Bears trade draft pick for veteran offensive lineman Ryan Bates
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Bears trade draft pick for veteran offensive lineman Ryan Bates
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by Dustin Riese – 2 days ago
Rich Barnes – USA Today Sports
Rich Barnes – USA Today Sports
Well, that was a bit unexpected. With Free Agency right around the corner and the potential for the Bears to be aggressive for the second straight offseason, the Bears kicked things off on the right foot as they came together with the Buffalo Bills to pull off a trade. As part of the deal, the Bears will send a fifth-round pick to the Bills in exchange for OL Ryan Bates.
Anytime you can get any contributing player for a fifth-round pick, it is a win-win for both parties. The Bills will add another pick to their draft capital while the Bears pick up some much-needed offensive line depth. Bates has been linked to the Bears for several years, as Chicago initially signed him to an offer sheet back in 2022.
Keep in mind that the offensive line was tasked with protecting Josh Allen and the high-powered Bills offense, so in order to be counted on as much as he was, you have to be a good player. The biggest takeaway from seeing him in all 17 games was that most of the time he spent on the field was in mop-up duty, as he saw just 35 snaps this season.
