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The Buffalo Bills are saying goodbye to a veteran offensive lineman and gaining yet another draft pick.
The team announced on March 4 that they traded offensive lineman Ryan Bates to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick. The trade will become official at the start of the new league year on March 13 and is pending a physical for Bates, the team said.
The trade takes some depth from Buffalo’s offensive line, but adds an 11th draft pick and the flexibility to make more moves in the draft.
Bills Moving on From Ryan Bates
Bates entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019, first signing with the Philadelphia Eagles but coming to Buffalo in a trade during training camp. He served mostly in a depth role through his first three years, but moved into the starting lineup in 2022 and started in 15 games that season.
The Bears had made a run at Bates in the past. When the lineman was a restricted free agent in 2022, the Bears sent an offer sheet that the Bills ultimately matched. As the Chicago Tribune reported at the time, Bears general manager Ryan Poles was overhauling the team’s offensive line and saw Bates as a potential upgrade.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane said matching the offer was a difficult decision for the team as they faced a salary cap crunch at the time, but ultimately valued Bates enough to bring him back on a four-year, $17-million contract.
“We kind of pondered that, worked through it,” Beane said. “We were tight on the cap, but we decided to bring Ryan back. It’s really important for us to be strong up front. Ryan’s a versatile player. He can actually play all five spots. But most importantly he’s been a center-guard when he’s filled in and we thought when he had his opportunity this year he did a heck of a job starting the last four regular season and then the two postseason games. It didn’t seem too big for him.”
Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News had pegged Bates as a potential cap casualty this offseason, noting that his future would likely depend on whether Morse returns in 2024.
“The team could restructure his deal and save $1.1 million, or restructure and extend and save perhaps $2.5 million. If they released Bates, they would save $4 million,” Gaughan wrote.
Bills Stack Up on Draft Picks
The Bills now head into the draft with a total of 11 picks, which could give Beane some flexibility to make moves. He has traded up in the first round in the first round in each of the last two seasons, landing cornerback Kaiir Elam in 2022 and tight end Dalton Kincaid in 2023.
At the conclusion of the season, Beane talked about the importance of having a great draft to offset the team’s salary cap restrictions which he said would prevent the team from making any splashy signings.
“We need to hit this draft. We need to hit every draft. If you don’t draft well when you get in this cap situation, then it really shows,” Beane said, via SI.com.