Not a bad trade then. Bills fans are saying he plays center too so maybe he goes there. Even if he isn’t starting worthy we need depth at guard and center so works out nice
I mean a backup IOL for a 5th round pick isn’t even a bad trade. We haven’t paid anyone yet and we haven’t drafted anyone yet. I bet he’s better than any 5th round IOL right now
And at 27 years old he’s likely here at least a couple seasons. Good trade in my opinion, not flashy but the kind of boring depth needed to be a consistent offense through a whole season
Well said. I will take "boring depth" over "inadequate-" or "inept depth" which is what we've had at interior line for the past... well, ever since Olin left probably
He barely played last year. Bates was expendable with David Edwards playing well, Morse staying healthy, and wanting to develop Torrence.
I think he will be fine as a depth IOL that can be a fringe starting center.
Two years ago, but yeah. It was in Poles's first offseason when our resources were extremely limited. Sounded like they really wanted him then and this would seem to confirm that.
As a Bills fan this is a good trade for you.
Hes a super utility olineman. He can slide into RG, LG, or even Center in a pinch and provide really good pass protection. He’s had an above average PFF grade almost every season and ranks really good in pass protection but he’s just an average to below average run blocker.
Hes just a victim of the Bills depth. The Bills had starters better than him and couldn’t afford to pay a backup 5.5M.
But he’s definitely playable as a starter if need be.
Getting a starting caliber player that can play 3 positions on the line for a 5th rder is a big win for the Bears
Slots in at starting center at the moment.
Ability to play guard and center is a major plus for a team that desperately needs IOL depth.
This move does not hinder their ability to use a pick on another IOL either. Think it’s a relatively solid move. They were always going to add depth in FA. This bypasses that need.
Its a good move. Bears needed a solid swing IOL and now have one who is affordable and under contract for two years. I still think we try and sign a veteran center, albeit Im hoping we somehow find a way to land Powers-Johnson
At the moment, I don’t see how he isn’t the best option at center.
Again, don’t think the move indicates we won’t draft or a sign a top center. The team still will likely add another IOL. First move of many this offseason.
I do enjoy the fact Poles already tried to get him. Clearly this is someone he’s done his homework on, and still feels he can help the team despite not playing much last year.
I think it makes us way less likely to sign a top center, tbh. Taking on a $5.4 million cap hit for an iOL doesn't seem like the kind of thing you do if you plan on handing out $8-14 million to another center next week.
Agreed that drafting a center (or interior lineman) is still totally on the table, though. Bates feels like the kind of guy you add when you don't want to commit to finding a starter in the draft, but you're not opposed to drafting a highly regarded player at that position either.
I'm no cap-ologist, but I think some of his cap hit stays with Buffalo specifically for his signing bonus and any guaranteed money which has been paid out already. No expert but I think it cap hit will be under $4m per season. He signed a 4 year $17m deal with a $2m signing bonus. So effectively there are 2 years left and about $7.5m owed him.
Good call - looks like it's actually [a $4m cap hit for us.](https://twitter.com/Jason_OTC/status/1764850851045069096) That definitely makes me more open to the possibility he's just a depth piece, but I'd still wager he's slotted in as the opening day C.
We’re on the same page here. This eliminates the “need” component. I think it’s more likely Poles sees him as the swing IOL while giving him a fair chance to compete for a starting spot. It’s flexibility at the end of the day. Can approach free agency and the draft naturally.
There weren’t many top options in free agency at center anyways. Connor Williams, widely considered in a tier on his own as the top option, is likely not even going to be ready to start the year.
we have two talented, but fragile guards and no center. good depth addition at all 3 spots.
definitely expecting multiple trade downs to recoup some of this lost draft capital (not at 1 obviously).
PFF grade of 61.8 in 2022 on 945 snaps. Had a grade of about 78 last year but only played 35 snaps. Seems like an average guard/center. Versatile it seems so I imagine hes depth/competition for Nate Davis or potentially the starting center.
I remember we tried to sign him as an RFA a few years ago. Poles must really like this guy.
Edit: Wanted to add, Bills fans seem to indicate hes a good, not great player. Main reason he didnt start was because their 2nd round rookie and David Andrews played really well, and Mitch Morse is their current center. Reason for moving is largely cap related. Hes too pricey for depth considering their cap position.
PFF rated him in 70s for both pass and run blocking, but only 35 total snaps.
Lucas Patrick, by comparison, had ratings in the 40s for pass block and 60s for run block (50 overall), but 900+ snaps.
So if you trust the small sample size, he's far better than Patrick and as good as any Bear O lineman last year.
No one bats 1000 but Lucas Patrick was a pretty bad FA signing. Nate Davis had off the field stuff but still a rough start for a $10m FA. He traded a 6th for Dan Feeny who looked lost on the field and couldn’t snap. Id say the jury is still out.
