"Devin Hester tried this route before, with little success.

In April of 2009, Hester encouraged the Bears to sign veteran Torry Holt so he could pick Holt's brain about playing the receiver position. Holt signed with the Jaguars instead.

Now, as the Bears approach the 2011 season, there's another accomplished receiver Hester would like to join forces with: Santana Moss.

"Anybody that can come in and help out the team, I'm down for it, and a guy like (Moss) can come in and really help out a lot," Hester said of his fellow Miami Hurricane. "I'm hoping we can get him."

Moss, 32, is on the Bears' radar, and he is viewed as productive player and positive locker room influence. He had a career-high 93 catches for 1,115 yards and six touchdowns with Washington last season and has four 1000-yard seasons in 10 years.

Problem is, there's no telling when free agency will begin, although an ESPN report recently speculated a July 28 start date. And there is no guarantee Moss will be on the market anyway. He recently told Sporting News Radio he wants to quickly re-sign with the Redskins once free agency starts. The Washington Post reported he was seeking either a two- or three-year deal at about $5 million per season."