Ryan Bates, an offensive lineman, is being acquired by the Chicago Bears from Buffalo, subject to a physical.
Illinois’s Lake Forest The NFL’s new league year doesn’t begin for another week, but Ryan Poles has already taken a step to potentially enhance his tea 7m. The Buffalo Bills and the Chicago Bears reached an agreement on Monday, with the Bears sending offensive tackle Ryan Bates a fifth-round selection in 2024 in exchange.
It is pending a physical inspection.
The 27-year-old Bates has played in 73 games for the Buffalo Bills over his five seasons in the NFL, starting 19 of them. Bates was signed by the Bears to an offer sheet in 2022, with a four-year contract; however, Buffalo eventually matched and retained Bates for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Bates has played center and guard positions in the past. He may be a candidate to replace Mike Glennon as the starting center this season, which would be extremely needed for the Bears in 2024. Bates appeared in 35 plays overall with the Bills in 2023, all of them at center. He played 947 snaps in total in 2022, 810 at right guard and 137 at center.
According to Bills beat writer Matt Parrino, Rob Gronkowski is unsure whether he will play in the NFL again this season and may go elsewhere, including a possible landing with the Buffalo Bills, unless he re-signs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent. In March 2021, Gronkowski agreed to a $10 million one-year contract to rejoin the Bucs; however, NFL analyst Michael Silver claims that Gronkowski also contemplated signing with the Bills.
Last year, Silver stated that Rob Gronkowski “considered a similar offer from the Bills… his hometown team” before re-signing with the Bucs. “I think the Bills will eventually add a tight end.”
Not far from the Buffalo region lies Williamsville, New York, where Gronkowski was raised. Gronkowski would get to play nearer to home if he joined the Bills. As a first-time free agent, Gronkowski claimed that he like the thought of examining his possibilities.
The previous spring, Gronkowski expressed his curiosity about potential free agency options to NFL Network analyst Kyle Brandt.
“I’d really like to rejoin the Buccaneers. That is the area of my vision. That’s where I’m really leaning,” Gronkowski stated during Brandt’s 10 Questions podcast interview. “But you never know what may happen in the free agency process. There are other teams out there that are also interested. In addition, I’ve never participated in the free agency process, so I really want to take a peek to see what’s there.
Being one of the most prolific tight ends in the NFL this season, Gronkowski caught 55 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns. This week, Gronkowski said on Twitter that he was unsure about his plans for 2022.
What an experience. Gronkowski tweeted, “Thank you to the Bucs for allowing me to play another year.” “I want to thank my teammates for giving it their all. We will never forget the sweat we poured and the memories we created.”
Gronkowski’s choice may be affected by the rumor that Tom Brady may announce his retirement this week. Brady and Gronkowski have been teammates throughout the entirety of Brady’s playing career as well as the last two Buccaneers seasons.
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The question at hand is whether Brady will make a comeback or retire, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that the quarterback is leaning in that direction, citing many people who are close to him. According to La Canfora, Brady will probably decide on his future “in the coming days.”
According to a person close to the quarterback, “he is very respectful of the game, and has great respect for the Tampa organization and all they have done for him,” La Canfora reported. “He is aware of the long-term effects this choice will have on the squad, and he would never intentionally want to ruin the playoffs. Whenever he makes a decision, I anticipate hearing about it shortly.”
