We all already knew Atlanta Falcons got a fantastic return when they decided to trade Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags, going all in on their Super Bowl window, gave up a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick for a DB nearing 30 who they were not extending.
It was a masterstroke from new general manager Ian Cunningham, as he had the foresight to recognize that the Falcons were not going anywhere this year and a multi-time All-Pro at the least important position on a football field won't exactly take them out of contention in the NFC South while still prioritizing building the draft and long-term growth.
Because of the Bates trade, Atlanta now has eight 2027 draft picks, including three in the first two days and four in the top 100. But since they made the trade on Monday, they set the market for safeties on the move, and that was an important development leading up to Tuesday's deadline.
The reason for that? The Buffalo Bills. Another AFC threat looking to go all-in made a splash of their own. Buffalo acquired Tennessee Titans' star safety Amani Hooker and a 2027 fifth-round pick for a 2027 second-round pick after an attempt to acquire Budda Baker from Arizona failed.
Notice anything? Those terms are eerily similar to the Falcons' own trade--and seeing the Bills pay up is making the trade that came first look better.
The Falcons got more for Jessie Bates than the Titans did for a worse player Amani Hooker
The only difference here is that whereas the Dirty Birds did not have to give up any capital in the deal, the Bills did. Both trades involved a 2027 second-round pick and a fifth-rounder, but Jags GM James Gladstone gave up slightly more than Brandon Beane did, which is fantastic news for Falcons fans.
Let's make something clear: by no means is Amani Hooker a better football player than Jessie Bates. Bates is right to go for more because he has a stronger track record of success, but to these front offices, context matters--and there is a lot more that affected this than talent and on-field impact.
Hooker is almost two years younger than Bates (newly 28 versus almost 30), has two more seasons under club control compared to JBIII who has an expiring contract, and he's tied for the league lead with five interceptions. They're both elite at making plays and generating takeaways, so why not go for the player who can help you in the short and the long-term?
Even though he's not better, he very well could have went for more because of the differences in age and control. And given the Falcons only got what they did out of the 29-year-old because they're paying the rest of his contract this season (it's worth it), it says a lot about this Bills-Titans deal.
If the Atlanta Falcons had no choice put to pay Jessie Bates' salary for the rest of the year because of the Jags' cap situation, nobody is complaining because the return of draft capital made up for it. They still got more out of an older player with a murkier cap situation than the Titans did for Amani Hooker, and that's good work from Cunningham.
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