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No one, with the possible exception of Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, appreciates the abilities of Devin Hester more than I do. He is a player unlike any other I have seen in more than 20 years covering the NFL. Hester can affect games as much as any player in the NFL. With that in mind, if I were the Bears, I would be calling every NFL team to see which ones were interested in acquiring him. My guess is quite a few, and they would be willing to compensate the Bears handsomely for Hester's rights wrote Chicago Tribune columnist Dan Pompei.

This is the perfect time to trade Hester-when his returning skills are at their peak and before he has shown what he cannot do as a wide receiver. As a third-year player with a low salary-cap figure, Hester on the trade market would be as hot a commodity as a snowblower after a November blizzard. A lot of teams could convince themselves Hester is the one player who could make the difference for their season. And they might not be wrong. Could you imagine Hester on the Chargers? The Jaguars? The Giants? Hester could have an instant impact on any team as a returner. Some team, I wager, would pay a foolish price for Hester. Maybe a first-round pick, two second-round picks and a third. Maybe more. And if a team isn't willing to overpay the Bears for Hester, no deal. Keep him and try to come to a contract resolution.

It could be the kind of trade that sets up a franchise for a long time. The 1985 Super Bowl Bears were hatched in the 1983 draft. That year, the Bears stocked up on picks and subsequently were able to select Willie Gault, Pat Dunsmore and Mark Bortz with draft choices that initially belonged to other teams. And they used their own picks to select Jim Covert, Mike Richardson, Dave Duerson, Tom Thayer and Richard Dent.

Hester's contract demands will complicate any deal. The interested party will have to give Hester a sizable signing bonus and have the available cap space to deal with a ponderous contract. But Hester's history should make him irresistible to some teams.

Source: Chicago Tribune