The Bears’ No. 1 overall pick has been in high demand for a while, but they still have it. The Buffalo Bills announced on Monday night that they’ve made a trade for the Bears’ fifth-round pick in exchange for veteran offensive lineman Ryan Bates.
The Bears signed Bates, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet in 2022 but the Bills matched it and signed him to a four-year deal worth $17 million. They’re finally set to get their man, with the trade to become official when the new league year begins next Wednesday.
Bates joined the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2019 after a career at Penn State. He was traded to the Bills in exchange for linebacker Eli Harold that same summer.
The 27-year-old made 24 appearances off the bench and on special teams in his first two seasons. He made four starts in 2021, playing all 17 games that campaign. He followed that up with 15 starts in 2022, making 17 appearances as a reserve in 2023.
The Bears now have 10 picks, including three fifth-rounders, heading into the draft.
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