Ryan Bates visits Giants as New York Looks to Bolster Thin Interior Offensive Line

Most major NFL free agents have signed for 2026, but some lesser-known players remain who could address the remaining team needs.

For the New York Giants, two lingering roster concerns remain: adding depth along the offensive line, especially at center and guard, and building up the defensive interior before the upcoming fall.

As the new week begins, the Giants have taken steps to address the offensive line by hosting free-agent center Ryan Bates for a visit at their East Rutherford facilities.

Giants had a visit from Ryan Bates, a center who played his college ball at Penn State. Bates is a 7-year vet who played for the Bills fir five seasons and the Bears the last two.
— Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina) March 16, 2026

Bates, a 2019 undrafted free agent out of Penn State, has spent six seasons in the NFL. He started with the Philadelphia Eagles before moving to the Buffalo Bills, the latter with whom he served mostly as a reserve at various positions for five years.

Most recently, he played on special teams for the Chicago Bears in 2025.

Bates, who turned 29 back on February 14, has been on the field for 539 total offensive snaps between his stints with both organizations, including 924 in pass protection. He hasn't kept a stable job on the offensive line; however, he has experience at left guard, center, and right guard throughout his career.

The veteran's largest usage came in the 2021-22 seasons with the Bills, where he played the majority of his reps at right guard (834) and recorded a pass-blocking efficiency as high as 99.0 while allowing just 1 sack and 31 pressures in that span.

There is concern about Bates' recent injury history, as he has been available for only 19 games over the past two seasons, limiting his contributions and making it difficult for him to secure a consistent role. His amount of starting workload is also decent at best, with just 21 starts out of 92 total games since he joined the league.

The Giants urgently need interior offensive line help, which they have not pursued heavily through free agency. They lost backup center Austin Schlottmann to the Tennessee Titans, leaving no backup plan if starter John Michael Schmitz gets injured in 2026.

New York also has yet to make any notable additions to the guard position, either. Greg Van Roten, who played every snap at right guard since the start of the 2024 season, is still a free agent, and the long-term future of the left side with Jon Runyan is in limbo as he approaches a prove-it year.

General manager Joe Schoen recently brought back veteran Aaron Stinnie, who was Runyan's backup and only started in one game last season, and Evan Neal, the team's former 2022 first-round pick, who was struggling to transition to guard before landing on injured reserve for most of the way.

They can't feel super comfortable with Schmitz as the middleman, or with those two aforementioned players jumping into serious reps in the event of long-term injuries, making a cheap free-agent signing or two, and potentially making some moves in April's draft, all of which are vital.

Bates, who has some affiliation with Schoen from their time together in Buffalo, when Schoen was the Bills' assistant general manager, could fit at least one candidate in the Giants' search for interior reinforcements.

His versatile background is also attractive, but it remains to be seen whether the Giants believe he can be reliable throughout the season and whether they will explore a near-term deal.

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