Swope (161 catches for 2,120 yards and 19 touchdowns over his last two seasons), who possesses 4.3 speed in the 40-yard dash to go with a concerning history of concussions. Emery attended Texas A&M's 29-24 upset victory at Alabama in which Swope caught 11 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.

Tyrone Goard of Eastern Kentucky could also draw interest from the Bears, which met with him formally at the East-West Shrine game. Projected to be a late-round pick, Goard, possesses the ability to stretch the field but like Swope, has suffered concussions. The Bears have also shown some interest in projected late-round pick Eric Rogers of Cal Lutheran.

The club was present at Rogers' Pro Day on March 11.

The next 10: 11. Aaron Dobson, Marshall, 6-3, 210; 12. Markus Wheaton, Oregon State, 5-11, 189; 13. Da'Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech, 6-2, 217; 14. Josh Boyce, Texas Christian, 5-11, 206; 15. Ryan Swope, Texas A&M, 6-0, 205; 16. Denard Robinson, Michigan, 5-10, 199; 17. Marquise Goodwin, Texas, 5-9, 183; 18. Tavarres King, Georgia, 6-0, 189; 19. Aaron Mellette, Elon, 6-2, 217; 20. Kenny Stills, Oklahoma, 6-0, 194.

Position grade: B

Analysis: The one-two punch of Marshall and Jeffery should be deadly in the new offense of coach Marc Trestman provided the latter can stay healthy. Jeffery produced an impressive NFL debut (three catches, 80 yards and a touchdown), but missed six games because of injuries. With Hester likely out of the picture in the slot, the club's options there include Earl Bennett and Eric Weems. Bennett possesses dynamic run-after-catch ability and chemistry with quarterback Jay Cutler, but injuries have hampered his production over the last two seasons.

What the club lacks in the receiving corps at this point is a speed element that would draw off some of the extra coverage that Marshall sees on an every-game basis. By adding a speed receiver to play in the slot, the Bears can keep safeties honest, so to speak. The Bears fully expect to field an explosive offense under Trestman. Emery started that process with the acquisition of tight end Martellus Bennett, who will threaten defenses down the seams. A new slot receiver to go with Bennett could open things up for the entire offense. The question, however, is whether the team sees that as a need position considering some of the holes in the roster in other areas.

PHOENIX -- The Chicago Bears' new regime has been signaling for a while that it considers Devin Hester to be primarily a returner at this stage in his career. On Wednesday, coach Marc Trestman revealed how serious the team is about narrowing Hester's duties.

Speaking at the NFL owners meeting, Trestman said that Hester will spend most of his time during the Bears' offseason program with special-teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis. Asked if Hester will even practice with receivers during organized team activities (OTAs), Trestman said: "I don't know yet. We're going to talk about that next week. Most of the time he will be with Joe, meeting with Joe and spending time with Joe."

Trestman also reiterated general manager Phil Emery's expectation that Hester will "compete" for the returner's job, although I think we all know that Hester's skills would have to decline significantly for him not to be the best returner on the Bears' roster.

I tossed Trestman's sentiments onto Twitter a few minutes ago and your collective and overwhelming response was this: "It's about time." Real or imagined, many of us have wondered if the Bears got too greedy after Hester revealed his elite open-field running skills as a returner.

It was worth finding out if he could extend it into a full-time receiving role, but his 49 receptions and two touchdowns since the start of the 2011 season isn't enough production to merit a splitting of duties -- and presumably a watered-down impact. That has been especially clear since the team traded for Brandon Marshall and drafted Alshon Jeffery last year; Trestman spoke Wednesday as if he expected that pair to be his primary starters in 2013.

Hester didn't have a touchdown return last season but had three as recently as 2011. He will turn 31 in November, which is middle age for a receiver but probably not a multi-purpose threat. The Bears had reached the point in his career when it was time to make a choice, and it makes perfect sense to pick the part of his skill set that is Hall of Fame worthy.

Although he hasn't made a direct public comment about the situation that I'm aware of, it's fair to assume Hester is on board. As we noted earlier month, a post on Hester's Instagram account said he was "a bear 4 life."

More to come from the meetings in a bit.

When we last heard from Chicago Bears returner/receiver Devin Hester, he had backed off his threat to retire but was still suggesting he might benefit from a fresh start with another franchise. Tuesday, Hester used a post on his Instagram account to imply he has had a change of heart.

The post read: "For all my Bears fan #yes. I'm a bear 4 life.# Beardown!!!!!

(For those wondering, Hester verified this Instagram via Twitter in January.)

So what exactly does it mean that Hester is a "bear 4 life?" At this point, all we can say is that Hester expects to play for the Bears in 2013. Update: Many of you are wondering if Hester is saying he will be a "bear 4 life" even though he plans to move on to another team. I don't think that's the case, but I guess I should acknowledge that possibility. My understanding is that the Bears have plans for him in 2013 and don't want him to move on.

