… So let’s make some crap up.

The NFL offseason is pretty boring, I completely agree. Nothing makes me miss the NFL more than the NBA and underwhelming Chicago baseball. But ESPN is allowed to manufacture news to keep their ratings up, so I’m not going to apologize for focusing on things that probably have no impact on… anything. Ever. That’s kind of what the offseason is about. So here’s some nuggets for ya:

- ESPN has released the first issue of their NFL power rankings, and the Bears come in at 12th overall. That seems pretty low to me for a team that went 9-7 last year and had probably the biggest offseason in the whole league… but the good news is that Minnesota is ranked 14th, making the Bears the division leaders. Also included is a little blurb about our favorite Chicago sports franchise: “The addition of Jay Cutler gives the Bears the early advantage in the NFC North”… Glistening analysis, oh Worldwide leader. What would we do without them?

- If the Bears are still searching for a veteran receiver, I’d encourage them to take a look at Matt Jones (to look at him yourself, see right). Granted, the guy likes the booger sugar a little too much, and he did violate his parole this past year, but reports are that he won’t face further suspension from the NFL. Jones is a monster at 6-6, 218 pounds, and would at the very least make a great red zone threat. However, with 2008 numbers like 65 receptions for 761 yards (in Jacksonville, no less!) Jones could be a lot more than that, especially with Jay Cutler slingin’ the rock. The kid has his entire career to play for, and I don’t see the harm in taking a flyer on the guy. Besides, he’s 26. He’s obviously made mistakes but he could turn into a gem if he decides to get his life in order.

- Free Agent Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa visited Bears OTAs last week, and seems to be garnering interest from the team. He left town without an offer, but I’m sure GM Jerry Angelo has been in contact with his agent. Tinoisamoa played extremely well for the Rams at Weak-side Linebacker, but with All-pro Lance Briggs manning that spot in Chicago, I’m assuming they plan on using him on the strong side. That would probably settle the battle there between Hunter Hillenmeyer and Nick Roach, but I’m less sure of the idea. It would probably give the Bears the best Linebacking corps in the league (on paper), but is Tinoisamoa really suited for the strong side, where he’ll have to spend more time in coverage, shadowing the tight end? More on that if anything actually happens.