And now the work begins for Bears

If there is one benefit to the NFL’s 136-day work stoppage, it is that training camp and the preseason will take on added significance this year.

Without off-season workouts, minicamps and organized team activities (OTAs), all position battles must be decided during three weeks of camp and four preseason games.

And anything that adds a sense of urgency to the typically laid-back training camp regimen and normally meaningless exhibition games is welcome.

For the Bears, that means that starting Friday when they are expected to report to Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, offensive line coach Mike Tice must make quick decisions on the most effective combination up front.

That hopefully will allow offensive coordinator Mike Martz to use the full force of his scheme and quarterback Jay Cutler to maximize his talents.

That didn’t happen last season, when transition and disappointing production on the offensive line left the Bears last in the NFL in sacks allowed, No. 30 in total yards and No. 28 in passing yards.

Last off-season Tice admitted he did not get an accurate read during the spring and early summer in determining his best five by the start of the season.

According to Tice, especially on the offensive line, it’s difficult to evaluate how players will perform in the regular season just from watching them jog around in shorts in noncontact practices.

So maybe the absence of an off-season won’t slow the process of deciding on the starting five. But there are a lot of moving pieces that Tice will be working with.

Assuming unrestricted free- agent center Olin Kreutz is re-signed (those negotiations can begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday), the Bears will have seven offensive linemen who started at least three games for them last season plus first-round pick Gabe Carimi, who is expected to crack the starting lineup, probably at right tackle.

That likely would mean moving last year’s surprise rookie starter, seventh-rounder J’Marcus Webb, from right tackle to left tackle, where he would have to learn a new position on the fly.

Kreutz and right guard Roberto Garza have played side by side for 5½ years, so they would give the Bears some continuity.

But that leaves 2008 first-round pick Chris Williams, last year’s starting left tackle Frank Omiyale and possibly Lance Louis fighting it out at left guard.

Bottom line, any O-line depth chart should be written in pencil until at least the end of August.

While the focus will be on the big guys up front, there are other position battles that will be fought during camp.

Outsiders seem to think that the Bears need a talent infusion at wide receiver or at least some additional size.

The coaching staff doesn’t necessarily concur, but 6-foot-4, 220-pound Andy Fantuz was imported from the Canadian Football League.

It will be interesting to see if Fantuz plays well enough to take playing time from Earl Bennett, Johnny Knox and Devin Hester.

Unrestricted free agent wideout Rashied Davis is expected to be re-signed, but if he isn’t, the Bears will at least need to add depth.

Plaxico Burress and Randy Moss are the biggest names among the free-agent wide receivers with excellent size, but neither is a good fit for the Bears.

The Minnesota Vikings’ 6-4 Sidney Rice is intriguing, but there are question marks about the hip injury that sidelined him last season.

The only thing certain on the Bears’ defensive line is that Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije, who tied for the team lead last season with 8 sacks, will be the starting ends.

A 3-to-4-man rotation inside is likely, featuring second-round rookie Stephen Paea from Oregon State and backup Matt Toeaina.

If last season’s 16-game starter Anthony Adams is not re-signed, the Bears need to find a replacement in free agency. Adams should be a priority, especially considering that Marcus Harrison, the third-round pick in 2008, has been a huge disappointment.

Harrison is out of chances and needs to play up to his potential and with a greater sense of urgency starting now, or get on with his life’s work.

An unrestricted free agent who makes sense for the Bears is Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, who played end in their 3-4 defense but could move inside to tackle in the Bears’ 4-3 scheme. The Packers want him back, but they may not be able to afford him.

Negotiations with other teams’ free agents also can begin Tuesday at 9 a.m., but those players can’t officially sign until Friday.

Both safety spots have been a revolving door since Lovie Smith took over in 2004, with a combined total of 41 changes at the two spots.

Last season there was unprecedented continuity with strong safety Danieal Manning and free safety Chris Harris both starting all 16 games. But unrestricted free agent Manning might not be back, and last year’s third-round pick, Major Wright, is being groomed as a starter.

This year’s third-round pick, safety Chris Conte, is a longshot, given that he played the position for just one year at Cal.

Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs are the only two linebackers among the 47 players under contract. That leaves sixth-round pick J.T. Thomas in an enviable position, and it makes re-signing UFAs Nick Roach and/or oft-injured Pisa Tinoisamoa a priority.

The Bears have just 47 players under contract and are allowed to bring 90 to camp, so general manager Jerry Angelo, director of player personnel Tim Ruskell and chief contract negotiator Cliff Stein will be working long hours in the coming days.