Buffalo will match Bears' offer for offensive lineman Ryan Bates
The Buffalo Bills will match the Bears' offer for restricted free agent offensive lineman Ryan Bates, Bills general manager Brandon Beane told the NFL Network on Monday.
As a Bills' restricted free agent, Bates could seek out contract offers from other teams, but the Bills had the option to match any offer from another team.
The Bears offered Bates a contract on Thursday. The 25-year-old lineman also reportedly visited with the Vikings and Patriots in recent weeks.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles likely saw potential in Bates, who has been a backup for most of his career, but who became a starter toward the end of last season and started both January playoff games at left guard.
Bates' new deal with the Bills is reportedly a four-year contract. It indicates that Poles will have to go back to the drawing board.
Bates' NFL career began in 2019 after going undrafted out of Penn State. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles after the draft but was traded to Buffalo in August of that year. In three years with Buffalo, Bates appeared in 41 regular-season games, making four starts. He played in all 16 games in 2020 and all 17 games in 2021, mostly on special teams.
The Bears are still in need of a starting right guard after former guard James Daniels left via free agency. Daniels agreed to a three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this month.
The team signed former Packers lineman Lucas Patrick, who has experience at guard and center, but Patrick told the media that he planned to play center. The Bears also signed former Vikings offensive lineman Dakota Dozier on Thursday. Dozier was a starting guard for the Vikings in 2020, but was demoted to a backup role in 2021 and might be better suited as a backup.
As the roster stands now, the Bears are looking at a starting lineup on the offensive line that includes young tackles Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom, Cody Whitehair at guard, Patrick at center and a hole at the other guard spot.
Other linemen currently on the roster include Dozier, centers Sam Mustipher and Dieter Eiselen and tackles Lachavious Simmons, Tyrone Wheatley Jr. and Willie Wright.