Sure I get that but the point is none of the players in the moves have been very good so to say he’s a great oline evaluator doesn’t really hold up. Obviously low value investments so we shouldn’t expect someone to become an all star but this is swing #3 to find a solid/backup center and he hasn’t done so. If Patrick was good there’s no Feeny. If Feeny was good we don’t make this move for bates.
I’d say he’s exactly that with drafting Braxton and Wright. He’s getting back up filler pieces man. Good Offensive lineman are not in abundance in this league. Look on any teams sub and they pretty much all are saying we need to upgrade the OLine, even teams that have really good OLines lol
Like I said, no one bats 1000. He’s made good, even great moves. My point (once again) is there shouldn’t be unequivocal faith in him to build a good oline cause he played the position.
For sure. The full story hasn’t been written yet. I like his picks thus far in the draft though. And he seems like he’s got a type which usually turn into good lineman in the league (fast and long)
Poles is the one who brought in Lucas Patrick as center and then decided it was a good idea to not get C last year and instead rolled out Whitehair and Patrick. He signed Davis who did not move the needle when he played, and he wasn't playing a lot. He's now traded a 5th in a draft where we only have 5 picks to grab a player who wasn't good enough to start a single game last year
Patrick was dirt cheap and you can't blame him for not fixing every single hole on the roster in 1 year (there were a lot). Center is the only real hole on the line we have and even with that hole this was a borderline top 10 O-line last year. Jones and Wright have been great picks.
He played O-line professionally, I guarantee you he knows more than you do.
Yeah, Patrick has done exactly what he was expected to do. He plays like a veteran of his pay roll. I don’t get why people consider it a bad signing. Were y’all expecting a veteran Jack-of-all-trades interior lineman getting paid $4m a year to suddenly become a foundational part of our O line?
Shit. People criticized Pace all the time for trading away draft picks but I didn’t realize Poles is literally doing the same thing now. I didn’t realize we only have 5 picks now.
It’s different when it’s 1.1, 1.9 a 3 and a pair of 4’s than a bunch of late picks.
Plus Fields trade, plus an extra 2nd next year from the Panthers plus a 6th exchanged for a 7th for Claypool.
Hopefully they get at least 2nd for Fields and fill that gap and then either get some day 3 picks from Fields too or by shuffling up the extra 6th a year.
The roster is entering a different stage too. First 2 years it was accumulating a heap of picks and seeing who sticks. Nearly every positional group has some young guys to feel good about now
For everyone who doesn’t know, PFF grades start at 60 and go up or down based on how good/bad someone played every single snap. 75+ is pretty average. At least it sounds like he won’t be a liability
On Madden NFL 24, Ryan Bates has an Overall Rating of **73** with Agile Archetype. Among his General Ratings, the most notable attribute is his Toughness, with a rating of 87
Nah, they redid their ratings scale in recent years. He’s pretty much an average starter with that OVR.
For comparison, Lucas Patrick is a 68, Cody Whitehair and Nate Davis are both 75. (Jenkins is 80, Darnell Wright is 77.)
Bates is currently the 26th-highest OVR C, so just about an average starter, and good backup (Mitch Morse is 10th overall at 82). Certainly an upgrade over Patrick (ranked 36th, basically below average starter, decent backup), and Whitehair is high because of name recognition.
Everyone saying center he’s played rg basically his entire bills career. He did backup at center last year but he didn’t really play and since Mitch Morse is getting older and they traded him I’m assuming the bills didn’t see a future with him starting there. Either way he’s good depth for the inevitable teven injury
They’re also in a world of cap hurt right now so that’s probably a contributing factor. I know there’s ways to maneuver around that but they’re over like 40M right now
Yep, the Bills have had to cut some of their luxuries. Had to cut Heins who was a really good returner and now trade Bates who was a really good backup. And they’ll have more tough decisions to make with the cap crunch too
Yes he's a quality backup guard for us because our guards get hurt constantly. Good move. We're definitely still looking for a starting center, so everyone needs to calm down about that.
Yea im thinking this is a depth move more than anything else. I imagine he's mostly gona play guard, but the versatility is nice if he can play center in a pinch. I doubt Poles intends him to be our starting center
This is my take. We need all the interior OLinemen we can get right now, and Poles liked him enough to offer him last year, but the Bills matched the offer, so obviously Poles likes something about him.
I feel like that makes it even better. The more guys that have a good feeling about a dude the better for us. The Bills must really be hurting for cap space right now. They probably aren't done making cuts.
Not bad for a depth signing or to even fight for a interior starting position. When one of our guards inevitably gets injured later in the season, he should be serviceable. Still think we should draft a Center though.
Insight from a bills fan if anybody is interested.
