According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Atlanta Falcons are targeting a big-name safety this offseason.
Fowler mentions Bengals S Jessie Bates as someone who could make sense for Atlanta.
Jordan Schultz previously reported that Bates is likely to sign with another this offseason and is in line to be “one of the most sought-after” defensive free agents.
Earlier in the week, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that the Browns have Bates on their radar as a target in free agency this year.
Bates, 26, is a former second-round pick of the Bengals back in 2018. He played out the final year of his four-year rookie contract worth $4,947,818 which included a signing bonus of $1,678,412.
Bates was set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2022 when the Bengals placed the franchise tag on him worth $12.911 million fully guaranteed.
In 2022, Bates appeared in 16 games for the Bengals and recorded 71 tackles, four interceptions, a forced fumble and eight pass defenses.
We have him included in our Top 100 – 2023 NFL Free Agents list.
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