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Two years later the Chicago Bears got their man.
The Bears announced Monday night that they have agreed to trade a fifth-round draft pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for Ryan Bates. The trade is contingent on Bates passing an examination. It will not become official until March 13 at 15:00, the first day of the new league year.
Set Initially tried to sign Bates as a restricted free agent in 2022 before the Bills meet his $17 million, four-year offer sheet. Bates has two years remaining under the terms of the deal the Bears wrote in March 2022, which includes a $3.4 million base salary along with a $500,000 roster bonus and a $100,000 practice bonus in 2024 and 2025.
This move could be the answer the Bears are looking for at the center position. Although Bates has played more guard in the NFL, he spent time at center and in Buffalo during the 2022 season, taking line calls at times. Bates started the Week 15 game at Soldier Field in 2022 at center Buffalo.
“I had full expectation that I was going to be a bear,” Bates told the Tribune after that game. “I’m very fortunate that (GM) Brandon Beane and (coach) Sean McDermott gave me the opportunity to come back here. I wanted to be Bill. I’m so lucky to be where I am.
“Ryan Poles came in and said they trusted me to do the job and offered me an initial contract. I was lucky the Bills complied.
Bates has started 19 games in five seasons in Buffalo, with 15 of those coming in 2022. He served as a substitute player last season. He first joined the NFL in 2019 with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State. The Bears feel they have a good scouting report on Bates because assistant general manager Ian Cunningham was in Philadelphia when Bates started his career.
The Bears currently have five picks in this year’s draft: two in the first round at Nos. 1 and 9, a third-round pick (No. 75 overall) and two fourth-round picks, one coming from the Eagles. The back end of this draft class isn’t expected to be particularly strong, which likely made it easier for the Bears to spend a fifth-round pick on Bates. It was going to be difficult to find a plug-and-play center in the draft after missing out on a second-round pick.
The team could add more draft capital, especially if they find a receiver for quarterback Justin Fields.