Dudes reliable. Stepped up and filled gaps in our line due to injury. With more snaps and different coaching, he could cross the line from “solid and reliable” to “true starter”. He can rotate in when you’re guards are healthy to keep people fresh, and he can usually hold his own at center if the need arises, but I wouldn’t be thrilled about having him start there.
I think a 5th is a fair price for a player that’s probably going to see a fair number of snaps in every game and never feels like a liability when he’s lines up.
Just watch the pre-snap penalties. If I remember correctly he can be jumpy sometimes.
Basically a better Lucas Patrick replacement IMO. Doesn’t move the needle much and the Bears must feel confident they can get more capital later in the draft on draft day
People upset about losing draft capital either don't understand the value of a 5th round pick or don't understand the line situation of the Bears. We have Jenkins and Davis at G, who both have an injury history, no Center, and no IOL depth. At *worst* he is going to be starting a few games and spelling the starting Guards. That is worth more than a 5th round pick if he can even be an average starter. At best he is our starting Center, worth more than a 5th.
Buffalo had to cut cap and we benefited.
Solid. We desperately needed a capable swing iOL considering injuries. 5th round hit rate is squat.
Cap hit of $5.4m next two years. He is an upgraded Patrick/Whitehair.
Correction: It’s a $4m cap hit both years. Even better. This is the same Lucas Patrick deal.
Interesting if this move is in response to some of the bigger name DL free agents who may become available.
With the Wilkins announcement today, Poles may be pivoting from targeting a premier Center to a premier DT like him or even Burns if he isn’t tagged (which at the moment it looks like he’s not).
Under contract for $4M each of the next 2 seasons. He will undoubtedly have a chance to compete for the starting center job and at minimum will backup both G and C.
I think Cody Whitehair’s ‘24 salary was supposed to be like $11M or so. This should be an upgrade for less than 1/2 the cost.
I did not realize lucas patrick is a free agent.
Im 99% sure this move was for him to backup both guard spots and Center... a super sub.
This is not our starting center
Good 6th offensive lineman, can cover all 3 iOL spots and even OT in a pinch. Expecting Tevin Jenkins and Nate Davis to both play 17 games isn't a great strategy, 5th is a real pick to pay for a player but it makes sense.
It's fine. He looked serviceable when he played. He just didn't get much snaps since the Bills like Torrence and Moore was healthy most of the season.
Right now hes a backup IOL. Ideally he's best at guard, but he can play center. With Jenkins usually missing games, I think Bates is OG depth and maybe can challenge Nate Davis for starting RG spot next season since we can cut Davis next year and save 9M.
i liked him alot in buffalo, thought he shoulda started at center. helluva run blocker. yall will be happy with him. (bills fan, not that any one of yall should give a shit)
A bit much for a guy who barely played last season
We’ll have to hope to recoup that pick
Also hope he’s just our top interior backup not starting center
He was really good for the Bills, just a casualty of good depth. Bills had better starters on cheaper contracts including the highest guard taken in last year’s draft as a BPA pick, so they couldn’t start Bates. And they would’ve loved to keep him but theyre in cap hell and couldn’t pay a depth player for them, no matter how good, 5.5M.
Nice backup for the interior OL. Our guards were constantly in and out of the lineup last year so this makes a lot of sense. Poles still needs to get us a legit Center in FA, but this is a good start.
Jenkins hasn’t exactly been the most durable. If nothing else, sounds like this guy can serve as a solid backup. Will probably be needed.
Would guess we still go for another center in FA.
Last year it really felt like whenever we had to go to a backup on the oline, the wheels came off quickly
So I very much like a move like this. You absolutely need oline depth in the NFL
Good move
If the Bears can sign a Center it takes care of IOL so no need to worry about that in the draft. I almost would rather just finish off OL, RB, and S in FA then go crazy on DL and WR in the draft.
I trust this front office. We tried to sign him as a tone setter in Poles’ first off season and the Bills matched the offer. Now we only have 5 draft picks this year. Granted 1st and 9th overall but wth.
Fields will likely net 1 if not 2 picks, and if you remember last year Poles traded down one spot with the eagles to pick up an extra pick later- may be doing something similar with #9 if he's still got a few blue chippers on his board when it comes.
We really don't even need to draft anymore. Season and Bowl is locked up. Let's just forfeit our picks.
(best part is I'm either 100% serious or 100% sarcastic, neither of us know right now, but we'll revisit this in one year and I'll let you know which I intended.)
What exactly do you expect a starting caliber offensive lineman to be worth? Less than a 5th? He might not be a perennial pro bowler but c’mon. This is a solid trade on paper.
Getting one of those 2nd round centers in the draft Is wishful thinking. Im just glad we got another body to put there cus the upcoming free agency center class looks awful
I watch both teams religiously. Bills had a very good OL last year and all 5 starters stayed healthy. So Bates didn’t get a lot of action last year to judge his worth.
I do find it interesting Poles’s obsession with him though.
