The Philadelphia Eagles could be looking at their next defensive standout.
As mentioned by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates III should be on the Eagles’ wish list for 2023 free agency. Knox mentions the fact that Philadelphia’s top two strong safeties, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps are due to hit free agency. When factoring in the Eagles’ limited salary cap space (projected $10.5 million available), Bates may be the perfect replacement option.
“The Philadelphia Eagles, who have a bye this week, should watch this game closely,” says Knox. “The Eagles aren’t loaded with cap space but are projected to have $10.5 million available. They could also have a couple of holes to fill with safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps both scheduled for free agency.”
Why Eagles Could Target Jessie Bates
The 25-year-old Bates is one of the more intriguing young defensive standouts in the league. He was previously named a Second-Team All-Pro selection during the 2020 season. After struggling through much of the 2021 regular season, Bates emerged as one of the top players during the Bengals’ run to the Super Bowl. According to Pro Football Focus, Bates posted a 90.0 defensive grade, the third-highest of any defensive player during the postseason.
As noted by Knox, Bates has allowed an opposing passer rating of just 76.1. According to PFF, Bates’ coverage grade of 72.9 this season ranks 16th among all safeties with at least 500 snaps.
Over the course of his first five seasons in the league, Bates has racked up 14 interceptions — four this year — and 43 pass deflections, including 15 during the 2020 season alone.
Bates is currently playing under the franchise tag worth $12.9 million after failing to reach a long-term agreement with the Bengals. He had previously skipped the entire offseason and training camp after not reaching an agreement on a contract.
“Bates had skipped the entire offseason and the bulk of training camp after sides failed to agree to a long-term contract by the July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players,” said Patra. “The 25-year-old had not signed his tender and thus wasn’t subject to fines for missing camp.”
Eagles Facing Many Potential Departures in Free Agency
According to Spotrac, Bates’ market value is $10.6 million per season, totaling over $42 million across four seasons. That would make Bates the 14th-highest paid safety in the league, which is rather modest considering his ceiling.
Considering his holdout during training camp, it’s hard to envision a scenario where Bates returns to the Bengals. The more likely scenario sees the young safety heading out into the free agent market to finally cash in on a long-term deal.
The Eagles are facing major potential changes on defense. On the defensive side of the ball alone, Philadelphia has free agents in cornerbacks Darius Slay, James Bradberry and Avonte Maddox, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, defensive ends Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat and outside linebacker Haason Reddick.
With the Eagles facing the possible departures of their top defensive backs, signing a young safety who has yet to hit his prime at a bargain deal could be one of the biggest steals of the offseason.
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