Waiting Game Begins for Bears

Restricted free agent guard Ryan Bates signed a Bears offer sheet and now it's up to the Buffalo Bills to decide whether to match it or let him come to Chicago.

The Bears are closing in on a key guard acquisition.

Buffalo Bills restricted free agent guard Ryan Bates signed an offer sheet from the Bears and now it becomes a matter of waiting up to five days.

If the Bills match their offer, Bates would stay in Buffalo. If not, he becomes a member of the Bears and there is no compensation due Buffalo because the Bills tendered the fourth-year player at the lowest level of restricted free agency.

Bates also visited with Minnesota but they are now out of the picture.

Bears officially executed offer sheet for Bills restricted free agent guard Ryan Bates. Buffalo has five days to decide whether to match

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 24, 2022

Bates would be slated for the right guard position played last year by James Daniels, who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers for three years and a reported $26.5 million.

The Bills might find it difficult to match an offer with more cap hit coming in the first year. They are reportedly just over the salary cap by $24,000 as of Thursday, according to Overthecap.com.  The Bears are reported to have $25 million in available cap space for 2022, although that figure doesn't include several recently signed free agents. None of those free agents took up big chunks of cap space, however.

It would be the third move made by Ryan Poles on the Bears offensive line in free agency, which is no surprise.

"I think it starts with the foundation in terms of the O‐line and establishing that run game which then leads to explosive plays," Poles said shortly after his hiring. "I think it starts with the foundation in terms of the O‐line and establishing that run game which then leads to explosive plays."

Poles referred to the offensive line as a "focal point." 

"In general, again, I always start up front with the offensive line and getting that solidified," Poles said.

The Bears signed former center/guard Lucas Patrick, who said he is slated to play center. On Wednesday, they signed guard Dakota Dozier, who has been a backup throughout his career with the Jets and Vikings, although he was a starter in the 2020 season with Minnesota.

Bates fits the mold of the linemen Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy wants for his offense. He is lighter, at 6-foot-4, 302 pounds, and more mobile with a 5.09-second 40time from the combine in 2019. 

The Bears intend to implement the trendy wide zone blocking scheme made popular in the Shanahan offense and mobile linemen are coveted. 

Bates hasn't played much in the NFL yet, so this is a scouting-oriented move. He had 294 offensive snaps last year, or 25% of the Bills plays on offense. He allowed no sacks while committing just one penalty. Pro Football Focus gave him a high mark of 74.5 as a pass blocker and marks of 61.2 as a run blocker and 64.3 as an overall blocker.

Before last season, Bates had played just 160 snaps total on offense for his first two seasons.

Bates made three regular-season 2021 starts at guard and another as an extra blocker in a run-heavy scheme. He also started both Buffalo playoff games at guard.

Left guard Cody Whitehair has always rated as this type of lineman. Who plays the tackle positions will be the real question if Bates becomes a Bears.

Teven Jenkins finished the year at left tackle and Larry Borom at right tackle as rookies. Veteran tackles Jason Peters and Germain Ifedi are free agents and presumably not wanted for a return. Backup tackle Lachavious Simmons was an exclusive rights free agent and has been retained with a qualifying tender, while backup Elijah Wilkinson signed with Atlanta.

It's a largely unused method for acquiring players because of the compensation that can be involved with players not tendered at the minimum level. 

Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay went to Houston as a restricted free agent last year, and cornerback Tremon Smith went from Indianapolis to Houston that way as well. There were no restricted free agents changing hands in 2020 and former Bears receiver Damiere Byrd used that method to move from Carolina to Arizona in 2019.

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