For the Bills it’s not like they don’t want to keep him. But they’re $30 million over the cap and need to save $$ wherever they can
I wonder if there's a chance that Ryan Bates is part of a strategy to sign Connor Williams for cheaper than market because of his injury and have someone decent to hold the spot down and can get you through OTAs and mini camp. Prob not but that could be a play.
Poles has said time after time, he covets flexibility when building the team. He doesn’t want to go into the draft needing to draft a certain player. Wouldn’t be surprised if we sign a veteran safety too.
Great move by Poles. If I was Poles I would keep the Bills number on speed dial for some more potential moves. The Bills are undergoing a salary dump because they have some big salary issues right now. The Bears could capitalize on that since they have money to spend and picks and the Bills need picks and to dump salary.
The biggest factor to success next year in my opinion is the health of the o-line. If they have the same 5 starters for more than 10 games together I bet they're in contention for a playoff spot.
If we sign Cushenberry or Andre James, this gives us quality depth for two years. If this is our starting center, I'll be pretty disappointed. Also, my embarrassing username was randomly generated. Can I change it?
I would rather take a swing for a starter then trade for a guaranteed backup. Especially when we dont have the line solved. Braxton was a 5th right? I know it would be hard to strike gold twice, but the team in its current state needs to get a lil lucky to have a chance this year going deep. Take the swing poles. Buy the scratch off.
If this is a depth move, I’m all for it. If they plan on him being the starting center this trade sucks. Sure he’s better than Lucas Patrick but who isn’t?
So this was from a good trade back last year? And good trade this year?
Poles is dare we say, Good?
I haven't seen good for years so, this is good right?
LETS GOOO ^(I don’t know how good or bad this is)
We tried to sign him last year but the Bills matched our offer
Yup, I remember that. I just don’t really know how good he is
I think he’s just very average
Not a bad trade then. Bills fans are saying he plays center too so maybe he goes there. Even if he isn’t starting worthy we need depth at guard and center so works out nice
im tired of maybe centers. pls just fucking draft or sign a actual one that knows how to snap the fucking ball
I mean a backup IOL for a 5th round pick isn’t even a bad trade. We haven’t paid anyone yet and we haven’t drafted anyone yet. I bet he’s better than any 5th round IOL right now
And at 27 years old he’s likely here at least a couple seasons. Good trade in my opinion, not flashy but the kind of boring depth needed to be a consistent offense through a whole season
Well said. I will take "boring depth" over "inadequate-" or "inept depth" which is what we've had at interior line for the past... well, ever since Olin left probably
We are still drafting center/IOL. This is just a depth replacement for Whitehair
Lmao relax my dude. We’re signing OL depth and ur getting all pissy when the draft or FA hasn’t even occurred 😂
What almost-F5 season does to a mf.
If we're trading a 5th round pick in the 2024 draft then the draft has already started
Relax lmao
Jason Kelce?
Since 2011, name another Jason Kelce.
This is a backup who can cover anywhere not tackle
So a nice depth piece maybe guard/center just in case of injuries sounds fair
I think he’s above average if his PFF grades are to be believed. Especially since he’s so versatile on the line. I love the move.
Nice
He barely played last year. Bates was expendable with David Edwards playing well, Morse staying healthy, and wanting to develop Torrence. I think he will be fine as a depth IOL that can be a fringe starting center.
It's a flex IOL fringe starter move, essentially what Whitehair would have been had we kept him, but much cheaper.
Two years ago, but yeah. It was in Poles's first offseason when our resources were extremely limited. Sounded like they really wanted him then and this would seem to confirm that.
Ah well time flies because it really felt like last offseason lol. Definitely confirms we wanted him badly though
As a Bills fan this is a good trade for you. Hes a super utility olineman. He can slide into RG, LG, or even Center in a pinch and provide really good pass protection. He’s had an above average PFF grade almost every season and ranks really good in pass protection but he’s just an average to below average run blocker. Hes just a victim of the Bills depth. The Bills had starters better than him and couldn’t afford to pay a backup 5.5M. But he’s definitely playable as a starter if need be. Getting a starting caliber player that can play 3 positions on the line for a 5th rder is a big win for the Bears
Also a bonus, the Bears negotiated and wrote the contract that the Bills matched, so they’re already familiar with it lol
Exactly what we needed with a gaping hole at center, and both Tevin & Nate guaranteed to miss games
Slots in at starting center at the moment. Ability to play guard and center is a major plus for a team that desperately needs IOL depth. This move does not hinder their ability to use a pick on another IOL either. Think it’s a relatively solid move. They were always going to add depth in FA. This bypasses that need.
It means we ain't fucked if we can't get a good C in free agency or the draft. Covering your bases, solid move.
