Safety Jessie Bates III was an invaluable contributor to the Cincinnati Bengals‘ success last season.
He showed his capabilities during the postseason when the picked off Matthew Stafford in Super Bowl LVI.
Bates has also been a positive asset in the Bengals secondary with Vonn Bell.
However, the team seems to be unsatisfied with what Bates has shown.
That’s why they assigned him the $12.9 million franchise tag instead of signing him to a long-term deal.
It doesn’t take an expert to see that Bates has earned a lucrative contract to remain in Cincinnati.
He will only get better now that he has postseason experience.
Unfortunately, the promise he showed led to a one-year rental which led Bengals fan Joe Goodberry to speculate.
Some final loose thoughts on Jessie Bates and the Bengals.
1) I bet they haven't offered him a contract since 2021.
2) I bet they offered almost half of what he'd get on the open market in terms of guaranteed money.
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) June 16, 2022
He tweeted, “Some final loose thoughts on Jessie Bates and the Bengals. 1) I bet they haven’t offered him a contract since 2021. 2) I bet they offered almost half of what he’d get on the open market in terms of guaranteed money.”
If the Bengals are willing to give him the $12.9 million franchise tag, then it wouldn’t hurt to give him a deal that will give him an average of $15 million a year.
It shouldn’t be hard structuring a contract within that value given that it’s not top dollar.
Bengals Already Clearing Cap Space For The Future?
In some ways, the Bengals’ owners are known to be penny-pinchers.
After all, they still don’t have an indoor practice facility.
But on the other hand, are they already gearing up for the potential mega extensions for Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase?
If that’s the case, being conservative in dealing with other players does have merit.
Still, it’s hard to be competitive without the best players.
Certainly, Bates has proven that he fits what the Bengals are trying to achieve on defense.
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