LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — The Bears' acquisition of veteran offensive lineman Ryan Bates in March was two years in the making for the organization, which initially signed him to an offer sheet as a restricted free agent in March 2022.
That contract offer was ultimately matched by the Bills, which kept Bates in Buffalo. But he remained on the radar of Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who struck a deal with the cap-strapped Bills in early March to acquire Bates in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
Bates, 27, should play a key role for the Bears this season, but it's unclear what exactly that will be.
The Bears will likely utilize Bates as their starting center if both of their starting guards are healthy, but that hasn't always been the case in recent years. Starting left guard Teven Jenkins played in 12 games (11 starts) in 2023 while dealing with injuries once again. He has played 31 of a possible 51 games over three NFL seasons. Veteran right guard Nate Davis also made just 11 starts last season and was limited in his work at veteran minicamp last week due to an undisclosed injury.
The Bears rotated Davis, Bates and veteran reserve Matt Pryor at right guard during minicamp, and head coach Matt Eberflus shared an unclear response on how they'll address that spot.
“Yeah, don’t know yet,” Eberflus said. “I really don’t know. We’ll see. We’ll see how it goes. I’m just thinking through my head, a bunch of multiple combinations. I really don’t know exactly. Sure, we had Bates there. He’s played there. (Coleman) Shelton has played at center, of course. Davis has played there. Tev has been on the (left) side. Pryor has been in and been out. The versatility there has certainly been helpful.
"Ryan (Poles) did a really good job of having those pieces in there so we don’t like last year or prior years, you know, a guy goes down and we’re like, ‘Oh, what are we going to do?’ At least we have that flexibility at the O-line position.”
In a follow-up, Eberflus added that he “expects” Davis to be the Bears’ starter at right guard. Given that Davis is in the second season of a three-year, $30-million deal, he's certainly supposed to be the starter.
Bates can be the solution for the Bears at right guard if Davis has availability issues. That would then mean that Shelton moves in as the starting center. He made 17 starts at center for the Rams in 2023.
But the Bears are also curious about what they'll get from Jenkins at left guard. When healthy, Jenkins has played at a high level – and he has also embraced his shift from tackle to guard.
Jenkins is in the final year of his rookie contract without assurances for his future. Jenkins' representatives have reached out to the Bears this offseason with the hope of beginning negotiations on a contract extension, but there hasn't been any movement yet.
Poles and the Bears don't seem interested in exploring that just yet, especially given Jenkins’ injury struggles.
“Nothing is on the table,” Jenkins said.
A second-round pick of the Bears in 2021, Jenkins was selected by former general manager Ryan Pace with hope that he could become the team’s starting left tackle. He has endured a challenging tenure in Chicago, which included discussion of a possible trade – and perhaps even the chance of a clean release – before his second NFL season.
The Bears have touted Jenkins’ maturation as his NFL career has progressed. But the frustrations with his health are fair – and it’s a factor Jenkins himself has continued to address.
“Stay healthy,” Jenkins said. “That’s number one and of the utmost importance for me right now. Stay healthy, get through the whole 17 games and continue my strong play from last year and be a more consistent, reliable guy.”
That’s what the Bears are seeking at both of their guard positions as they hope to establish continuity on the offensive line. At the least, the Bears have prepared by giving themselves a strong backup option at guard if needed.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.