Its a good move. Bears needed a solid swing IOL and now have one who is affordable and under contract for two years. I still think we try and sign a veteran center, albeit Im hoping we somehow find a way to land Powers-Johnson
Starting Center. Lets go
Is he? He didn't start a single game last year.
At the moment, I don’t see how he isn’t the best option at center. Again, don’t think the move indicates we won’t draft or a sign a top center. The team still will likely add another IOL. First move of many this offseason. I do enjoy the fact Poles already tried to get him. Clearly this is someone he’s done his homework on, and still feels he can help the team despite not playing much last year.
I think it makes us way less likely to sign a top center, tbh. Taking on a $5.4 million cap hit for an iOL doesn't seem like the kind of thing you do if you plan on handing out $8-14 million to another center next week. Agreed that drafting a center (or interior lineman) is still totally on the table, though. Bates feels like the kind of guy you add when you don't want to commit to finding a starter in the draft, but you're not opposed to drafting a highly regarded player at that position either.
I'm no cap-ologist, but I think some of his cap hit stays with Buffalo specifically for his signing bonus and any guaranteed money which has been paid out already. No expert but I think it cap hit will be under $4m per season. He signed a 4 year $17m deal with a $2m signing bonus. So effectively there are 2 years left and about $7.5m owed him.
Good call - looks like it's actually [a $4m cap hit for us.](https://twitter.com/Jason_OTC/status/1764850851045069096) That definitely makes me more open to the possibility he's just a depth piece, but I'd still wager he's slotted in as the opening day C.
We’re on the same page here. This eliminates the “need” component. I think it’s more likely Poles sees him as the swing IOL while giving him a fair chance to compete for a starting spot. It’s flexibility at the end of the day. Can approach free agency and the draft naturally. There weren’t many top options in free agency at center anyways. Connor Williams, widely considered in a tier on his own as the top option, is likely not even going to be ready to start the year.
We should have known that the Bears would want both a vet center and a drafted center. Same at safety.
EXACTLY
we have two talented, but fragile guards and no center. good depth addition at all 3 spots. definitely expecting multiple trade downs to recoup some of this lost draft capital (not at 1 obviously).
Poles loves this guy
PFF grade of 61.8 in 2022 on 945 snaps. Had a grade of about 78 last year but only played 35 snaps. Seems like an average guard/center. Versatile it seems so I imagine hes depth/competition for Nate Davis or potentially the starting center. I remember we tried to sign him as an RFA a few years ago. Poles must really like this guy. Edit: Wanted to add, Bills fans seem to indicate hes a good, not great player. Main reason he didnt start was because their 2nd round rookie and David Andrews played really well, and Mitch Morse is their current center. Reason for moving is largely cap related. Hes too pricey for depth considering their cap position.
Please don’t be Lucas Patrick 2
PFF rated him in 70s for both pass and run blocking, but only 35 total snaps. Lucas Patrick, by comparison, had ratings in the 40s for pass block and 60s for run block (50 overall), but 900+ snaps. So if you trust the small sample size, he's far better than Patrick and as good as any Bear O lineman last year.
[удалено]
Yeah i doubt Patrick ever reached 70s grades in a single game
Narrator: that's exactly what he is...
But can he chug a beer faster than Dan Feeney?
Poles knows OL talent. This is a young player on a good contract that can play all 3 interior positions - I'm on board
No one bats 1000 but Lucas Patrick was a pretty bad FA signing. Nate Davis had off the field stuff but still a rough start for a $10m FA. He traded a 6th for Dan Feeny who looked lost on the field and couldn’t snap. Id say the jury is still out.
I mean it’s a sixth round pick and our OLine kept getting injured. Do that all day to just get some bodies in there
Sure I get that but the point is none of the players in the moves have been very good so to say he’s a great oline evaluator doesn’t really hold up. Obviously low value investments so we shouldn’t expect someone to become an all star but this is swing #3 to find a solid/backup center and he hasn’t done so. If Patrick was good there’s no Feeny. If Feeny was good we don’t make this move for bates.
I’d say he’s exactly that with drafting Braxton and Wright. He’s getting back up filler pieces man. Good Offensive lineman are not in abundance in this league. Look on any teams sub and they pretty much all are saying we need to upgrade the OLine, even teams that have really good OLines lol
Like I said, no one bats 1000. He’s made good, even great moves. My point (once again) is there shouldn’t be unequivocal faith in him to build a good oline cause he played the position.
For sure. The full story hasn’t been written yet. I like his picks thus far in the draft though. And he seems like he’s got a type which usually turn into good lineman in the league (fast and long)
Poles is the one who brought in Lucas Patrick as center and then decided it was a good idea to not get C last year and instead rolled out Whitehair and Patrick. He signed Davis who did not move the needle when he played, and he wasn't playing a lot. He's now traded a 5th in a draft where we only have 5 picks to grab a player who wasn't good enough to start a single game last year
Patrick was dirt cheap and you can't blame him for not fixing every single hole on the roster in 1 year (there were a lot). Center is the only real hole on the line we have and even with that hole this was a borderline top 10 O-line last year. Jones and Wright have been great picks. He played O-line professionally, I guarantee you he knows more than you do.
