Insider Confirms What Bears' Plans Are For New Arrival Ryan Bates

GM Ryan Poles pulled a small surprise this week when he sent a 5th round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for 27-year-old offensive lineman Ryan Bates. This ended a pursuit that began two years ago when the Chicago Bears tried to sign him as a restricted free agent. Buffalo matched the offer at the time, making him their starting guard that season. However, last year, they replaced him with 2nd round pick O'Cyrus Torrence. Smelling an opportunity, the Bears made the offer and got their guy.

The lingering question for many is what exactly the plans are for him. Bates has played the majority of his snaps in the NFL at guard. This led to speculation he is a primary backup for the injury-prone Nate Davis and Teven Jenkins. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune doesn't think that is the case. He believes this move was made with the intent of making Bates the team's starting center, allowing them to bypass the more expensive options in free agency and not having to rely on a later draft pick.

One more point I will make about the possibility of a major move in free agency: The Bears agreed to a trade for Buffalo Bills interior offensive lineman Ryan Bates on Monday night, swapping a fifth-round pick for him. That deal cannot become official until March 13, the first day of the new league year, but this effectively removes the Bears from the market for a free agent like Denver Broncos center Lloyd Cushenberry. The plan is for Bates to play center. He’s a low-cost addition — Bates will earn $4 million this season — and that fills a need without a big spend, leaving resources to potentially earmark for a position like defensive tackle.

The Bears' logic with Ryan Bates is sound.

Bates might not be the elite presence people wanted, but he is a solid football player. He also has experience playing center from his time in Buffalo. He's smart, tenacious, strong, and has the physical profile they like. This move means the Bears won't have to fork over $10+ million per year to guys like Lloyd Cushenberry in free agency, a player who, while solid, isn't what you would call a stud. As for the draft, the Bears are in a tough spot. If they still had a 2nd round pick, that would be the perfect range to grab one. That is not possible at the moment because of the Montez Sweat trade.

Unless they procure one before or during the draft, it appears Ryan Bates will be their guy in the middle. He should be a serviceable option who understands how to block for mobile quarterbacks. Make no mistake. This is a temporary solution. The Bears will lean on him for this year, focusing their efforts on finding help at other pressing positions like quarterback, wide receiver, and edge rusher. Then in 2025, when they have three picks in the first two rounds, they may finally take a stab at center.