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Chalk Talk

Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of e-mail questions from fans every day on ChicagoBears.com.

Larry: What do we know about Devin Hester’s hands? I don’t expect another Jerry Rice or even Tom Waddle, but will Hester be able to catch passes?

Kirk D.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Kirk: I’ve spoken to a handful of scouts, coaches and players and the consensus is that Devin Hester has excellent, soft, natural hands. One assistant coach told me that Hester’s hands are as good as anyone's on the Bears. I’ve received a few emails from fans who are concerned about Hester catching the ball, citing the punts that he muffed last season. But those miscues resulted more from him taking his eyes off the ball or trying to take off running before looking it into his hands. I don’t think that dropped passes will be a problem. Log onto ChicagoBears.com this weekend for reports on how Hester performs at the full squad minicamp.

Larry: With Devin Hester moving to offense and the signing of Adam Archuleta, could we see more position changes in the defensive backfield? Perhaps Mike Brown moving to free safety and Danieal Manning moving to cornerback?

Doug C.
Santa Monica, California

Doug: Assuming that Mike Brown recovers from his foot injury as expected, there’s a very good chance that he will start at free safety with Adam Archuleta lining up at strong safety. Moving Danieal Manning from safety to cornerback is less of a certainty, but I think that it’s something that the Bears will contemplate during offseason workouts before training camp.

Larry: Do the Bears ever scout in the Arena Football League? If so, how would Bobby Sippio from the Chicago Rush be considered as a prospect for the Bears or another NFL team?

Bret H.
Dwight, Illinois

Bret: Yes, the Bears maintain detailed scouting reports on virtually every player in the Arena Football League. That’s one reason they were able to “discover” Rashied Davis when he was playing for the San Jose SaberCats. Bobby Sippio has been ultra-productive for the Chicago Rush. But he didn’t draw any interest from the NFL when he came out of college in 2002. As a big, physical receiver who lacks speed, he is better suited to run fade patterns and fend off press coverage in tight spots in the Arena Football League, where every snap is basically a red zone play. He got a brief look from the Dolphins, but the Bears don't appear to be interested in him.

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