Devin Hester - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Hester, Hawley, Graham

December 5th, 2015 at 10:49am CST by Ben Levine

Falcons returner Devin Hester was activated from the IR-DTR yesterday, and the 33-year-old is set to return to the field for the first time this season. After having dealt with a turf-toe injury for the past three months, Hester acknowledged how good it feels to be back.

“It was a long process of rehabbing,” he told D. Orlando Ledbetter of MyAJC.com. “It’s was hard work getting up every morning and going in for treatment. If feels great to back in the locker room, in the huddle and out of the field with the teammates that I have.”

While Hester is generally regarded as the best returner of all time, veteran Eric Weems has filled in admirably this season. The 30-year-old has returned 15 kicks for 403 yards, and he’s fielded another 19 punts for 221 yards.

Let’s check out some other assorted notes from around the NFC…

Joe Hawley‘s two-year contract with the Buccaneers called for four $250K bonuses based on playing time, TampaBay.com’s Greg Auman passes along. Considering he’s already played 94-percent of the team’s snaps in 2015, the 27-year-old is in good position to practically double his $1.25MM salary.
Hawley was released by the Falcons days before the season opener. Despite returning from a torn ACL, Buccaneerss offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter knew the veteran could help his offensive line. “When Joe became available, I went to Coach (Lovie Smith) and went to Jason (Licht, general manager), and said, ‘Look, we have a chance to get this guy,’ “ Koetter told Auman. ” ‘He may not be quite healthy yet, but he is going to get better.’ I know what kind of player Joe is.”
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said surgery on Jimmy Graham‘s torn patellar tendon went as planned. ““[E]verything, as the doctors would report, it went really well,” he said on Friday (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “He was uncomfortable, I know, the next couple of days. He was fighting through it to get back, started getting back. Looking forward to his return and his spirits are looking ahead and all that. It was a difficult surgery for him.”

Falcons Activate Devin Hester; Hankerson To IR

December 4th, 2015 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Falcons have activated receiver and return man Devin Hester from IR-DTR, sending wideout Leonard Hankerson to season-ending injured reserve in a corresponding move, the team announced today in a press release. Hester’s next snap will be his first this season, as a toe injury has sidelined him for the year until now.

Hester, 33, earned his fourth Pro Bowl berth last year in his first season with the Falcons, after leading the league in kick return yardage and punt return average. However, the team determined in early October that he needed to be placed on IR with designation to return due to that toe injury. After having spent eight weeks on IR-DTR, this is the earliest he was eligible to return.

In Hester’s absence, Eric Weems has been Atlanta’s primary return man on both kickoffs and punts. While it’s not clear if Hester will immediately take over both of those roles, he’s one of the league’s all-time best returners, so he figures to see some action on special teams. Having caught 38 balls last year for Atlanta, he may also contribute on offense, particularly with Hankerson out.

Hankerson, who turns 27 next month, totaled 26 receptions for 327 yards and three touchdowns in his first season with the Falcons. He had been sidelined recently by a hamstring injury. Since he’s on a one-year contract, Hankerson may have played his last game for Atlanta, as he nears free agency for the second straight offseason.

Falcons Place Devin Hester On IR-DTR

October 6th, 2015 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Falcons have placed wide receiver and return man Devin Hester on the injured reserve list with the designation to return, the team announced today in a press release. The move will sideline Hester, who is battling turf toe, for at least eight weeks, making him eligible to return for Atlanta’s Week 13 game against the Buccaneers.

“We have been trying to treat his toe injury the best we could, and he has been doing everything in his power to get back on the field, but at this point we think this is the best plan of action,” head coach Dan Quinn said of Hester. “We are confident this time will let Devin get healthy and be a big contributor to this team once he is back on the field.”

Hester, who turns 33 next month, earned his fourth Pro Bowl berth last year in his first season with the Falcons, after leading the league in kick return yardage and punt return average. However, his toe injury has prevented him from seeing any regular season action so far in 2015. Eric Weems has been Atlanta’s primary return man in Hester’s absence.

