At the end of training camp last year, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles claimed pride in the offensive line, believing it had the best depth of any of his teams since he took over in 2022.
Following a disappointing season that saw rookie quarterback Caleb Williams take 68 sacks (not all were the fault of the OL) amid a lackluster running game, Poles upgraded the offensive line by adding three interior offensive linemen and drafting offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo in the second round.
Those additions are expected to create serious competition during training camp.
The Chicago Bears are predicted to cut a veteran
Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns of The Athletic recently posted their updated 53-man roster projections, and they don’t have veteran offensive lineman Ryan Bates making the cut before Week 1.
“This group has only four returning players from last season, a sign of the overhaul,” Fishbain wrote. “The competition for the final offensive line spots will include Doug Kramer, a 2022 draft pick, Ryan Bates, whose 2024 was derailed by injuries, Ricky Stromberg, Chris Glaser and Jordan McFadden.
“Regardless of who OL8 or OL9 is, the top seven look a lot better than what the Bears have had in several years.”
Here are the full OL projections on the 53-man roster from The Athletic:
- Ozzy Trapilo
- Joe Thuney
- Drew Dalman
- Jonah Jackson
- Darnell Wright
- Braxton Jones
- Kiran Amegadjie
- Bill Murray
- Luke Newman
Ryan Poles really wanted Ryan Bates
Poles was enamored with Bates in 2022 when he tried to sign him as a restricted free agent, but the Buffalo Bills matched the offer. The Bears sent the Bulls a 2024 fifth-round pick for Bates last March.
Bates, 28, was placed on injured reserve in September due to an arthritic condition in his shoulder. He appeared in three games for Chicago and started in two games.
Bates primarily played at right guard, a position All-Pro Jonah Jackson is expected to occupy. He earned a 60.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus for his play in 2024.
Bates was graded 98th out of 136 guards in pass blocking and 64th out of 136 guards in run blocking. He gave up one sack and three pressures in 68 pass blocking snaps.
Cutting Bates would be a smart economic decision if they have no plans to play him, as he’s set to make $4 million in the upcoming season and has a dead-cap hit of $500,000, per Spotrac.
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