Philadelphia Eagles: Get ready for some serious Jessie Bates III rumors

In case you haven’t heard, the Philadelphia Eagles might just be in need of another safety.

Yes, they have Anthony Harris, who was solid though not spectacular in 2021, and Marcus Epps will be back for what could be the make-or-break season of his young NFL career, but neither are of the same caliber as, say, Tyrann Mathieu, the player many a fan wanted to see end up in midnight green after taking a virtual meeting before the draft.

But what are the Eagles to do? Mathieu is a member of the New Orleans Saints, the NFL Draft is long since gone, and after turning down a Jalen Reagor-for-Chuck Clark trade offer from the Baltimore Ravens, it’s worth wondering if Howie Roseman even wants to upgrade the back end of his secondary, let alone is willing to do what it takes to secure said upgrade.

Fortunately, there is an All-Pro safety who is reportedly unwilling to play for his current team until either extended or traded; a safety who just saw his team draft a do-it-all defensive back by the name of Daxton Hill in the first round, no less. Needless to say, the Philadelphia Eagles are going to be linked to any safety who becomes available over the next few months, but is there any chance Jessie Bates III actually ends up in midnight green this fall? Let’s talk about it.

The Philadelphia Eagles will be linked to Jessie Bates whether they like it or not.

Jessie Bates III is a very good safety.

A deep field specialist who has recorded 12 interceptions, 41 passes defended, and 428 combined tackles over his 67 games of NFL action, Bates has to be considered one of the better 25-and-under players in the NFL regardless of position and one of the best free safeties in the NFL regardless of age.

Theoretically, the Cincinnati Bengals would probably love to keep Bates around for the 2022 NFL season at bare minimum, but his expected long-term contract value, which could be worth as much as $74.36 million over five years, according to Spotrac, may make prove difficult to afford once Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, and JA’Marr Chase start to become expensive.

Could Howie Roseman swoop in and make life easier for Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin? You bet. Would Roseman ultimately leave any perspective deal with the better player? Most likely yes, as few second-round picks prove as impactful as Bates has proven to be. But will the Eagles ultimately be the team that pulls the trigger on the collegiate Wake Forrest Demon Decon?

Unfortunately, I sort of doubt it.

Just for the sake of argument, let’s say the Eagles can secure Bates’ services for a second-round pick and are then able to extend him to a five-year, $75 million contract. While that may seem like a lot to pay for a safety and would make Bates the proud owner of the fourth-richest contract by a safety in the NFL today, he isn’t going to magically forget to play his position and will likely live up to whatever deal he signs.

So what’s the problem? His ability to play the ball in the air is top-notch, he can drop the hammer in the open field, and he would undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with in run support; why wouldn’t the Eagles be interested?

Well, Bates is a Christmas tree safety who is at his best deployed in a single high configuration. Sure, he could probably play in a split defensive configuration and may be even more impactful with only half of the field to worry about, but his addition would be a luxury in a defensive scheme that he isn’t as perfectly suited for.

Considering how much money the Eagles are committing to their defensive line, to two of their cornerbacks, and to the offensive side of the ball, it’s hard to imagine Roseman making a safety his fourth-highest paid player in 2023, especially when he can get Anthony Harris and presumably Marcus Epps for half the price.

As the Bengals are learning firsthand, you can’t pay everyone in a salary-capped league.

Would Jessie Bates III look fantastic in midnight green this fall? Yes. Could he become a cornerstone-type player on which the team could build their next great defense? You bet. But will Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles actually dish out the dough needed to both bring him to the City of Brotherly Love and keep him around for the next four-to-five seasons? Personally, I don’t see it, but hey, I’d love to be proven wrong on this one.