Hester's no-show casts shadow on Bears practice

This could get ugly.

The Devin Hester situation, that is.

The optimism that usually accompanies the first practice of training camp was diminished by the absence of the Bears' most dangerous offensive weapon.

Hester, who has two years left on his rookie contract, has vowed not to report to camp until he gets a new deal. The Bears are expected to fine the NFL's best kick-returner and their potential No. 1 wide receiver $15,000 for every day he stays away.

"That's part of the CBA (collective-bargaining agreement), and I'm sure his agent apprised him of the rules," Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said after Wednesday's practice. "(This is) unexpected. We thought Devin was going to be here. We've been negotiating with Devin for a while, and we are continually negotiating with him. So I really don't know why he isn't here."

The Bears are having a tough time reaching an accord with Hester's agent, Eugene Parker, because of the unique situation that the 2006 second-round pick presents.

Hester's base salary for this season is $445,000, and the Bears are aware that he would be extremely underpaid at that number.

But the dilemma is in determining if Hester should be paid as the best return man in the NFL who is also a backup wide receiver - which he was last season, when he caught 20 passes for 299 yards - or if he should be paid as the NFL's best return man who is also a No. 1 wide receiver, which Bears coaches believe he can become.

"It's very difficult given the situation," Angelo said. "It's probably one that I won't ever experience again. But we're working at doing it. We want to do it. He's earned it. He is a very, very good player for us. We're all in agreement on Devin's value."

As far back as minicamp, Hester hinted that he would have a difficult time continuing to play under his current deal, and Parker is in the unenviable position of seeing his client paid as a backup when he's already become perhaps the most popular player on the team and one of the most popular in the league.

"I would be lying to you if I said it was easy," Hester said at minicamp. "Sometimes you wish it wouldn't even come up, but right now, unfortunately, you're in a position where you can get a new contract, and it goes through your mind every day.

"You have doubts about coming out here and getting injured. But, at the same time you know being out here is going to better your game. You know each and every day you miss is a day you lose. I'm the type of player that wants to get better and wants to help out the team as much as I can."

Historically, the Bears have been more willing to negotiate with players who were on the practice field than those who stayed away.

"We have a policy," Angelo said. "(It's) disappointing. If players are going to negotiate with us, we want them here."

But Hester represents a unique situation. Even in limited snaps last season, his first as an NFL receiver after converting from cornerback, he showed the same game-breaking ability that he possesses as a return specialist who's already returned 7 punts and 4 kickoffs for touchdowns in his first two seasons.

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said he didn't recall any receiver making as huge a leap on the depth chart as Hester might, but he wouldn't rule it out in this case.

"I've never seen anybody like Devin Hester," Turner said. "I've been around some pretty good players, but and I've never been around anybody like him, and Devin's the kind of guy, if he sets his mind to doing something, he's going to get it done, there's no way he's going to be stopped.

"From what I saw in the minicamp and the OTAs, he was showing that he was on his way to doing that. He can eventually be a No. 1 receiver. Whether he is this year or not, I don't know, but he'll be a receiver who's going to play a lot of football for us and who we will be able to do a lot of things with."

Whenever he gets back on the field, that is.