NFL.com gives Falcons an A- grade for Jessie Bates trade
Over at NFL.com, Kevin Patra has given the Falcons an A- for the trade and commends them for seeing the truth of where they stand.
Key points
- It's going to be tough to replace Bates defensively, but those assets will (in theory) make this a more competitive team in the long run.
- While every team should always be looking to upgrade their roster and boost their chances at a championship run, it's also important to be realistic about where your team is compared to the competition - and know when it's time to strike and when it's time to look ahead.
- While losing their best defensive player makes this a worse team for now - it's impossible to argue with getting a second and a fifth in return given their current situation - which is last place in the worst division in football.
It seems that general manager Ian Cunningham and football president Matt Ryan know when to fold em, as they did with this week's trade of safety Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars - who are all in on 2026.
The move then is to focus on next year, when the Falcons will have far more cap space than any other team and hold four top-100 draft picks.
Additional details
- A whole lot of factors go into a successful NFL front office.
- Just because they’re a half-game back from the top of the division in a grotesque NFC South, they’re still in last place.
- Even a run to the postseason doesn’t make them championship contenders.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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