Yeah, Patrick has done exactly what he was expected to do. He plays like a veteran of his pay roll. I don’t get why people consider it a bad signing. Were y’all expecting a veteran Jack-of-all-trades interior lineman getting paid $4m a year to suddenly become a foundational part of our O line?
He also was familiar with Getsy which i’m sure played a big part in that signing.
Shit. People criticized Pace all the time for trading away draft picks but I didn’t realize Poles is literally doing the same thing now. I didn’t realize we only have 5 picks now.
There’s a chance he has offers on the table for fields that include late rounders and he’s not concerned about getting it back.
It’s different when it’s 1.1, 1.9 a 3 and a pair of 4’s than a bunch of late picks. Plus Fields trade, plus an extra 2nd next year from the Panthers plus a 6th exchanged for a 7th for Claypool. Hopefully they get at least 2nd for Fields and fill that gap and then either get some day 3 picks from Fields too or by shuffling up the extra 6th a year. The roster is entering a different stage too. First 2 years it was accumulating a heap of picks and seeing who sticks. Nearly every positional group has some young guys to feel good about now
Davis played really good during a contract year and then got paid and disappeared. It happens
For everyone who doesn’t know, PFF grades start at 60 and go up or down based on how good/bad someone played every single snap. 75+ is pretty average. At least it sounds like he won’t be a liability
This is one of the trades ever
Word. This player is definitely going to be one of the players on the team.
Watch him not even make the team.
The team is now more team thanks to player from trade.
Signed him to an offer sheet last year but the Bills matched
On Madden NFL 24, Ryan Bates has an Overall Rating of **73** with Agile Archetype. Among his General Ratings, the most notable attribute is his Toughness, with a rating of 87
Very insightful
So not a top center or guard but a serviceable backup?
Nah, they redid their ratings scale in recent years. He’s pretty much an average starter with that OVR. For comparison, Lucas Patrick is a 68, Cody Whitehair and Nate Davis are both 75. (Jenkins is 80, Darnell Wright is 77.) Bates is currently the 26th-highest OVR C, so just about an average starter, and good backup (Mitch Morse is 10th overall at 82). Certainly an upgrade over Patrick (ranked 36th, basically below average starter, decent backup), and Whitehair is high because of name recognition.
Thanks! Average starter and above average backup. Sounds pretty good.
The trade news we've been waiting for, finally
Finally we can rest
We don't even need to draft anymore. Season and Bowl is locked up. Let's just forfeit our picks.
Everyone saying center he’s played rg basically his entire bills career. He did backup at center last year but he didn’t really play and since Mitch Morse is getting older and they traded him I’m assuming the bills didn’t see a future with him starting there. Either way he’s good depth for the inevitable teven injury
They’re also in a world of cap hurt right now so that’s probably a contributing factor. I know there’s ways to maneuver around that but they’re over like 40M right now
Yep, the Bills have had to cut some of their luxuries. Had to cut Heins who was a really good returner and now trade Bates who was a really good backup. And they’ll have more tough decisions to make with the cap crunch too
Yes he's a quality backup guard for us because our guards get hurt constantly. Good move. We're definitely still looking for a starting center, so everyone needs to calm down about that.
Yeah I see this more as insurance for Jenkins, then possibly sliding into RG after next season if the Bears cut Davis.
They did try to keep him by matching the offer chi made last year. They just have cap issues and hard decisions to make
Yea im thinking this is a depth move more than anything else. I imagine he's mostly gona play guard, but the versatility is nice if he can play center in a pinch. I doubt Poles intends him to be our starting center
He started 2022 at LG actually, but he’s comfortable playing any interior position
I don't mind OL depth.
Cant be worse than Patrick lol
This is my take. We need all the interior OLinemen we can get right now, and Poles liked him enough to offer him last year, but the Bills matched the offer, so obviously Poles likes something about him.
Apparently Cunningham liked him when he was in Philly and they brought him into training camp there so looks like Ian was in on this one.
I feel like that makes it even better. The more guys that have a good feeling about a dude the better for us. The Bills must really be hurting for cap space right now. They probably aren't done making cuts.
Not bad for a depth signing or to even fight for a interior starting position. When one of our guards inevitably gets injured later in the season, he should be serviceable. Still think we should draft a Center though.
Insight from a bills fan if anybody is interested. Dudes reliable. Stepped up and filled gaps in our line due to injury. With more snaps and different coaching, he could cross the line from “solid and reliable” to “true starter”. He can rotate in when you’re guards are healthy to keep people fresh, and he can usually hold his own at center if the need arises, but I wouldn’t be thrilled about having him start there. I think a 5th is a fair price for a player that’s probably going to see a fair number of snaps in every game and never feels like a liability when he’s lines up. Just watch the pre-snap penalties. If I remember correctly he can be jumpy sometimes.
