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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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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.

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.

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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DETROIT -- Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall never got in a rhythm in the regular season finale but the Bears got solid contributions from Earl Bennett and rookie Alshon Jeffery in a 26-24 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Bennett and Jeffery combined to catch nine passes for 185 yards and a touchdown on just 13 targets, one less target than Marshall, who finished with only five receptions for 42 yards.

Bennett led the Bears with five catches for 109 yards and got his team on the board in the first quarter when quarterback Jay Cutler audibled to a swing pass and hit Bennett in stride heading towards the team's sideline. After picking up a block from Marshall, Bennett did the rest and outran the Lions' defense for a 60-yard touchdown.

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DETROIT -- Despite a fast start, the Chicago Bears wound up escaping Ford Field with a 26-24 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday to keep alive their hopes for salvaging the club's second consecutive late-season collapse.

The Bears scored 16 points off four turnovers, but the performance on offense didn't inspire much confidence about the club's prospects in the postseason, should it advance.

Let's look closer.

What it means: The Bears finish the season 10-6, but it's still unknown whether they did enough to advance to the playoffs. Chicago certainly took care of its part, but now it needs the Green Bay Packers to defeat the Minnesota Vikings. If the Packers defeat the Vikings later on Sunday, the Bears advance to the postseason as the sixth seed, and will face the San Francisco 49ers on the road to open the playoffs.

Diversity pays off: Jay Cutler completed passes to six receivers in the first half, which is the most he's hit in a game since the club's 21-14 loss on Dec. 9 to the Vikings. With the Lions geared up to shut down Brandon Marshall, Cutler fired a 55-yard strike to Alshon Jeffery on Chicago's first play from scrimmage before hitting Evan Rodriguez on the next play. By spreading the ball around early, Cutler opened up things for the entire team.

It's almost a given that on most passes, Cutler looks solely for Marshall. But against the Lions, Cutler gave his other receivers opportunities to make plays and they delivered. Earl Bennett caught a 60-yard touchdown from Cutler with 4:33 left in the first quarter to give the Bears a 7-3 lead after Olindo Mare's extra-point kick.

With 13:37 left to play, Bennett and Jeffery had already combined for 185 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions. The Bears certainly needed the contributions. With 6:50 left to play, Marshall caught a 19-yard pass, his fifth of the game. The Lions for the most part neutralized Marshall, holding him to just 42 yards receiving.

Turnover tally: The Bears scored 13 points off turnovers, but blew an opportunity to turn those giveaways into more; 28 points, potentially. Julius Peppers, Major Wright, and Eric Weems each scooped up fumbles, while Tim Jennings increased his league-leading interception total to nine with his pick in the second quarter.

Peppers' fumble recovery off a Israel Idonije sack and strip of Stafford marked the only takeaway the Bears turned into a touchdown (a 1-yard run by Matt Forte). Chicago settled for field goals on the rest. The Bears came into the game with a record of 50-12 in games in which they finished with a positive turnover margin.

Decision-making costly: During the week of preparation for Sunday's game, special teams coordinator Dave Toub talked extensively about the need for Devin Hester to make better decisions when fielding punts. Toub should've discussed decision-making on kickoffs with Hester as well. Hester fielded a kickoff 5 yards deep in his end zone and attempted to bring it out. Lions special teams ace Kassim Osgood dropped Hester on the Chicago 5, forcing the Bears to start in bad field position on their first drive of the second half.

The offense managed to move the ball 41 yards before punting after eight plays. But Hester would have given the offense a better chance to succeed by downing the kickoff for a touchback that would've given the group possession at the 20 instead of its own 5.

What's next: The waiting game as the Bears fly on a charter home that isn't even equipped with Wi-Fi to keep them connected to what's going on in some of the other games. With the Green Bay-Minnesota matchup kicking off at 4:25 p.m. ET, the Bears won't immediately know their postseason fate. But if the Packers win, the Bears will face the 49ers in the opening round of the NFC playoffs. If the Vikings win, Chicago's season ends and an offseason of uncertainty begins.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- After sitting out the last two weeks, Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings (shoulder) and wide receiver Earl Bennett (concussion) are active against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but defensive tackle Henry Melton (shoulder/chest), right tackle Jonathan Scott (hamstring) and linebacker Blake Costanzo (calf) are out.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith is optimistic that cornerback Tim Jennings (shoulder) and wide receiver Earl Bennett (concussion) will be available against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but the outlook on defensive tackle Henry Melton (chest) is less promising.

Melton is listed as doubtful on the official injury report and could miss his second straight game after hurt his shoulder/chest in first half of the Bears' 28-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 25.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears added receiver Brandon Marshall (hamstring) and linebacker Blake Costanzo (calf) to their latest injury report, with both practicing Thursday in a limited capacity while linebacker Brian Urlacher and Jonathan Scott remain out with hamstring injuries.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- After taking the day off from practice Wednesday to rest several injuries, the Chicago Bears returned to the field Thursday without five players, most notably receiver Earl Bennett (concussion) and cornerback Tim Jennings (shoulder) as they prepare for Sunday's matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

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You know how we are around here. We don't like to live in the moment. We want to look ahead, to anticipate what's next, to project and speculate and prognosticate. When at all possible, we look for deep meaning and revealing symbolism in everyday events.

