The Chicago Bears have pieced together a clear picture on offense for the first time in ages. Every position appears to have clarity on who the starters will be. D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen at wide receiver. Cole Kmet is at tight end. D’Andre Swift at running back. Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright at tackle. Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis are at guard. The quarterback will be whoever they pick #1 overall next month. Probably Caleb Williams. Everything appears set, save for one troublesome spot. What are the Bears doing at center? Matt Eberflus finally provided information.
Lucas Patrick and Cody Whitehair are both gone. That left the role of snapping the ball a complete unknown. Over the course of about a week, the Bears added two potential candidates. First, they traded a 5th round pick to the Buffalo Bills for veteran interior lineman Ryan Bates. While primarily a guard during most of his starts there, he did log a few games at center. Then, the Bears signed free agent Coleman Shelton, who started several games for the Los Angeles Rams. Most thought that made him the likely candidate to hold the job, but Eberflus suggested at league meetings in Orlando that Bates would get the first crack, according to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.
Likewise, Eberflus said he believes it’s important for a rookie quarterback to have an experienced center, and he believes Ryan Bates “fits that bill.” The Bears acquired Bates, a five-year NFL veteran, from the Buffalo Bills for a 2024 fifth-round pick in early March.
“To be able to call and make adjustments to the protections, to help and assist that way, we thought it was critical to get that piece,” Eberflus said. “(Bates) has been a pro a long time and he has moved along the line inside there at guard and center, so it’s good to have the position flexibility as well. That’s a critical piece, for sure.”
Matt Eberflus and the Bears see untapped potential in Bates.
Most of his career to this point has been exclusively spent at guard. Yet his skill set suggests he might fit even better at center. The Bears got a taste of that when he played against them in 2022, one of the two games he started in the middle. Not only did he do a solid job protecting Josh Allen, but he was also a major presence in their rushing attack. Buffalo rushed for 254 yards in that game. While building around the quarterback takes precedence, the Bears still want to be an effective rushing team. Bates could be a significant upgrade over Patrick in that department.
There is a definite risk in this approach. The guy hasn’t played the position much. A lot of projection is involved in this move. Still, Matt Eberflus and the coaches seem confident he has the intelligence and athleticism to handle the switch. If it works out? Fantastic. If it doesn’t, that is why they signed Shelton. He will serve as the perfect insurance policy if Bates can’t handle duties at center.
@ManGod & @DrJB — RE: the Bears Center I love the idea of selecting Jackson Peters-Johnson — but it won’t happen at #9 in the 2024 draft. Only 4 current NFL centers have been selected in the 1st round — Garrett Bradbury, #18 in 2019, Ryan Kelly, #18 in 2016, Frank Ragnow, #20 in 2018, and Tyler Linderbaum, #25 in 2022. Centers don’t get selected in the Top Ten. Here’s hoping Ryan Poles trades down and gets some added value before he selects a very good college center like: Jackson Powers-Johnson (or Graham Barton or Lucas Frazier). I don’t know… Read more »
Here’s why I am always harping on the coaches (position) and coordinators. Years ago, players stayed in college, stayed with a single program, and the program coaches stayed with the universities. Turnover wasn’t as fluid. It was much easier to assess a college player’s mentality, work ethic, technical and physical skills when he was drafted and he was more likely to actually have those skills and abilities. Now, with the revolving door of NIL, transfer portal, coach and player raiding, the probability of getting what you project, is FAR less probable. Get coaches. Sell them on building the “coaching university”… Read more »
We always talk about the importance of quarterback, most people citing “he’s the player who has his hands on the ball every play.” Well, the fact is, the center does. And first, before any quarterback. It seems strange that with so many discussed choices at quarterback, there are so few discussed choices at center. Last year, Fields was criticized for being sacked, not staying in the pocket, and holding the ball too long (in the pocket). I just saw a pocket being collapsed and Green Bay lines living in the pocket on top of Fields. In two seconds. I know… Read more »
At center is also the potential for Powers-Johnson to be there at #9 for R Poles and taking him at #9 with these 2 on the roster this OL suddenly becomes extremely deep with talent capable of providing quality protection for CW or any other QB.
Just another sign that Eberflues does not know enough about offense. Giving up a draft pick to put a guard in as center shows how little he values the greatest need for leadership along the line. Putting a guy who has only gotten spot time in his five years in the league at the position Eberflues wants him to play just shows how little Eberflues values actual experience in a position. He might be better than the garbage we had at center for most of the last five years, but that still does not mean he will be good.