New Bears lineman might be on the losing end of the depth chart.
Coleman Shelton started every Rams game at center last season, and the former UDFA made a couple starts there in 2022. However, the Bears only signed Shelton for one year and $3 million. The Bears, who already have guards Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis on their roster, may consider Shelton a backup. This is because Chicago purchased Ryan Bates from Buffalo. Bates is still under contract with the Bears (four years, $17 million) despite receiving an RFA offer sheet in 2022. According to ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin, he appears to be the front-runner for the Bears center position over Shelton.
Bates, 27, does not have much experience at center. At Penn State, he mostly played left tackle. The Bills generally utilized him at guard, with Mitch Morse previously established at center. Despite matching Chicago’s 2022 offer sheet, Buffalo signed two new guards in 2023: Connor McGovern and O’Cyrus Torrence. Bates did not start a game for the Bills last season, but the former UDFA appears to have a decent chance of taking over at center for the Bears.