What is All-Pro Safety Jessie Bates III Worth in Trade for Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons have been busy handing out contract extensions to a quartet of their young stars. Wide receiver Drake London, running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts, and offensive guard Matthew Bergeron all got multi-year deals that put them near the top of the market at their respective positions.

Each of the new deals had something in common. No player extended is older than 26 years old (Bergeron), and all four were on the offensive side of the ball.

29-year-old safety Jessie Bates is also in the final year of his deal, and the Falcons could save significant cap space by giving him a simple extension or moving on from him. They've done neither to this point, which leads to speculation about his future.

ESPN's Seth Walder is one of the national pundits who speculated about Bates' availability in his latest column Five trades that make too much sense. He proposes Raheem Morris and the San Francisco 49ers send a third-round pick to the Falcons for Bates and a sixth.

Walder is playing the long game with the Falcons, not expecting them to take a jump in the first year under Kevin Stefanski wth questions at quarterback.

"If the Falcons were expected to contend, it would make sense to keep Bates and see the original contract through. But they aren't, and with a ton of 2027 cap space even after the Bijan Robinson extension, the Falcons will likely be spenders next offseason," Walder wrote on ESPN.

The Falcons wouldn't just get a third in return; they'd also clear $13 million in salary cap space. They don't necessarily need it this year, with the fifth-most available space at $39.9 million, according to Spotrac. However, they can carry that savings over to 2027 when, as Walder states, the Falcons will be big spenders.

The thing is, and this is new for Falcons fans, they don't really need the $13 million next year either. They've actually lowered their cap obligations with their recent extensions and have the second-most available space in the NFL with $107 million.

Still, the idea of letting Bates walk at the end of the season with no compensation won't sit well in Atlanta. He still has two or three years of prime playing left in his career, and he's indicated an interest in returning to the Falcons. As potential big spenders next year, the Falcons won't be eligible for a comp pick if they lose Bates. They'll sign a player who would offset his loss in the comp pick formula.

Moving Bates now would send the wrong signal to the team and its fans as they enter the season with renewed hope under a new regime. But if the season goes off the rails early, making a move closer to the trade deadline at the end of October might make sense.

Of course, re-signing one of your best players makes sense as well.

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