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The Chicago Bears have acquired offensive lineman Ryan Bates in exchange for a fifth-round selection in the 2024 NFL draft from the Buffalo Bills, as both teams confirmed on Monday, March 24. The deal will become official when the new league year begins on March 13 and Bates clears medicals.
Currently, this Bears-Bills trade means Chicago will not have any picks in the fifth, sixth, or seventh rounds of the 2024 draft.
Ryan Bates has spent all five of his NFL seasons in Buffalo, where he made 73 appearances overall and 19 starts. Let us explore how much the offensive lineman will be paid in Chicago.
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How much will Ryan Bates earn with the Bears?
Ryan Bates was a restricted free agent in 2022 when the Chicago Bears attempted to sign him. However, the Buffalo Bills were able to keep him by matching Chicago's proposal of a $17 million, four-year agreement.
Under the provisions of the contract that the Bears proposed in March 2022, Bates has two years left. Over the next two years, he will receive a base salary of $3.4 million in addition to a $100,000 workout bonus and a $500,000 roster bonus, according to Spotrac.
Which role will Ryan Bates play with the Bears?
The Bears may have found a player to solve their center problem with Ryan Bates' transfer to Chicago.
Now entering his sixth season in the NFL, Bates is renowned for his flexibility, and the fact that he's able to play a number of positions. As such, he should be a significant asset to the Bears in 2024. It is more likely that Bates will serve as a backup or compete with starter Nate Davis, who inked a $30 million contract for three years as a free agent prior to the 2023 season.
It's also possible that Bates will be asked to offer stability at left guard, given that Teven Jenkins has a history of getting injured every year. Jenkins has missed 21 of his possible 51 games since joining the league and has only been able to play up to career-high 11 games in each of the past two seasons.
Bates went back to being a substitute in Buffalo last season. He started each of the 15 games he appeared in for the 2022 season.
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