The Falcons also made several other roster moves today, cutting tight end Mickey Shuler as well. With the two open roster spots, the club signed safety Charles Godfrey and tight end Tony Moeaki. Both Godfrey and Moeaki had recent stints in Atlanta, as Moeaki was released during the team’s preseason cutdown to 53 players, while Godfrey was dropped to make room for tackle Jake Long last month.

Atlanta becomes the 18th team to use its IR-DTR slot this season, as our complete list shows.

NFC Notes: 49ers, RGIII, Chancellor

September 12th, 2015 at 6:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree spent the first six years of his career with the 49ers after they drafted him 10th overall in 2009. His time in San Francisco was somewhat underwhelming, given his production at Texas Tech and draft status, as he eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau just once and never racked up double-digit touchdowns in a season. Crabtree stayed in the Bay Area and signed with Oakland during the offseason, but he told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle that the 49ers wanted him back. The feeling wasn’t mutual.

“A lot of people don’t know that the Niners offered me a contract, I just didn’t take it,” the 27-year-old said. “I wanted a fresh start. It was more money too — the Niners offered me more money than anybody did — but business is business and I wanted to come to a team that really wanted and needed me.”

Crabtree then took a shot at 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, saying, “I needed a quarterback that can deliver the ball, and that was hungry like I was.”

NFC North Links: Johnson, Jennings, Kalil

October 25th, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Ben Levine

Former Bears return man Devin Hester has lit up NFC North opponents throughout his career. Lions coach Jim Caldwell has witnessed the game-changing abilities the veteran possesses, and he believes the current Falcons speedster deserves a spot in Canton. Via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press…

“He’s made it an art form and cut a niche in there like no one else has in the game, I think,” Caldwell said. “There’s been some great returners in this game, there’s no question about that. Deion Sanders was one that was one of those guys that was dangerous, in that regard. This guy is equally so, and I think he will be one of the first guys to ever sort of carve that niche out.

“Anytime (Hester) gets the ball in his hand, obviously, he’s a threat to go all the way. A very difficult guy to handle. We’ve faced some very good ones prior to this weekend, and he’s no exception. He’s probably going into the Hall of Fame, so he’s a cut above, maybe, the rest.”

Lions punter Sam Martin echoes his coach’s sentiment.

“He’s undoubtedly the best to ever do it, so that’s definitely something you consider,” Martin said. “But just like I’ve said about every other guy we’ve faced, they’re all dangerous and you don’t want to give any of them an easy return … on kickoffs or punts. Our coverage teams are going to do what they do, and I’m going to try limiting his touches as much as possible. Hit high balls and, hopefully, we shut them down.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC North…

Mike Florio of ProFooballTalk.com isn’t convinced that Calvin Johnson will finish his career with the Lions. In the writer’s opinion, it isn’t worth dedicating such a large portion of the cap to a player who has struggled with injuries.
ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling opines that Greg Jennings and Chad Greenway would need to restructure their contracts if they want to play for the Vikings next season. The team could save more than $7MM be parting ways with Greenway and could save about $9MM by releasing Jennings.
Even with the struggles of Matt Kalil this season, Goessling can’t envision the Vikings drafting a left tackle early in next year’s draft.
Considering the Packers depth in the secondary, Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel thinks it’d be in the team’s best interest to pawn off one of their cornerbacks.

Bears Notes: Hester, Allen, White

October 8th, 2014 at 7:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from Chicago..

Devin Hester joined the Falcons this offseason on a three-year, $9MM deal and the belief was that the Bears just couldn’t match it. However, the veteran claims he wasn’t offered a contact at all, writes ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright. “Chicago didn’t offer me anything,” Hester said. “They didn’t offer me [a] contract. They didn’t call me period, pretty much. I didn’t hear from Chicago. They didn’t say they were going to re-sign me. All I know is they were just going in a different direction.” Hester isn’t dwelling on the past, however, and he insists that he’s happy in Atlanta.
Bears coach Marc Trestman is happy to have free agent addition Jared Allen healthy and in the fold, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s been kind of an odd season for him. He missed a game for the first time in his career. He missed a lot of training camp. He had a family situation that he had to contend with. He’s coming back strong and he adds a big spark for us,” the coach said. “He’s done a good job for us running to the football and mixing it up. He’s gotten his strength back from being out over a week ago now. I believe that he’s back at full strength.”
Before signing with the Panthers in 2013 as a UDFA, cornerback Melvin White also had interest from the Bears, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports 1 (on Twitter). The Bears probably wish that they landed him. White proved to be a solid find for Carolina and quickly morphed into a starter. In 20 games for the Panthers, White has amassed 69 tackles and three interceptions. Of course, White’s Panthers beat Chicago on Sunday, 31-24.

