The Buffalo Bills managed to retain a key piece of their offensive line, fending off an offer from the Chicago Bears in order to keep Ryan Bates in town. The restricted free agent had been offered a four-year deal by the Bears, leaving the Bills in the position to match the deal, or watch the 25-year-old join up with the NFC North squad. According to Ian Rapoport, the Bills matched the offer sheet put forth by the Bears, locking down Bates on a new four-year deal.

This is a big move for the Bills as they look to best preserve the health of superstar quarterback Josh Allen. Clearly, Allen is the future of the franchise, so getting pieces to protect him upfront is critical for the Bills. Allowing the 25-year-old Bates to walk would be a big mistake for the franchise. While he only started 4 games last season, he was dressed and featured in all 17, serving as a rotational piece on the offensive line.

The importance of that kind of depth can not be understated, and clearly, the Bills understand that he plays an important role in the trenches. He'll be given the opportunity to start this year, possibly at right guard, and the Bills will be hoping he makes the most of the new contract they handed him. The Bears were clearly impressed with what they'd seen from Bates, enough so that they offered him a four-year deal, but Buffalo was determined to keep him in town.

Bates was undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, but signed on with the Bills as a free agent. The former Penn State product has since featured in 41 games in the NFL, all for the Bills.