Chicago Bears Trade for Bills OL Ryan Bates
CHICAGO (PSF)—The Chicago Bears shocked their fans this yesterday when they traded a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for offensive guard Ryan Bates. The trade is pending a physical from Bates so it will be official once that is completed and will be official on March 13.
In 73 games for the Bills, Bates has started 19 times. In 2022, Bates played 810 snaps at right guard and 135 at center. He brings flexibility and depth to a weakened Bears offensive line following the release of left guard Cody Whitehair and pending free agency of center Lucas Patrick.
Bates is someone who was once connected to the Bears. During General Manager Ryan Poles’ first year with the team, he tried to sign Bates during the latter’s restricted free agency period. Poles offered Bates a four-year offer sheet, but the Bills shocked everyone by matching the offer.
Per Spotrac, Bates’s cap hit is $5.439 million for the next two seasons.
Due to the trade, the Bears now have no Day Three picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. They only have four picks, two of which are in the first, the rest are in the third and fourth round.
The odds of the Bears selecting a center in the upcoming draft have possibly gone down a bit but depending on how Poles feels about this upcoming class, they could still select a player like C Jackson Powers-Johnson come April.
