71 days until Bears 2025 season: Should Ryan Bates be a trade candidate?

Bates has most often played right guard, but the Bears traded for Jonah Jackson, and the former Pro Bowler is a shoo-in to hold that position down. The Bears are also paying top dollar for center Drew Dalman and future Hall of Fame left guard Joe Thuney. Simply put, there's no realistic path to a starting spot for Bates.

But can he take on a backup role? Even that seems to be in question. Ryan Poles remains incredibly high on second-year offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie, so you can pencil him in to make the 53-man roster. Then there's Bill Murray, who performed admirably in relief of injured starters last year. Two rookies, Ozzy Trapilo and Luke Newman, also show a lot of potential, and they're sure to get every shot to make the roster in training camp.

Clearly, there's going to be plenty of competition for the backup O-line jobs, and Bates hasn't proven to be head-and-shoulders above any of these players yet. Would it be better to trade him away and recoup the draft pick spent to get him?

It depends on what the Bears could get back in a trade. If they could fully recoup the fifth-round pick that Poles traded away, I think that would be the best move for the team. A fifth-round pick isn't nothing, and Poles has hit on gems in that round before.

However, due to his injury history, the compensation would likely be a sixth or seventh-round selection, instead. That wouldn't be worth the trouble, in my opinion. At that point, either Bates plays well enough to earn a backup spot, or he can be released at a minimal cost.

One thing is for sure: With or without Bates, Chicago's offensive line should be the best line that quarterback Caleb Williams has ever played behind, and that should springboard him into a breakout year.