The Bears took three solid steps toward returning to playoff contention with the acquisitions of free agent defensive end Julius Peppers, running back Chester Taylor, and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna. The three pricey transactions clearly demonstrated how committed to winning the franchise is and at what lengths they’ll go to avoid a fourth-straight season without the playoffs.

Without a first- or second-round pick in April’s draft, the Bears knew they’d have to rely on free agency to fill some holes on their roster, and they didn’t disappoint their fans. Peppers was widely considered the top free agent on the market and is a sack machine. Given his freakish athleticism, he should fit in nicely with Lovie Smith’s playmaking defensive system.

Taylor arrived in Minnesota in 2006 after spending four years as a backup running back in Baltimore. In his first season as a starter, he racked up 1,216 yards and 6 touchdowns on 303 carries. The following season, the Vikings drafted Adrian Peterson and Taylor has played second fiddle ever since. He’s a great receiving back who was seeking a bigger role and just may get that with the Bears, especially if he beats out Matt Forte for the starting role.

Manumaleuna was targeted by new offensive coordinator Mike Martz after his success playing the tight end position in St. Louis. He’s built like an offensive tackle and his first responsibility will be to help protect Jay Cutler. While Manumaleuna is a good blocker, he’s not without skill at catching the ball. In San Diego, he was a backup to Antonio Gates, and with the Rams — as Manumaleuna pointed out at Friday’s press conference — the reason he didn’t catch many passes is because he was surrounded by Pro Bowlers and future Hall of Famers at wide receiver and running back.

Skeptics have been calling the Bears’ moves “desperate,” but I hardly see the validity of such claims. The Bears lost two defensive ends this off-season, Gaines Adams and Adewale Ogunleye, and they needed to acquire a good one to fit Smith’s defense. Nobody was calling the Bears’ acquisition of Ogunleye in 2004 a desperate move. In both situations, the Bears recognized a need and filled it aggressively. The only difference is that one move was a trade and the other was a free agent signing.

As for Taylor and Manumaleuna, the moves were hardly made in panic. With a new offense comes the responsibility to add the proper pieces. You can’t fit square pegs into round holes and the Bears — mainly Martz — knew they had to get a blocking tight end and upgrade the depth at running back.

Two areas of concern remain at offensive line and free safety. The former will probably be addressed through the draft while the latter could still be solved through free agency. Former Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle appears to be out of the mix because he’s asking for a lot of money and is receiving greater interest from other teams, mainly the Dolphins and Giants. Still, there could be other options available that would be an improvement over the converted strong safeties currently on the Bears’ roster.

How much the Bears improved Friday afternoon remains to be seen, but it’s clear they’re in a lot better position to make the playoffs this year than they were just 24 hours ago.

Just as they had done by signing Frank Omiyale in the opening hours of free agency last off-season, the Bears recognized a need and struck quickly at the start of free agency this year.

The Bears agreed to terms with tight end Brandon Manumaleuna early Friday morning. Manumaleuna played for new offense coordinator Mike Martz in St. Louis and is a much better blocker than Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark or Kellen Davis, the three tight ends the Bears carried on the roster last year.

When Martz was hired, he explained that the first thing tight ends needed to do in his offense is put their hand in the dirt and block.  Olsen’s top skill is catching the ball and he’s not a very good blocker considering his thin frame.  That led to speculation this week that the Bears would pursue Manumaleuna and that move came to fruition shortly after the free agency period opened.

Manumaleuna is visiting Chicago today to sign his contract but won’t be the only free agent in town.  Defensive end Julius Peppers and running back Chester Taylor are both supposed to visit Halas Hall on Friday and there’s a good chance that one or both could join Manumaleuna on the team.

Free agency kicks off at 11:01 p.m. Thursday night. For an organization that values building its team through the draft but does not have a first or second round pick this year, free agency will be the Bears’ draft.

Contrary to public opinion around Chicagoland, Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith are no dummies. They can see the writing on the wall that not only are their seats hot and they most likely face a playoffs-of-bust mandate, but they also know that for Smith’s defense to greatly improve in order to make the postseason, they have to add a couple of key pieces in free agency.

Thus, when free agency begins late tomorrow night, expect to read rare news that the Bears have thrown their hat in the ring for some of the top free agents on the market. In years past, Angelo has used free agency as a supplemental source to add necessary pieces to the roster. Free agency has always been used to fill immediate needs, not wants.

Angelo has always stated that they’re not going to “set the market” on any big-named players in free agency. Under his watch, the Bears have typically shopped from the bargain bin. But with Gaines Adams’ death and Adewale Ogunleye set to test the market, the Bears have a glaring need for a left defensive end who can put pressure on the quarterback and improve Smith’s defense.

Little did any of us expect Julius Peppers to be on the top of the Bears’ wish list, but it’s been reported as such by multiple sources. In fact, David Kaplan reported on chicagobreakingsports.com that the Bears met with Peppers’ agent over the weekend. Adding a player of his caliber, a guy who has recorded double-digit sacks in six of his eight years in the league, not only would improve defensive line mates Alex Brown and Tommie Harris, and whoever starts opposite Harris at nose tackle, but his presence would also improve a struggling secondary. The results would be immediately noticeable.

It’s not as if Peppers is the only end on the Bears’ radar, either. Packers free agent Aaron Kampman and the Titans’ Kyle Vanden Bosch have also been mentioned as possible upgrades. I’ve always liked Kampman’s work ethic and non-stop motor and I think he’d be an excellent addition if the Bears do not land Peppers. You could hardly call Kampman a consolation prize because if the Bears did sign him, it would still feel like the Bears won the lottery.

Adding Kampman instead of Peppers might not be a bad option, either. Kampman will command less money than Peppers is rumored to be seeking — somewhere in the range of $15-18 million per season. With the extra money they save on a Kampman deal, the Bears could still pursue a veteran free safety like Antrel Rolle or Kerry Rhodes. Darren Sharper also could hit the market as the Saints are not expected to re-sign him. Angelo and Smith both have publicly stated that free safety is a position that needs to be fixed immediately.

With their backs against the wall with an average defense and serious holes to fill at two of the three most important positions in a Cover 2 defense — left end and free safety — expect Angelo and Ted Phillips to be more willing to shell out the big bucks to fix the problems on the roster. Defensive end is one of the most important positions on a football team, especially in the Cover 2. It may be the second-most important position behind quarterback because rarely do teams win Super Bowls without a good pass rush. I also would expect them to address the offensive line, but probably not with a big-named free agent.

The Bears can ill afford to be cheap at this point in the process. Internal improvement alone will not be enough to end this team’s playoff drought. They need to get better by adding pieces to the puzzle, and those pieces will come with a hefty price tag. But the ramifications of missing the playoffs for the fourth straight season after losing Super Bowl XLI could be just as bad.