Bills' Replacement for Ryan Bates Already on Roster After Trade

The Buffalo Bills sent versatile offensive lineman Ryan Bates to the Chicago Bears in a trade that becomes official at the start of the new league year. The moves opens the door for a former undrafted free agent from UCLA.

Alec Anderson will lose a teammate, but pick up a precious opportunity in the process.

With the Buffalo Bills agreeing to trade offensive lineman Ryan Bates to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 fifth-round draft pick, an important reserve role is now available on offense and Anderson is a logical candidate to fill it.

In his five seasons as a Bill, Bates served as the quintessential Swiss Army knife. From swing tackle to second-string center to starting guard, the Penn State product displayed the ability to play every position along the offensive line over 73 appearances. 

© Shawn Dowd / USA TODAY NETWORK

 

Bates totaled 15 starts in 2022, serving as the primary right guard and a fill-in center. This past summer, he lost a preseason competition to second-round rookie O'Cyrus Torrence for the starting right guard spot, due, in part, to his value as a utilityman off the bench. With the Bills' starting five remaining intact for 17 games, Bates saw only 35 snaps on offense in 2023.

Bates' departure sets up a possible promotion for Anderson, who has spent two years in the Bills' system after signing as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA in 2022.

Despite not needing his services on the field in 2023, the Bills seemingly saw a future for the versatile Anderson. Buffalo kept the weekly gameday inactive on the 53-man roster for the entire season as opposed to relegating him to the Practice Squad, which would have permitted another NFL club to claim the developmental prospect.

Bills' Beane on Free Agents: 'Love to Keep as Many as We Can'

Anderson saw action at guard and tackle as a UCLA sophomore before winning the starting right tackle job in Year 3. The 24-year-old has yet to make his NFL regular season debut, but saw significant action in all three preseason games to the tune of 119 offensive snaps last summer.

Set to earn $915,000 in 2024, according to Spotrac, Anderson makes financial sense for the cap-strapped Bills.