Week 15 provides us an opportunity to do just that. So I'll introduce this sentiment for your consideration: Sunday's game at Soldier Field could put the competitive rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers on hiatus for several years.

A Packers victory would be their sixth consecutive win over the Bears, including the 2010 postseason. More importantly, it would clinch the Packers' second consecutive NFC North title. And while the Packers appear poised for continued success, the Bears could soon be jolted into a significant overhaul this winter.

A division championship would validate the Packers' re-tooling effort, one that has centered around getting younger on defense. A loss for the Bears could leave them needing help to get into the playoffs even if they win out and finish at 10-6. (ESPN.com's Playoff Machine will show you how they could lose a tiebreaker to the Washington Redskins at 10-6.)

Thus the Bears would be at risk of becoming the second team in the 23-season history of this playoff format to miss the postseason after a 7-1 start, a collapse that would pile a number of difficult decisions on the desk of general manager Phil Emery. Topping his list would be the status of coach Lovie Smith, but this season has also exposed the Bears' aging defense as well as their continued inability to find continuity on their offensive line.

Emery's course for the franchise will hinge in part on whether he re-signs quarterback Jay Cutler, whose contract will expire after the 2013 season. Cutler mused about various possibilities during his ESPN 1000 radio show Monday and acknowledged the franchise's path isn't clear.

"I don't know how they feel about me and where they see the franchise going," Cutler said. "You get a new GM in and we'll see how it goes. He's got a lot of tough decisions coming forward. ..."

It's hard to imagine the Bears parting ways with Cutler under any circumstances. But Brian Urlacher's physical fade in the past year illustrates why Emery might want to plan more aggressively for the eventual departure of linebacker Lance Briggs, cornerback Charles Tillman and defensive end Julius Peppers. He will also need to re-evaluate the franchise's in-house strategy for building an offensive line. For three consecutive seasons, the Bears have fielded a patchwork group that has left Cutler battered. In 2011 and 2012 alone, 10 different linemen have made at least one start.

From a big-picture perspective, the biggest gap between the Bears and Packers is that Cutler has been forced into the role of the Bears' sole difference-maker while the Packers have reduced their reliance on quarterback Aaron Rodgers. One piece of surprising evidence: Rodgers has thrown only two touchdown passes in his past three games, the fewest over any three-game stretch of his career, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Instead, the Packers are building a running game based on patience, if nothing else. They have averaged 135.8 rushing yards over their past five games, giving carries to five different running backs over that period in what has amounted to a mini tryout. And of the six defensive players the Packers selected at the top of the 2012 draft, four are part of the regular rotation and a fifth -- linebacker Nick Perry -- would be were it not for a season-ending wrist injury.

The Bears have a much shorter list of young building blocks at this point. Of the 56 players on their active roster or injured reserve, you could count maybe six as established and credible starters who will be under the age of 28 next season. That list includes defensive tackle Henry Melton, guard Lance Louis, receiver Earl Bennett, safeties Major Wright and Chris Conte and receiver Alshon Jeffery.

These issues will exist whether or not the Bears win Sunday, and they won't dissipate even if they go on to win the Super Bowl. But a loss would be the Bears' fifth in six games, a year after they dropped five of their final six to scuttle a 7-3 start. That might be enough to spur the kind of sea change we haven't seen in Chicago in a decade, one that cedes divisional competitiveness for a stretch.

Just a thought. We'll be here all week.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The worst thing a struggling offense can afford to do is to leave plays on the field.

For the second straight week, the Chicago Bears' offense took sure points off the board because of its inability to make routine catches that would have resulted in touchdowns. A week after Earl Bennett got behind the Seattle secondary only to bobble a Jay Cutler-thrown deep ball, the Bears dropped two sure scores that would have changed the entire complexion of the game on Sunday in a 21-14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

While Bennett was likely suffering from the symptoms of a concussion he suffered earlier in that game against the Seahawks, the same excuse could not be made for the Bears wide receivers on Sunday.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears officially ruled out receiver Earl Bennett on Thursday for their matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Bears coach Lovie Smith said Bennett "is making progress," but won't be ready to play by Sunday after suffering a concussion against Seattle, making him the second player the club officially ruled out. The Bears announced earlier in the week that linebacker Brian Urlacher, who attended Thursday's practice, would miss Sunday's game as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

"Earl Bennett is not playing this week," said Smith after the workout inside the Walter Payton Center. "We have two guys out."

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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears' depth at wide receiver took another hit on Sunday when Earl Bennett suffered a concussion that could result in him sitting out the club's divisional game next weekend at Minnesota.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Wide receiver Earl Bennett has no complaints about his role in the Chicago Bears' offense despite the disparity in the club's passing game.

In his first year re-united with quarterback Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall has been the focal point of the Bears' offense with 81 catches for 1,017 yards and eight touchdowns, numbers befitting a player of his No. 1 wide receiver status.

Marshall has been targeted 121 times this season, the third-highest total in the NFL, while Bennett is second on the team with 39 targets. That gap of 82 targets between the Bears' most and second-most targeted receivers is the highest in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

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