After locking up versatile DL/special-teams ace Israel Idonije with a two-year contract extension worth $7 million and signing seven of their nine 2009 draft picks - all seven received four-year deals - the Bears capped off a very hectic Friday with the signing of former Rams OLB Pisa Tinoisamoa to a one-year deal (terms undisclosed).

The Rams recently released Tinoisamoa, even though he led the team in tackles (135, including 88 solo) in 2008 for the fourth time in his six seasons with the team. Familiar with both Bears head coach Lovie Smith and defensive coordinator Bob Babich - he played under both of them in St. Louis as a rookie in 2003 - Tinoisamoa would appear to be a strong candidate for the Bears' starting strong-side LB job shared last season by Nick Roach, who finished '08 as the starter, and Hunter Hillenmeyer.

"He's a real productive player," said Bears GM Jerry Angelo of Tinoisamoa. "It's not an indictment of our linebackers. If this works, great. If it doesn't work, we're still fine."

The PFW spin

There's good reason Angelo addressed the signing of Tinoisamoa with a hint of caution. Even though the University of Hawaii product is well-known for emptying the bucket every second he's on the field and has been a very productive player for the most part, the new regime in St. Louis thought it would be better off without him, after watching him get so frequently overpowered by bigger blockers while playing on the weak side last season. Even though Tinoisamoa is listed at 6-1, 240, he played last year in the 220-pound range, and new Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo appears determined to secure bigger, stronger defenders moving forward.

In the Bears' defense, though, there is much more of an emphasis on speed and mobility than on size, and Tinoisamoa, who was strongly considered by three other teams in addition to the Bears (New England, Buffalo and Philadelphia), could be a solid high-energy addition - provided he can stay healthy.

Tinoisamoa's health is worth noting. He missed five games in 2006 with five different injuries that ultimately landed him on injured reserve, and he played in only nine games in '07 before going on injured reserve with knee problems. Last offseason he made a commitment to eating better and working out harder, and he entered the season feeling more comfortable at a reduced weight.

During the season he made a concerted effort to keep his hips down when tackling and not use his shoulders as much. He also didn't flail around as much, trying to make out-of-control, one-armed tackles, and there were occasions - most notably the Rams' upset victory over Washington - when he was a true difference maker, but apparently not enough of one to remain with the Rams.

Roach, who proved to be serviceable but far from spectacular as the starter on the strong side last season, will probably become more of a factor on special teams this coming season along with Idonije, whose expertise in that area (four blocked kicks in his career) no doubt factored into a new deal that includes $3 million in guaranteed money.

Hillenmeyer's future, meanwhile, is a lot hazier, as he continues to recover from surgery to repair a sports hernia and is coming off an injury-clouded campaign that might not bode well for his future in Chicago.

On the rookie front, the Bears' top two '09 picks - DT Jarron Gilbert and WR Juaquin Iglesias - remain unsigned. But the team has set a target date of mid-June to have all of its drafted rookies under contract.