Will Chicago Bears have a training camp competition at this position?

Heading into training camp, there is a lot of talk assuming that Ryan Bates is going to be the starting center. However, there is a good chance that the Chicago Bears will let a camp competition determine that outcome, as Coleman Shelton may be more likely to start than some fans think. 

Coleman Shelton has a few things going for him. The first being that he has actually started for a significant time at center. Shelton has 1,829 of his 2,140 career snaps at center. Last year, he started the entire year for the Rams with 1,171. He started a road playoff game in Detroit. Shelton was signed by the Rams as a UDFA and Shane Waldron was the passing game coordinator for the team at the time. 

That is more than Ryan Bates can say. Bates has just 203 snaps at center. He has 940 snaps at right guard. He has more experience in that area. However, he is best at depth, considering he has snaps at all five positions. 

Not only does Bates not have starting experience in general or center, the Bears may need his versatility when thinking about someone like Nate Davis. 

Center remains the position of focus for the Chicago Bears.

Davis did not work at OTAs once again this summer, and this has become a disappointing trend since he has been signed. Last year it was easy to make excuses, now it is hard to find trust in Davis. In most of the periods when Davis is out, the team is shifting Ryan Bates to right guard. 

If Bates was locked into the center position, they would not be moving him so quickly. The Bears cannot trust Davis and can trust Bates, and the best interior combination could turn into Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton, and Ryan Bates when working left to right. 

So, it is not just that Shelton could beat Bates out, but also that Bates has the experience elsewhere to be pushed off of this spot. A lot is trending towards the center position still being up in the air.