The Atlanta Falcons signed Devin Hester in the offseason with the intentions of using him as more than just the return man he had become in Chicago. Hester built a reputation as the best return man in the league with the Bears, but Atlanta wanted to return him to his wide receiver ways. By all accounts, the Falcons succeeded and Hester's first season in Atlanta was a success. However, his future is uncertain. With the team undergoing changes in the coaching staff, Hester hopes that he is able to return and help rebuild.
Hester provided a need for the Falcons in 2014. The team got a deadly return man and a solid No. 4 wide receiver to rotate in for Roddy White and Julio Jones. He finished with 504 receiving yards and two touchdowns while making key catches in the few wins that Atlanta got. With changes looming for the Falcons, Hester hopes he gets to stick around be a part of the solution.
"It was OK," Hester said, via the team website. "I felt as though I could've done a little better. It was the first year for me here, getting into the mix and getting used to the offense, surrounded by a great group of receivers. The relationship we built in that receivers room was real strong, and I'm just hoping we can continue that together next year. I can only handle what I'm capable of, doing my part. I'm going to go into this offseason and try to get better and work on my craft and hopefully next year I can showcase more talent."
Hester certainly won over all of his teammates. Both Jones and White have been nothing but complimentary towards their first-year teammate and remain hopeful that the core of receivers stick together.
"The thing that people don't understand," Jones said, via TheMMQB.com's Peter King, "is that for us, he's not just going to be a returner. We've seen it out here. He can help us as a receiver, and he is helping us."
Hester is signed through the 2016 season while being a $3 million cap hit each of the next two years. It remains to be seen if the Falcons intend to keep that on their pay roll. Jones is the priority after the team hires a new head coach. The wide receiver is preparing to enter the final year of his contract and the Falcons intend on giving him a nice pay raise as he develops into one of the league's best. The Falcons also have several holes to fill on defense along with the offensive line and Hester could become a cap casualty, although that would leave Atlanta still needing a return man.