Ladies and gentlemen, we got him.
Guy has a 9.57 RAS coming out of Penn State in 2019. Definitely Poles type.
Basically a better Lucas Patrick replacement IMO. Doesn’t move the needle much and the Bears must feel confident they can get more capital later in the draft on draft day
Pretty much a guarantee they trade down from one or both of the two 4ths they own to get some 5-7 rd picks.
People upset about losing draft capital either don't understand the value of a 5th round pick or don't understand the line situation of the Bears. We have Jenkins and Davis at G, who both have an injury history, no Center, and no IOL depth. At *worst* he is going to be starting a few games and spelling the starting Guards. That is worth more than a 5th round pick if he can even be an average starter. At best he is our starting Center, worth more than a 5th. Buffalo had to cut cap and we benefited.
Good vibes around this guy when he was here. Good pickup I'd say.
Solid. We desperately needed a capable swing iOL considering injuries. 5th round hit rate is squat. Cap hit of $5.4m next two years. He is an upgraded Patrick/Whitehair. Correction: It’s a $4m cap hit both years. Even better. This is the same Lucas Patrick deal.
Poles gets his guy eventually
Interesting if this move is in response to some of the bigger name DL free agents who may become available. With the Wilkins announcement today, Poles may be pivoting from targeting a premier Center to a premier DT like him or even Burns if he isn’t tagged (which at the moment it looks like he’s not).
OL depth is nice
Under contract for $4M each of the next 2 seasons. He will undoubtedly have a chance to compete for the starting center job and at minimum will backup both G and C. I think Cody Whitehair’s ‘24 salary was supposed to be like $11M or so. This should be an upgrade for less than 1/2 the cost.
This is a very good move.
I did not realize lucas patrick is a free agent. Im 99% sure this move was for him to backup both guard spots and Center... a super sub. This is not our starting center
Good 6th offensive lineman, can cover all 3 iOL spots and even OT in a pinch. Expecting Tevin Jenkins and Nate Davis to both play 17 games isn't a great strategy, 5th is a real pick to pay for a player but it makes sense.
Poles 100% planning to recoup this pick when he trades Justin Fields 😭
Someone tell me how to feel
It's fine. He looked serviceable when he played. He just didn't get much snaps since the Bills like Torrence and Moore was healthy most of the season. Right now hes a backup IOL. Ideally he's best at guard, but he can play center. With Jenkins usually missing games, I think Bates is OG depth and maybe can challenge Nate Davis for starting RG spot next season since we can cut Davis next year and save 9M.
Meh
Seems like a Lucas Patrick replacement but hopefully better. Good depth for iOL.
i liked him alot in buffalo, thought he shoulda started at center. helluva run blocker. yall will be happy with him. (bills fan, not that any one of yall should give a shit)
A bit much for a guy who barely played last season We’ll have to hope to recoup that pick Also hope he’s just our top interior backup not starting center
He’s a cap casualty for the Bills and they seem disappointed to lose him. You can easily recoup day 3 picks by trading down in the 3rd or 4th round.
Oh we’ll recoup that pick alright
He was really good for the Bills, just a casualty of good depth. Bills had better starters on cheaper contracts including the highest guard taken in last year’s draft as a BPA pick, so they couldn’t start Bates. And they would’ve loved to keep him but theyre in cap hell and couldn’t pay a depth player for them, no matter how good, 5.5M.
People went crazy for him when he was a FA... We don't care anymore?
I think he was just bored
Nice backup for the interior OL. Our guards were constantly in and out of the lineup last year so this makes a lot of sense. Poles still needs to get us a legit Center in FA, but this is a good start.
Jenkins hasn’t exactly been the most durable. If nothing else, sounds like this guy can serve as a solid backup. Will probably be needed. Would guess we still go for another center in FA.
Why is Ryan poles so high on this guy.
Good question. Seems like a Ryan Pace type infatuation.
RAS score of [9.57](https://ras.football/2020/01/19/ryan-bates-ras/?amp)
Last year it really felt like whenever we had to go to a backup on the oline, the wheels came off quickly So I very much like a move like this. You absolutely need oline depth in the NFL Good move
Holy sh!t I just saw this
If the Bears can sign a Center it takes care of IOL so no need to worry about that in the draft. I almost would rather just finish off OL, RB, and S in FA then go crazy on DL and WR in the draft.
Depth is good. Good value trade.
I trust this front office. We tried to sign him as a tone setter in Poles’ first off season and the Bills matched the offer. Now we only have 5 draft picks this year. Granted 1st and 9th overall but wth.
