As of 3:25 p.m. Tuesday, there had been no Brian Urlacher sightings on the first day of the Bears’ 2008 training camp in Bourbonnais, Ill.

Not to worry, Bears nation.

After agreeing to a nice contract extension one day earlier that not a lot of daily team observers can say they saw coming, Urlacher figures to be a very content and conscientious camper when practices kick in Wednesday.

He better be.

Although he remains extremely popular in the Windy City, Urlacher’s well-documented animosity toward the Bears’ organization was becoming an increasingly annoying turnoff to a lot of Bears fans who couldn’t help but notice the chinks that were so particularly noticeable in his armor the first 11 games of the 2007 season.

The fact he treated the local media like crap most of the time and turned curt, one-word answers to mostly reasonable questions into an art form certainly didn’t help matters. But the point of this column isn’t to get on Urlacher’s case for not being a better interview.

Brian Urlacher

Truth be told, Urlacher would rather walk the walk than talk the talk. And if he can pick up where he left off on the field at the end of last season, when he was playing like a man possessed, he can probably get away with being short with the media if he wants to, although a warmer, fuzzier Urlacher would certainly be a welcome transformation.

But what is much more important is the transformation of the Bears’ defense back into the formidable unit that spearheaded the team’s Super Bowl run just two short seasons ago. When the offseason began, the odds that contractually challenged heavyweight defenders Urlacher, Harris and Lance Briggs would all sign new deals before training camp couldn’t have been slimmer.

Take a look at them now, all comfortably residing in the NFL’s high-rent district at their respective positions.

As a result, it’s hard not to be optimistic about a defense that, on paper, should be among the best the league has to offer, provided it can avoid the plethora of injuries that were such a key factor behind its unfortunate unraveling last season.

Much has been made of a nightmarish injury list that most notably included Urlacher and Harris performing at less than full strength and the likes of S Mike Brown, CB Nate Vasher and DT Dusty Dvoracek hardly performing at all.

Remember that last name — Dusty Dvoracek, a player whom Bears fans have hardly seen on the field in his first two pro seasons due to early season-ending injuries.

Close observers of the Bears agree that, aside from Harris, Dvoracek is easily the best run defender on the team. And by all accounts, he’s champing at the bit to make up for lost time this coming season.

A healthy Harris and Dvoracek occupying blockers in the middle and opening up more big-play opportunities for a happy Briggs and Urlacher could be, and should be, a beautiful thing to watch come September.

Too bad the offense looks so damn ugly.