Falcons Can Win NFC South, Says New Signee Jessie Bates III
It's been five years since the Atlanta Falcons last played in a playoff game, a drought the team is looking to end this upcoming season.
The team's free agency haul thus far has been pointed towards trying to end the team's misfortunes. And one free agent in particular believes the Falcons are ready to compete for the postseason.
"This division is up in the air and it's for us to take, but we all know that won't be easy, which is fine," Jessie Bates III said. "The guys in this locker room are more than capable of winning the division."
Bates knows a thing or two about winning in the NFL. During the past two seasons, Bates has played on the largest stages ... two AFC Championships and a Super Bowl with the Cincinnati Bengals. But it didn't start out that way. In 2019, Bates' second season in the NFL, the Bengals bottomed out and finished with the league's worst record. Within two years, the Bengals went from the league's worst to a drive away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
"You look at the potential of this team and where we can get," Bates said. "I've been in that transition year of winning the division and then going to the playoffs and nobody knowing the Bengals were going to go to the Super Bowl. So, I think it's a very similar situation here."
The Falcons don't have the largest of expectations going into the season, but that might be a good thing. Players are signing with Atlanta to be part of something special. Now, it's time to execute the vision each of them have.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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