Most projections say Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates will choose a new team in free agency soon.
That sort of writing has been on the wall for a while now after the Bengals franchise tagged him last season before a holdout. While Bates has said he wants to stick in town, he’s also been realistic about the opportunities free agency provides.
With needy teams like the Atlanta Falcons, it’s understandable to project Bates leaving. That’s what Pro Football Focus’ Arjun Menon and Brad Spielberger do while ranking the top 50 free agents, where Bates is fourth overall:
“The Falcons have a need at safety, and Bates could be a good fit, especially since they hired Ryan Nielsen, the New Orleans Saints‘ co-defensive coordinator in 2022. Richie Grant is a solid safety for Atlanta, and the Falcons move him all around the field, but they could upgrade Jaylinn Hawkins‘ spot, as he has never graded above 60.0 in his career. Nielsen was part of a Saints coaching staff that always had quality safeties on the roster, such as Marcus Maye, Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Williams, Vonn Bell and Malcolm Jenkins. Bates can step into Williams’ previous role at free safety, and he also has the capability to play in the box and succeed in Atlanta.”
This comes on the heels of Bates’ agent sharing a video of him hanging out with Falcons stars.
While the Bengals would undoubtedly love to keep Bates’ play on the field and locker room presence, the price tag figures to be too much as the organization shifts money from the defense to Joe Burrow and the offense around him.
Cincinnati planned for this probable inevitability by drafting Dax Hill in the first round last year.
