New Bears lineman might be on losing end of depth chart

Coleman Shelton started every Rams game at center last season, and the former UDFA logged a few starts there during the 2022 season. The Bears gave Shelton only a one-year, $3M deal, however. Already rostering guards Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis, the Bears may view Shelton as a backup. This is because Chicago acquired Ryan Bates from Buffalo. Given a Bears RFA offer sheet in 2022, Bates remains attached to that contract (four years, $17M). He looks more likely to be the favorite for Bears center duties than Shelton, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes.

Bates, 27, does not have a notable history at center. At Penn State, he primarily played left tackle. The Bills used him primarily at guard, with Mitch Morse previously entrenched at center. Despite Buffalo matching the 2022 Chicago offer sheet, the team added two new guards – Connor McGovern, O’Cyrus Torrence – in 2023. Bates did not start a game for the Bills last season, but the ex-UDFA looks set to have a good shot at taking over at center for the Bears.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

• The Bears’ four-year, $76M Jaylon Johnson extension features an out in 2026. The deal calls for $10.6M of Johnson’s $15.1M 2026 base salary to be guaranteed for injury, but no skill guarantees are in place beyond 2025. KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes $7.6M of Johnson’s 2026 base will shift to a full guarantee if the Pro Bowl cornerback is on the roster by that date. With no true guarantees on this deal post-2025, the Bears could get out with just $5M in dead money (in the event of a post-June 1 cut) in 2026.
• The Vikings have been active in using void years under GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. This practice cost the team when Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Tomlinson departed, but it is turning to cap space-saving measure heavily this year as well. Minnesota included four void years in Sam Darnold, Aaron Jones and Andrew Van Ginkel‘s deals, with three void years used to spread out the three-year, $22.5M Blake Cashman contract’s cap hits. While this will create some dead money if these players are not re-signed before their contracts officially expire, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling observes it created some cap space in the event the Vikes need to carry a bigger 2024 cap number for Justin Jefferson, who has been on the extension radar for two years. That said, Jefferson’s 2024 cap figure is already at $19.7M on the fifth-year option.
• Looking elsewhere on the Vikings’ payroll, their Jonathan Greenard deal (four years, $76M) features $42M in total guarantees. The contract includes $4M guaranteed for 2026, per Goessling. Though, that money is classified as injury guarantees, providing the Vikes – like the Bears with Johnson – some flexibility down the road on a $19M-AAV contract.
• Rounding up some Minnesota contract matters, Goessling adds Shaquill Griffin‘s one-year contract is worth $4.55M and features $3.99M fully guaranteed. The Vikings are giving Jonathan Bullard a one-year, $2.25M deal to stay, per Goessling, who adds Dan Feeney‘s contract to come over from the Bears is worth $1.8M. Jonah Williams, the defensive lineman, signed a one-year, $1.5M deal that includes $350K guaranteed, Goessling offers. Jihad Ward‘s one-year accord is worth $1.8M and includes $1M guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan passes along.
• Initially labeled as being worth up to $27.25M, D.J. Reader‘s Lions pact contains $22M in base value. The Lions are only guaranteeing the veteran nose tackle $7.4M at signing, per OverTheCap. Coming off his second quad tear in four years, Reader would receive a $4M roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2025 league year. That date will certainly be pivotal for his Detroit future.
• Arrested on a fourth-degree DWI charge in December, Vikings OC Wes Phillips pleaded guilty to a lesser charge recently. The third-year Minnesota OC pleaded guilty to a careless driving charge, Fox 9’s Jeff Wald notes. Phillips, 45, agreed to pay a $378 fine and will serve eight hours of community service.