Reed Blankenship's departure from the Philadelphia Eagles was expected, but it felt among the team as if they had a glaring issue at safety.
The Eagles traded away one of their other safeties, Sydney Brown, to the Atlanta Falcons as Philly brought back Marcus Epps to compete for the starting job. Bleacher Report writer Moe Moton made an interesting trade suggestion for the Eagles, advising general manager Howie Roseman to call back Atlanta to acquire safety Jessie Bates III.
"At 29, Bates is still a premier coverage safety. He's recorded at least three interceptions in four consecutive seasons. Last year, the eight-year veteran allowed a 73.7 passer rating. Nonetheless, in the final year of his contract, Bates has an inflated cap number of $24.8 million. With a new regime in place, Atlanta may consider trading him for draft capital. If that's the case, the Eagles can pounce on an opportunity to add a Pro Bowl-caliber defender to their secondary."
Jessie Bates III would be a game changer in the Eagles' secondary
Bates has put together a nice career so far, with five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and the last three with the Falcons, earning one Pro Bowl selection and three second-team All-Pro selections. Last season, he got his third second-team All-Pro selection after racking up 98 tackles, six pass deflections, three interceptions, two quarterback hits, one forced fumble, one tackle for loss, and one touchdown in 17 games.
The Eagles would love to have Bates in the secondary, as he hasn't missed a game in over three years and is a veteran captain the unit could use. It would also be a massive help to Andrew Mukuba, who is about to enter his second NFL season and is coming off a broken ankle.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman would have to answer a big question as to whether a Day 2 pick would be worth it for Bates, as he has been valuing his picks. Bates is better than all the safeties in the draft, so it might be worth it.
The $24 million cap hit would be a major concern for the Eagles, as they would have to figure out how to handle it. They might ask Bates to help them out with a restructured deal so they can still pay their rookies from the 2026 draft class.
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Bates would be a great move for the Eagles to make and something they should 100% consider.