The Bills made another move to address their offensive line Friday, trading DE Eli Harold to Philadelphia in exchange for OL Ryan Bates.
Bates, 22, was an undrafted rookie signing of the Eagles this past April. The offensive tackle was largely getting reps with the third team in Philadelphia in training camp.
Buffalo just lost two more offensive linemen to injury coming out of their first preseason game with Conor McDermott now in concussion protocol and Russell Bodine sidelined by an oblique injury. Ty Nsekhe also did not practice with the team on Friday and Mitch Morse remains in concussion protocol.
A three-year starter for the Nittany Lions, Bates logged 14 starts at left guard and left tackle as a freshman, eight starts at left tackle as a sophomore and 12 starts in the 2018 season with nine at left tackle and three at right tackle.
Bates (6-4, 302) earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in his final collegiate season.
Eli Harold was signed this past offseason by the Bills, but was finding it hard to move up the depth chart as he too was getting reps in Buffalo as a third team defensive end.
