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Even after producing one of their best seasons in franchise history, the Cincinnati Bengals have to get right back on the horse, as NFL free agency is right around the corner. Safety Jessie Bates III is heading into free agency and looking to become one of the league’s highest-paid safeties, so the Bengals are going to have to open their checkbooks if they want him back.
Only 25 years young (and just turned 25), Bates is the perfect example of what helped get the Bengals to the Super Bowl this past season – young, controllable talent that has been with the team since being drafted. As one of the leaders on the defensive side of the ball, Bates made a name for himself by always being around the football, finishing fourth in total tackles (88) on the year.
A controllable team core will help keep the Bengals right in the thick of things for a while, but making sure that Bates remains a member of that is going to be tough this offseason, seeing as how he is going to be courted by quite a few teams looking to upgrade their safeties room.
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Jessie Bates III Free Agency Landing Spots
Outside of a starting linebacker and right tackle, the Detroit Lions need upgrades at literally every position. With Dan Campbell apparently being the right guy for the job (at least for now), the Lions are looking to spend a hearty amount of money this offseason to try and expedite their rebuilding plan.
For Bates, he seems to value his role and location more than money, but both itches could be scratched by signing with Detroit.
Bates would immediately slide in as the best member on the defense, as former top pick Jeffrey Okudah and Will Harris are the team’s two-best incumbent secondary members, speaking to how much help they need. He would also be able to make all the calls on the defense and would benefit from being behind the strong defensive line and its pass rush.
While not the best team to sign with, the Lions would present Bates with a fresh shot outside of Cincinnati if he wanted that.
The Los Angeles Chargers and the Bengals both have quite the amount of money to spend this offseason if they so choose, and pairing Bates alongside Derwin James would make them the league’s best safety duo, no question.
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As the Chargers try and figure out a way to go from playoff wannabe to postseason regular, improving their secondary, which was one of the league’s worst in 2021, would be a great first step.
Thinking that the Chargers are the biggest threat to the Bengals to sign Bates makes the most sense, seeing as how they are a winning team that certainly has a lot of the right pieces already in place on their roster. If Cincinnati were to lose Bates, losing him to another AFC team would be the worst possible outcome, especially to a team like the Chargers that are a constant postseason threat.
1. Cincinnati Bengals
No place is better than home, and with recent talks at least keeping that door open, it looks optimistic for Bates to remain in Ohio.
Will Bates become the highest-paid safety in the league? Grading out as the highest-rated member of the Bengals throughout the playoffs (according to Pro Football Focus), Bates certainly left everything on the field for this for every snap, something that the front office has to have noticed.
A five-year deal that would make Bates a free agent again for his age-30 season would be beneficial for both sides, as Bates would be able to secure another long-term, big-money deal after this new deal, while the Bengals would benefit from keeping one of the league’s best under-26 players in town.
Money is a big part of what is going to make or break the chances Bates returns, so a deal around $12-14M annually (with bonuses on top) would push his overall deal above the $70M mark if going along with the expected market numbers.
The Bengals need to make sure they replicate their ‘21 season, and keeping Bates for the foreseeable future is a great way to do so.