NFC Notes: Hester, Sproles, Graham, Bears

September 19th, 2014 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Devin Hester was one of many Falcons to reach the end zone last night, scoring on a record-setting punt return and a running play. However, it’s his role as a wide receiver that has him more happy with the Falcons than he was in his last few seasons with the Bears.

“I wasn’t happy the last three or four years in Chicago because things wasn’t going the way I expect,” Hester said yesterday, according to Adam Hoge of WGN Radio (Twitter link). “I would always have a great camp, have all the receivers saying and coaches saying I had the best camp of all the receivers. And once the season start off, I’m not there.”

As Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets, there were a few teams eyeing Hester in free agency that felt the veteran wasn’t worth the $10MM contract he signed with Atlanta, but it’s looking like a good investment for the Falcons so far. Here’s more from around the NFC:

So far, the deal that saw Darren Sproles land with Philadelphia in exchange for a fifth-round pick looks like a steal for the Eagles, and the veteran running back is happy with his situation. As he told reporters on Thursday, including Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com, Sproles wasn’t initially informed of his impending release by the Saints, but when it turned out that the Eagles were one of a handful of teams interested in trading for him, he told his agent to “make that happen.” Per Sproles, five teams explored acquiring him, and the Eagles were one of the three with serious interest.
Within the same piece, McManus takes a look at the unusual case of Eagles linebacker Brandon Graham, who has a chance to make $2.5MM in not likely to be earned incentives, but will need to see a few more snaps to have a chance at that money.
The Bears worked out a long list of free agents this week, and Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com passes along the names in a pair of tweets: Blake Annen (TE), Derek Cox (CB), Brandon Ghee (CB), Mike Harris (CB), Lavelle Hawkins (WR), Kendall James (CB), Derrick Martin (S), David Paulson (TE), Brad Sorensen (QB), Jordan Sullen (CB), Asa Watson (TE), Damian Williams (WR), and Kyle Williams (WR).
Linebacker Jamar Chaney tried out for the Saints this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). We heard yesterday that New Orleans also took a look at veteran linebacker Pat Angerer.

NFC Notes: Hester, Urlacher, Sproles

September 16th, 2014 at 9:11pm CST by Zachary Links

In an interview with WFAN’s Boomer & Carton show, Lions tailback Reggie Bush said that embattled Vikings running back Adrian Peterson should be allowed to play football, writes NFL.com’s Marc Sessler. “Adrian Peterson, I’ve known for a while, and he’s a good guy,” Bush said. “... I don’t know all the details of the situation what happened, but I know me and like a lot of other guys who were born in the ’80s, and even before then, were raised differently and disciplined differently. And I was one of those kids. I got what we called ‘whoopings,’ whooped with belts and stuff like that. For me, growing up, it was normal. And not to say, not to try to downplay the situation at all, I think that this is genuine, and obviously, I’m sure there’s no ill intent against his own son.” More from the NFC..

