Bears sign center Coleman Shelton to a 1-year deal

(670 The Score) The Bears have signed veteran center Coleman Shelton to a one-year contract, the team announced Thursday. Terms of the deal weren’t immediately clear.

Shelton, 28, is a six-year NFL veteran who played for the Rams for the past five seasons. He started all 17 games at center for Los Angeles last season. Shelton has played in 73 career NFL games, making 32 starts.

Shelton is expected to compete for the Bears' starting center job, which currently has a void after Chicago released Cody Whitehair in February. The Bears also acquired veteran offensive lineman Ryan Bates from the Bills in a trade that became official Wednesday. Bates is expected to compete with Shelton for the starting center role.

On Wednesday, the Bears also bolstered their offensive line depth by signing Matt Pryor to a one-year deal. He has played both tackle and guard positions in his career.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .