So, what happened to the spark? Why was Hester’s season-long return a relatively paltry 51 yards?

The most obvious reason would be his burgeoning role in the offense. The Bears have envisioned him as a number one receiver ever since he started breaking returns. With Bernard Berrian and Muhsin Muhammad departing last off-season, the organization took a big step this year in establishing Hester’s presence on the field. He more than doubled his reception and yardage total from 2007, catching 51 passes for 665 yards, and also scored three touchdowns.

However, for a number one receiver, those stats are less than desirable. Numerous dropped balls hampered his production in this area. His route running wasn’t always crisp, either, though that did improve as the season wore on. Rest assured, the position coaches will help him tackle these issues in the coming months.

What’s still unclear is whether Hester possesses the mindset to excel at the position. Can he develop that general awareness all the best receivers harbor? Can he read the defense correctly before every snap, break off his routes to aid a scrambling quarterback, and manipulate defensive backs with quick shifts and brute physicality?

We’ve seen some of this, but not much.

Perhaps it would be unfair to expect such immediate and drastic improvement from a player who’s only really had one full season of reps as a true wideout. The unrealized expectations placed on Hester are really the product of another returner-cum-receiver’s career: Steve Smith.

Smith, a third-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2001, found similar success in his rookie campaign returning punts and kicks. That year, he totaled 1,795 yards with three touchdowns on 90 returns, a performance that earned him an invite to the Pro Bowl. Recognizing his unique attributes, Carolina started increasing his workload over the next few seasons, playing him as receiver and steadily decreasing his role as a returner.

At 5’9”, 185 lbs., Smith soon set the mold for a new type of receiver, one that beat you with speed instead of size. He has topped 1,000 yards five times since 2003, including a breakout campaign in 2005 that saw him lead the league in yardage (1,563) and tie for the lead in receptions (103) and touchdowns (12).

With Hester mirroring Smith’s size and open-field ability, it’s no surprise the Bears have tried to follow the Panthers’ template for success. Unfortunately, Chicago has so far failed to maximize Hester’s effectiveness.

Smith’s power stems directly from his unique balance. He has an uncanny ability to speed past coverage and maintain complete momentum, leading to explosive downfield completions and valuable yards after the catch. The Panthers have also gotten the most out of him by limiting the number of routes he runs. Smith rarely runs more than a handful of routes—overs (upfield with a break to the post), nines (vertical streak off the line), outs (straight drive followed by a 90-degree cut to the sideline), and occasionally drags (crossing shallow over the middle)—and they all get the ball in his hands quickly or go downfield for a big gain. They allow him to penetrate all levels of the defense and force teams to game-plan specifically for him.

Despite his tremendous versatility, Hester isn’t up to this sort of task yet. He’s still a raw talent who needs time to further develop and ease into his new role. Expecting him to digest all that’s thrown at him and suddenly turn into the next Smith would be nothing more than wishful thinking.

What the Bears need to do is treat Hester like yet another diminutive receiver: Wes Welker of the New England Patriots. Welker, listed at exactly the same height and weight as Smith, had 223 receptions for 2,340 yards the past two seasons and has quickly blossomed into the most valuable possession cog of Bill Belichick’s system. He puts up these numbers running primarily out of the slot, a position that creates mismatches and feeds him the ball with ease.

Ron Turner, take note: Welker shines when he gets the ball in space and has room to run.

Now, we have seen Hester do this before. When the Bears visited the Metrodome in Week 13, Hester ran a simple inside slant from the right side on second-and-seven from the Chicago 35; after making two defenders miss, he flew by the rest and took it the distance.

This is what can happen when he gets the ball quickly over the middle rather than sending him deep. Ideally, Turner would incorporate a lot of option routes into the playbook, giving Hester some room for improvisation when reacting to defenses.

Even more ideal would be if the Bears acquired a receiver to be the team’s number one man. If defenses had to acknowledge another downfield threat on the Bears’ offense, Hester would have more opportunities to make plays. Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd certainly don’t look like players who can take that role, so it’d be beneficial for the Bears to make moves in the off-season.

Ultimately, something Hester can do well is run straight for the end zone. I’m sure Kyle Orton wouldn’t mind trying one or two long balls a game to Hester, and the Bears shouldn’t mind either. With a guy like Hester on your roster, you simply have to try it every game. It makes defenses honor his speed on every down and will occasionally (as evinced by the Bears’ Week 15 game against the Saints) draw timely pass interference calls.

Only time will tell if the coaches can harness his versatility and whether he can shoulder the burden of the offense.

As for now, Devin Hester, Bears nation turns its searching eyes to you.