Coach Lovie Smith definitely wanted Devin Hester in Tampa but the money situation simply didn’t work out in the Bucs‘ favor, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The former Bears standout wound up signing with the Falcons this offseason.
Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher resigned his job as a broadcaster job at FOX Sports 1 Tuesday and the Bucs have an injury to starting middle linebacker Mason Foster. Some may be wondering if Urlacher would be a fit for Tampa Bay but if it does happen, it won’t be this week, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The Bucs plan to go with backup middle linebacker Dane Fletcher in Thursday night’s game at Atlanta.
Former Eagles president Joe Banner tweeted that he tried to sign Darren Sproles when he a free agent after his time with the Chargers. However, the speedy tailback badly wanted to reunite with Drew Brees in New Orleans and wound up with the Saints. Sproles’ presence in Philadelphia years earlier might have made a big difference for the team, Banner writes.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap gives his thoughts on Robert Quinn‘s extension with the Rams. The contract is similar to what Fitzgerald envisioned for J.J. Watt initially – it underpays him for his production, but it gives him a window for another mega-contract in just a few years. Quinn also gets a decent guarantee package from St. Louis.
The Peterson case shows a lack of leadership on the NFL’s part, writes Tom Powers of the Pioneer Press. The Vikings said they’ll let things play out in court for the running back but Powers notes that defensive back Chris Cook, cornerback A.J. Jefferson, and running back Caleb King were never given the same benefit of the doubt when they were in hot water.

Bears Notes: Clausen, Safeties, Scott

August 15th, 2014 at 10:52am CST by Matt Feminis

The Bears played another flag-filled preseason game last night, and the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs provided his post-game thoughts:

The Bears have ongoing competition for backup quarterback — Jimmy Clausen and Jordan Palmer are both playing well — and running back, where Shaun Draughn and fourth-rounder Ka’Deem Carey are vying for carries behind Matt Forte.
The safety position remains a jumble, though Chris Conte is expected to be cleared for action in next week’s third preseason game, and the best estimation for the starting combination come opening day might be Conte and veteran Ryan Mundy.
In keeping with the question mark theme, the job of kick returner is also up for grabs because Chris Williams is hurt, and Eric Weems has done nothing to take ownership. “The Bears have gone from Devin Hester to who-knows-what entering the third preseason game,” says Biggs.
A week after starring in the first preseason game, tight end Zach Miller went down with a left foot injury. The team will get details on the injury today.
Defensive end Trevor Scott is emerging as the fourth defensive end, says Biggs: “[Scott] looked good again. He’s got legit speed and is being used with the first unit on special teams by Joe DeCamillis.”
Sixth-rounder Pat O’Donnell has all but locked up the punting job.
With Marquess Wilson injured, veteran Josh Morgan could position himself as the third receiver.
Shea McClellin, who is being scrutinized in Chicago, struggled again last night in his second game as a linebacker, says ESPN’s Michael C. Wright: “The Bears want to remain patient with Shea McClellin as he transitions to linebacker, but his play against the Jaguars seemed just about on par with his shoddy showing last week. McClellin did stuff the run once early on but continues to struggle at shedding blocks and making tackles in space.”

NFC Notes: Hester, Felton, Bailey, Cards

August 11th, 2014 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Bear Devin Hester would have liked to continue – and eventually end – his career in Chicago, but when he became a free agent earlier this year, the team didn’t have much interest in re-signing him, as he tells Patrick Finley of the Chicago Tribune.

“It’s not like I had a choice to sign with them again,” Hester said. “They didn’t even call me to let me know they were willing to bring me back. I didn’t hear from them at all. It made it a lot easier for me to say, ‘OK,’ and then go look for another team.”

When he hit the open market, Hester considered the Cardinals and Lovie Smith’s Buccaneers, but ultimately landed with the Falcons. Here’s more from around the NFC:

Like Hester, wide receiver Stevie Johnson expected to eventually finish his career with the team he started with, but the Bills opted to trade him to the 49ers in May. Johnson spoke to Don Banks of SI.com about his offseason and about playing for the team he grew up rooting for in San Francisco.
With new offensive coordinator Norv Turner now leading the offense in Minnesota, the Vikings aren’t expected to utilize a fullback as often, meaning Jerome Felton‘s roster spot could be in jeopardy just two years after he made the Pro Bowl. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has the details, including quotes from the veteran fullback, who expressed confidence in his place on the team’s 53-man roster.
Veteran cornerback Champ Bailey appears to have suffered some sort of injury in training camp, but the Saints haven’t indicated whether or not it’s serious, writes Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, who wonders if the team will strongly consider cutting ties with Bailey.
Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com rounds up a few notable comments from Cardinals GM Steve Keim‘s latest appearance on 98.7 FM in Arizona.