No making up blog posts out of thin air for me today! The Bears have actually made news, of varying degrees, on this beautiful Friday. So much so that I won’t have to mention Brett Favre or various Free Agent Wide Receivers (other than… just now. I promise).

Most impactful, Da Bears inked linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa to a one-year deal today. Terms weren’t released, but it shouldn’t break the bank. The Rams tried to trade Pisa before releasing him, but couldn’t find anyone willing to pay, so a bidding war for his services never really got off the ground. Once they did release him, Pisa had a tough time trying to find a suitor. He visited the Bears, Patriots, and Bills, but settled on Chicago once the Pats went with Paris Lenon, another Free Agent Linebacker. Pisa played under Lovie during his rookie year in St. Louis and most agree that the Cover-2 scheme is best for him, so Chicago was the practical pick. He should win the Strong Side Linebacker job over Nick Roach and Hunter Hillenmeyer.

If/When he does win the job, it should give the Bears an intimidating Linebacker corps. I still don’t know how well-suited Pisa is for the strong side, where his primary job will be covering the tight end, but it’s still a solid addition. He’s a tackling machine, as evidenced by the fat that he lead the Rams in tackles four out of the last six seasons. Don’t get too excited though, those numbers should come down a bit due to the fact that the Sam Linebacker usually comes out on third downs so the nickelback can give the D a little more pass coverage. For instance, the Sam Linebacker played in slightly over 60% of defensive plays last year. At the very least, he should improve the Bears’ run defense, especially on first and second down.

Also of note today, the Bears inked seven of their nine total 2009 draft picks, officially making them members of the Chicago Bears. Defensive End Henry Melton (Texas), Cornerback D.J. Moore (Vanderbilt), Wide Receivers Johnny Knox (Abilene Christian) and Derek Kinder (Pittsburgh), Linebacker Marcus Freeman (Ohio State), Safety Al Afalava (Oregon State), and Guard Lance Louis (San Diego State) all placed their Hancock’s on the dotted line. Still unsigned are the two third-rounders: Defensive Lineman Jarron Gilbert (San Jose State) and Wide Receiver Juaquin Iglesias (Oklahoma), but they shouldn’t be too far off. The Bears established a goal of always signing their picks by the 4th of July but at this pace, they might all be Bears by the 4th of June.

Lastly, the Bears agreed to a 2-year extension with Defensive Lineman Israel Idonije, who otherwise would have beena  Free Agent following this season. the 28-year-old Idonije, who’s spent time at Defensive End and Defensive Tackle, is an experienced and versatile part of the D-Line rotation. Izzy is slimming down this offseason at the behest of new D-Line coach Rod Marinelli, who prefers his linemen lean and quick. He played at 306 pounds last season, and is already down to 270, which should be a good weight for him. I expect this to also signify more time at End than Tackle this year. Izzy now has a base salary of 1.75 million this year, followed by 2.5 mil in 2010 and 2011. In total, 3 of the 6.75 million is guaranteed.

Overall, this has been a very productive offseason for the Bears. Don’t be surprised if Pisa isn’t the last big splash the team makes. The Bears still need a Wide Receiver and a Free Safety, and one of those positions could be filled by someone not currently on the Bears roster.