The Chicago Bears get their first look at Devin Hester in an enemy uniform on Sunday when they take on the Atlanta Falcons. The return success of Hester, the greatest return man in NFL history, is hardly a surprise, but it's his contributions on offense this season that are eye-opening.

Did the Bears make a mistake in not bringing Hester back for a ninth season in Chicago? Our panel weighs in on that and more:

Fact or Fiction: The Bears made a mistake in letting Devin Hester go.

Jeff Dickerson, ESPNChicago.com Bears reporter: Fiction. Hester needed to move on. Factually speaking, Hester had a statistically sound season in 2013 returning kicks. But for those of us who covered Hester from the beginning (2006), we knew his time in Chicago had run its course. Hester started living on borrowed time the moment Lovie Smith (one of Hester's biggest supporters) left town. The Bears supported Hester last season, but the three-time Pro Bowler needed a clean break from the organization. And the Bears were not in position to pay Hester what he wanted to stay. General manager Phil Emery had to spend money to fix the defensive line, so paying the likes of Jared Allen, Willie Young and Lamarr Houston out-prioritized bringing back Hester, who because of a sour relationship with Jay Cutler, had relegated himself to strictly playing on special teams. Hester made the right decision to continue his career in Atlanta. The Bears made the right decision to let him walk. Now, the problem for the Bears has been their failure (so far) to replace Hester in the return game. But I fully understand their motives for letting him go back in the offseason.

Jon Greenberg, ESPNChicago.com columnist: Fact. I understand their reasoning, from the salary cap to Hester's reticence about playing offense, but you just can't argue about how the Bears miss Hester's rare value as a return man right now. Not only does he produce on returns, but he makes other teams nervous. There's a value there. Listen, he was with the team that drafted him for eight years, which is rare in the NFL, let alone as a primary return man/middling receiver. But he has a few more seasons in him. Perhaps it's more on the Bears front office and coaching staff for failing to replace Hester with a competent return man -- though Santonio Holmes is fine as a punt returner -- than it is on them for letting Hester go because of cap concerns. And maybe it's on the Bears brass for not bridging the gap between Hester and Cutler on offense. Hester certainly deserves blame for never maturing as a receiver, but there are a lot of unique people and personalities in the NFL and it's up to the team to figure out how to make everyone work together. We can pat Emery on the back all we want about making tough decisions, but this one hasn't worked out.

Fact or Fiction: Hester's early success as a receiver with the Falcons is an indictment on the Bears offensive coaching staffs during his time in Chicago.

Devin Hester has 14 catches this season -- five fewer than Brandon Marshall -- for 212 yards. Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports

Dickerson: Fiction. Bears coaches raved about Hester behind the scenes. From Ron Turner to Darryl Drake to Mike Tice, the coaching staff always supported Hester. Every year, the coaches talked openly about finding a better way to utilize Hester on offense. Even the other wide receivers wanted Hester to have more touches. Go ask them. Hester was a popular teammate. But the quarterback never bought in. Is Hester a Pro Bowl receiver? No. Is Hester a better receiver than Cutler gave him credit for? Yes. There's the disconnect.

Greenberg: Fact. Let's not absolve Hester of any blame -- this is the NFL, not college, so he's ultimately responsible for himself -- but the Bears' previous offensive staffs, not to mention quarterbacks, missed a chance to turn Hester into a reliable, regular receiver. It's tough to pin the blame on anyone, though. The offenses changed constantly, with little continuity, resulting in maddening, mediocre offenses. We know all this, of course. Smith didn't do Hester any favors by calling him a No. 1 receiver. Hester should've been allowed to shine as a third receiver who can get into space. He's not a Pro Bowl receiver, and maybe he's just finally matured at the position, but the Bears certainly failed at developing Hester as a receiver.

Fact or Fiction: It's time to be concerned about Brandon Marshall's lack of production.

Brandon Marshall has been quiet since his three-touchdown game against the 49ers in Week 2. AP Photo/Tony Avelar

Dickerson: Fiction. Marshall needs the football to be effective. The Bears know this. I refuse to believe Marshall (218 catches for 2,803 yards and 23 touchdowns for the Bears in 2012-13) is all of sudden incapable of putting up monster numbers. He caught three touchdown passes versus the 49ers in Week 2. That game feels like ancient history, but it happened only last month. Marshall is going to have a big game in the Georgia Dome. Not only have the Bears stressed the importance of throwing the ball to Marshall this week in practice, Atlanta is the 24th-ranked passing defense. They have young cornerbacks. The game is indoors. It's a perfect recipe for the Bears' best wide receiver to recover from his three-game slide.

Greenberg: Fiction. The NFL is 16 one-game seasons, so Marshall has plenty of time to improve after five weeks. He's been fighting through lower legs injuries, and maybe his toughness has been his undoing as he struggles to dominate, or even contribute at times. But the Bears' lackluster start is partly on Marshall not putting up numbers. You can see his value even more when he's not performing up to his standards. But if Marshall can't get right, it'll be time to stop talking about what he can do, and focus on what he didn't do in what's looking like a disappointing season for the Bears.

Fact or Fiction: Ego Ferguson has been the most impressive Bears rookie through five games.

Ego Ferguson was a disruptive force against Cam Newton and the Panthers in Week 5. AP Images/Mike McCarn

Dickerson: Fiction. What's not to like about Ferguson? The second-round pick deflected two passes at the line of scrimmage in Carolina, and is credited with 11 tackles, two sacks and one quarterback pressure through five games. However, Kyle Fuller -- September's NFL Rookie of the Month -- is hands down the most impressive Bears rookie to date. Fuller has already racked up 22 tackles, three interceptions, four pass break-ups and two forced fumbles. He will be tested Sunday against Julio Jones or Roddy White. But Fuller has exceeded expectations. In fact, almost the entire rookie class is contributing. That's an encouraging development.

Greenberg: Fiction. I'll still ride with Fuller, who has made game-changing plays at cornerback, while adapting to a starting role on the outside. But it's a close race between the Bears' top two draft picks. Ferguson has been a handful in the middle, as his two-deflection series in Carolina, the latter causing an interception, showed. Ferguson is part of a deep defensive line, and he's one of the best rookies at his position. But Fuller is an every-down cornerback, thanks to the season-ending injury to Charles Tillman, and he has to guard the best receiver every game. Fuller's responsibilities give him an edge over Ferguson, but it looks like Emery and his staff had a great draft, getting those two and third-rounder Will Sutton.