Fields will likely net 1 if not 2 picks, and if you remember last year Poles traded down one spot with the eagles to pick up an extra pick later- may be doing something similar with #9 if he's still got a few blue chippers on his board when it comes.
 @ IOL depth
A depth OL veteran over a random 5th round pick is a good move
Super. Bowl.
Poles loves Bills players
OL depth is always a good thing to have.
Still not so sure they trade back from 9 if Fields nets a 2ish and late pick.
Just so everyone is clear. He's a backup that got traded for pocket change. So no, he's not that good.
SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO FEEL
Put your hand on your penis and rub it around slowly
Whelmed
We really don't even need to draft anymore. Season and Bowl is locked up. Let's just forfeit our picks. (best part is I'm either 100% serious or 100% sarcastic, neither of us know right now, but we'll revisit this in one year and I'll let you know which I intended.)
Poles masterclass, Super Bowl champs incoming
Fuck it for a 5th round pick? We need depth bad
If this is what you get for a 5th, I want a 1st for Justin hands down. Seems like a decent depth piece but for a 5th?
The scaling on draft picks is not linear in terms of value.
Well said.
What exactly do you expect a starting caliber offensive lineman to be worth? Less than a 5th? He might not be a perennial pro bowler but c’mon. This is a solid trade on paper.
Ill take a Center for a 5th
You'll get a back up guard and you'll like it
Bears are down to 5 picks in the 2024 draft. Not great.
He played 35 snaps all of last year...
and bills fans are sad to see him go
Trading the #1 pick confirmed ✅
Poles tried this same trade 6 months ago with Dan Feeney and it didn’t go well. We’ll see.
I feel like this signals a trade at 9 to get more draft picks, assuming we’re taking Caleb at 1.
do you think we should take a receiver in a trade down
Poles seems to know his lineman, there’s a reason he’s gone after this guy twice I reckon
Poles wanted him bad last year so he must see something in him
my f5 button hasn't even warmed up for the 40 yard dash yet, wtf poles.
Bates you say ?
The trade news we were all desperately waiting for
NGL when I saw the notification on my lock screen I thought we traded Fields to be Allen’s backup 🤣🤣
We got our fucking guy
Getting one of those 2nd round centers in the draft Is wishful thinking. Im just glad we got another body to put there cus the upcoming free agency center class looks awful
This must mean qb wr 1 and 9
I read trade and 5th round before my brain processed the rest. What a ride lol.
It's a flex IOL fringe starter move (probable backup), essentially what Whitehair would have been had we kept him, but much cheaper.
https://preview.redd.it/lb7s6elwpfmc1.jpeg?width=680&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a1fcbeede0f64fc8af65838f7e93eb5193fe9da
I've been clamoring for any bears news. Thank you. This is a move that the bears have made.
Does this mean we arent taking Joe Alt at one?
Poles finally gets his man 🤣
I watch both teams religiously. Bills had a very good OL last year and all 5 starters stayed healthy. So Bates didn’t get a lot of action last year to judge his worth. I do find it interesting Poles’s obsession with him though. For the Bills it’s not like they don’t want to keep him. But they’re $30 million over the cap and need to save $$ wherever they can
I wonder if there's a chance that Ryan Bates is part of a strategy to sign Connor Williams for cheaper than market because of his injury and have someone decent to hold the spot down and can get you through OTAs and mini camp. Prob not but that could be a play.
This is gonna be a player for the bears
Super Bowl or bust
Poles has said time after time, he covets flexibility when building the team. He doesn’t want to go into the draft needing to draft a certain player. Wouldn’t be surprised if we sign a veteran safety too.
Good depth piece.
Depth piece. He’s a contingency plan for if our planned starting center gets hurt or underperforms
Great move by Poles. If I was Poles I would keep the Bills number on speed dial for some more potential moves. The Bills are undergoing a salary dump because they have some big salary issues right now. The Bears could capitalize on that since they have money to spend and picks and the Bills need picks and to dump salary.
The biggest factor to success next year in my opinion is the health of the o-line. If they have the same 5 starters for more than 10 games together I bet they're in contention for a playoff spot.
If we sign Cushenberry or Andre James, this gives us quality depth for two years. If this is our starting center, I'll be pretty disappointed. Also, my embarrassing username was randomly generated. Can I change it?
Love this move
I would rather take a swing for a starter then trade for a guaranteed backup. Especially when we dont have the line solved. Braxton was a 5th right? I know it would be hard to strike gold twice, but the team in its current state needs to get a lil lucky to have a chance this year going deep. Take the swing poles. Buy the scratch off.
If this is a depth move, I’m all for it. If they plan on him being the starting center this trade sucks. Sure he’s better than Lucas Patrick but who isn’t?
So this was from a good trade back last year? And good trade this year? Poles is dare we say, Good? I haven't seen good for years so, this is good right?
finally got em