Chicago Bears offensive line adjusts to center battle, new quarterback in Caleb Williams

LAKE FOREST – Already, Ryan Bates is proving to be a vocal leader for the Bears offensive line.

The Bears traded for Bates in March, sending a fifth-round draft pick to Buffalo in exchange for the versatile offensive lineman. He comes to Chicago to compete for the starting center position, although it’s not going to be handed to him. The team also signed veteran center Coleman Shelton, who started all 17 games for the Los Angeles Rams last season.

The position is up for grabs. Bates, though, is taking on the vocal void created by the exit of former center Lucas Patrick.

“It seemed like he came over, whenever we traded for him, he just fit right now,” Bears left guard Teven Jenkins said. “He hasn’t been anything but himself and we, as a whole O-line, just love him.”

Bates appears to be unafraid to take on a vocal role, even though he’s one of the new guys. That has been apparent even from just a handful of practices since training camp started last week.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles had his eye on Bates for the past two years. He tried to sign Bates two years ago when Bates was a restricted free agent. Since Bates was a restricted free agent, the Buffalo Bills had the right to match any offer that another team made – which they did. Bates signed a four-year, $17 million contract to remain in Buffalo.

Poles, apparently, never forgot about Bates. Bates moved into a backup role last season, and it appears that two years later the Bills felt he was more expendable.

The Bears desperately needed a center heading into 2024. Lucas Patrick served the team well as the starting center during the initial rebuild period in 2022 and 2023, but it was clearly time for an upgrade.

As training camp 2024 has begun, Bates and Shelton have been splitting reps with the starting offensive line at center.

“I love both guys as they’re still competing and everything,” Jenkins said. “It’s different by fits, terminology – we try to stay on the same terminology, so that’s going to be easy – and just different body types of those two. Just being able to come together and understand maybe Coleman likes to slide a bit more on pass [protection], and then Ryan likes to slide a little bit less. Finding those little nuances between each other and understanding what’s going to go on.”

Other than the center spot, the offensive line is mostly set. Jenkins figures to start at left guard, while Braxton Jones returns to left tackle, Nate Davis returns to right guard and Darnell Wright returns at right tackle.

Wright, who the Bears took at No. 10 overall in the 2023 draft, said he has returned for his second pro season with a better understanding of the concepts and the NFL game. With a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron, there is a lot of new stuff to learn, even if the scheme is similar.

“[I’m] kind of treating it like another first year,” Wright said. “Some of the terms are the same, but some things are different, so it’s just taking that approach.”

Wright’s coaches believe he can take a major step forward. That would be huge for the offensive line. Wright was already an All-Rookie performer last season.

The hope is that an offensive line that returns four of five starters will hit the ground running in 2024. That would be huge for a team with a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams.

Williams likes to keep plays alive and scramble his way into open throwing lanes. This Bears offensive line is unfazed by that. Their job is to keep the play alive, just like it was last season with Justin Fields at quarterback. Williams and Fields might be different types of scramblers – Fields looked to run, Williams looks to throw – but it doesn’t change much for the offensive line.

“[They’re] kind of two different players,” Wright said. “But they have some similarities where they extend plays, which is good to have. You know, you’ve got to hold your blocks for a longer time. Make sure, when the plays get extended out the pocket, making sure you don’t hold.”