Jessie Bates III is singlehandedly changing the Atlanta Falcons culture

How many times have we heard that a great locker room makes a great team? We have heard it so much that we might finally believe it.

All jokes aside, we are seeing a change in culture with the Atlanta Falcons, and their huge offseason signing, Jessie Bates III, is a huge reason why. In his first season with the Falcons, he is already commanding and leading this defense in an incredible way.

The Atlanta Falcons have already gotten their money's worth from Jesse Bates III

The Atlanta Falcons had to commit a few dollars to land Jessie Bates III in free agency. He was the crown of their massive spending spree during free agency and he has already had a bigger impact on the team than they could have ever imagined.

Not only did Bates record ten tackles, two interceptions, and one forced fumble—earning him NFC Defensive Player of the Week—but he has also been leading his defense off of the field.

The Fox broadcast of the Falcons, Panthers game on Sunday mentioned that Bates had called all of his defensive teammates in for a players-only meeting which required the players to sacrifice their own time. That right there shows that he has command and respect from his teammates.

Well, now here we are in week two and that is continuing. The Falcons secondary had another players-only meeting to go over their week two matchup with the Packers.

That may not sound like much for the average fan, but it is a huge thing. How easy would it be for them to be satisfied with the scheduled meetings and practices? This team is different and it will continue to show on the field.

This isn't something that the average team does. When was the last time you heard a Falcons player organize a meeting in two consecutive weeks? I remember when it was a huge deal that Julio Jones stood up and spoke to the team after a loss which continued a losing streak. This is even more impactful than that.

This is the most impressive start for a new Falcons player that we have seen in a long time. We have seen him play in just one game for the Falcons and it is reasonable to say that he will find himself in the Falcons 'Ring of Honor' at some point in the future.