Entering this week, Hester had one year remaining on the contract extension he signed in 2008. It called for a $1.857 million base salary, a $250,000 workout bonus and a cap figure of $2.940 million. The Bears could lower that cap number a bit through either a reduction of that base salary or a contract extension, but as of Tuesday evening I've not confirmed that Hester has a new deal.

In the end, of course, it's difficult to predict the futures of most NFL players beyond the upcoming season, regardless of their contract status. What we can reasonably say is that, after a predictable emotional reaction to the Bears' coaching staff and his own stalled career as a receiver, cooler heads have prevailed. (At least, that's my take on it.)

It's not hard to imagine that new Bears special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis would prefer Hester, the greatest returner in NFL history, on his team rather than elsewhere. It's not clear if the Bears have any plans for Hester on offense -- Bears general manager Phil Emery said last month at the NFL scouting combine that Hester will "compete to be our returner" -- but Hester might well be satisfied with that role.

The Bears have an established three-receiver set of Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Earl Bennett and could add to it through the draft. I would back a decision to de-emphasize Hester from the Bears' offense to focus him as a returner. Using him in both roles always felt like burning the proverbial candle at both ends. As he approaches his 31st birthday, it's best for Hester and the Bears to understand what he is -- and isn't.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Devin Hester's days of lining up at wide receiver in Chicago might be over.

Bears general manager Phil Emery made no mention of Hester contributing on offense on Thursday when he responded to a question about the three-time Pro Bowler's current role on the team. Rather, Emery told reporters that Hester will "compete" for the club's return job in the offseason, if he remains on the roster. Hester, who has one-year left on his contract, has said publicly that he is open to the idea of being traded.

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Devin Hester backed off talk of retirement but believes a fresh start with another team might be best, and the record-setting return man told the Chicago Tribune he is not interested in playing receiver if he is back with the Chicago Bears.

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Bears free agency previews: TEs | QBs | LBs | OTs »

The Chicago Bears already have a significant amount invested at wide receiver next season with a combined $11.650 million in salary cap space between Brandon Marshall ($9.3 million) and Earl Bennett ($2.350 million) and the second-round pick the club used last year on Alshon Jeffery.

But while Marshall remains one of the best in the game, Bennett and Jeffery have both dealt with their share of injuries, which raises the question of whether the Bears need to protect themselves by grabbing another moderately priced wide receiver in the offseason.

Devin Hester is under contract for one more season, but he completely fell off the map last year, especially on offense where he appears to have zero chemistry with quarterback Jay Cutler. Maybe the Bears keep Hester for the sake of the return game, but it seems like a long-shot that he will be asked to contribute much on offense. With Lovie Smith and Darryl Drake no longer in the building, Hester would probably benefit from a fresh start in a new NFL city. But that's an issue the Bears have yet to address.

Eric Weems is signed through 2014, but he also seems to do his best work on special teams.

It would be wonderful to see Johnny Knox return to the field after the horrific spine injury he suffered late in the 2011 season against the Seattle Seahawks, because Knox is exactly the type of down-the-field vertical threat the Bears missed last year in the passing game.

Although Knox is determined to make a comeback and continues to work toward resuming football-related activities, it's still unknown if Knox will ever play again, which makes it difficult to count on him to fill a role in 2013. Knox is officially a free agent after his original rookie contract expired at the end of the regular season.

The wildcard in this group might be 6-foot-1 Joe Anderson, the second-year man out of Texas Southern who made an impact on special teams late last season with a couple of big hits. Anderson carries himself with a certain confidence, that should serve him well when he tries to win a roster spot next summer in training camp.

But looking at the unit as a whole, and given the injury concerns surrounding Bennett and Jeffery, the Bears could be in the market for another receiver in either the draft or free agency. If the Bears go the veteran route, here is a look at some of the projected unrestricted free agent wideouts, in no particular order.

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As Darryl Drake leaves the Chicago Bears after nine seasons as receivers coach, he is preparing to work with one of the best in the NFL, Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald. But Drake is also thinking about leaving a receiver in Chicago who never seemed to match his potential.

Before this season, Drake said that if Devin Hester didn't catch more than 26 passes, then "we failed him." Hester caught just 23. Drake was asked why on Tuesday during a visit to "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000.

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Dave Toub, who left the Chicago Bears to become the Kansas City Chiefs special teams coach on Tuesday, said Devin Hester just needs to get his mind right and start having fun to return to the form that made him one of the most dangerous players in the NFL.

"He still has a lot of talent," Toub said on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "You see it in practice.

"It's more mental with him. He has to get his mind right, and once that thing starts clicking, he's going to be fine."

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Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler made it clear he wants Devin Hester to return for the 2013 season, and he acknowledged it is "safe to say" the receiver might flourish in a new offense likely to be brought in once the team hires a new coach to replace Lovie Smith.

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Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery said Tuesday he doesn't expect Devin Hester to follow through with talk of retirement, although Emery understands Hester's emotions after the firing of coach Lovie Smith.

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