Foxborough, Massachusetts – December 26: During the fourth quarter, Buffalo Bills player Ryan Bates gestures to Patriots fans hecklers. On Sunday,
December 26, 2021, the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills will play an NFL game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Image sourced from Getty Images by Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe)Getty Images via the Boston Globe
Foxborough, Massachusetts – December 26: During the fourth quarter, Buffalo Bills player Ryan Bates gestures to Patriots fans hecklers. On Sunday, December 26, 2021, the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills will play an NFL game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Image sourced from Getty Images by Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe)Getty Images via the Boston Globe
Bates would go on to start fifteen games for Buffalo in 2022, but after O’Cyrus Torrence and Connor McGovern emerged as the team’s starting guards last season, Bates was left off the starting lineup. Although Bates gave Buffalo solid depth at guard and center, Brandon Beane was able to send Bates to Chicago for a fifth round choice. During his five seasons with the Bills, the offensive tackle made 19 starts and participated in 73 games.
The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia reports that the Bills sent Bates to Chicago in order to free up around $1.4 million in salary space. Though Buffalo now has several young players on their roster who may eventually replace Bates on a reduced contract, it’s not a big salary cap space.
On March 13, the deal will be formally announced.
After the deal was announced, Buffalo now has ten selections in the current draft. Probably when the league releases the compensatory selections, that will go to 11.
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