What to do with Bates

[kalibengal]

So the guy had a good day according to PFF ratings but he failed to cash in and close the door on that pass that should have been pick 6.
Once again IMO showing not worth top $ for a safety. I hope they try and keep him but at reasonable price. We need $ for more O lineman, CBs next season

[HarleyDog]

Outside the missed interception, I don't recall hearing his name all day. However, I probably had 10 beers and I was yelling at the screen with others. I guess not hearing his name is a good thing, but was it really? Was it? Kevin Huber could have intercepted that ball with his non kicking leg and hobbled in for an easy 6.

[*jason*]

I was never big on paying a big time contract to Jesse Bates. He was great last year, and has his moments, but he's not a game changer. There are just too many guys ahead of him I'd rather lock up.

[SunsetBengal]

What do we do with Bates? You still sign him to a very respectable deal, that's what you do.

Sure, he's not having as good of a season as last year, and that missed pick6 was painful to watch, but he's still a top tier player at his position. Perhaps instead of setting the market at $20M/per, we can secure him for 5 years/$80M?

[J24]

(12-13-2021, 09:15 PM)jason Wrote: I was never big on paying a big time contract to Jesse Bates. He was great last year, and has his moments, but he's not a game changer. There are just too many guys ahead of him I'd rather lock up.

Who is ahead of him?

[Knightmare on Elm Street]

(12-13-2021, 10:21 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: What do we do with Bates?  You still sign him to a very respectable deal, that's what you do.  

Sure, he's not having as good of a season as last year, and that missed pick6 was painful to watch, but he's still a top tier player at his position.  Perhaps instead of setting the market at $20M/per, we can secure him for 5 years/$80M?

[quote pid='1117386' dateline='1639444860']
Exactly! Just because he is not going to reset the market doesn't mean he isn't good nor that we shouldn't resign him. He is having a down year, but he still very young and his ceiling is still relatively high. If we don't cash him out, someone will.
[/quote]

[Tony]

PFF has him rated as a bottom #5 safety.. Middle tier contract or let him walk...

[thompson19osu]

(12-13-2021, 07:40 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Outside the missed interception, I don't recall hearing his name all day. However, I probably had 10 beers and I was yelling at the screen with others. I guess not hearing his name is a good thing, but was it really? Was it? Kevin Huber could have intercepted that ball with his non kicking leg and hobbled in for an easy 6.

He took an absolutely horrible angle on the Deebo touchdown, not even really sure what he was doing or thinking. He then made a weak effort on the Aiyuk touchdown (not that it would have mattered in the end).

[Rubekahn29]

Middle of the pack contract or let him walk. Even in his huge year last year, I did not feel he made enough game changing type plays to justify a huge contract. He also hasn’t impressed me with how much he’s talked about his contract, and playing even worse in a contract year .

[*jason*]

(12-13-2021, 10:25 PM)J24 Wrote: Who is ahead of him?

Kinda irrelevant, but the rumors (never heard it from Bates himself) were that he wanted around Jamal Adams money. My point is that paying top dollar for him didn't make sense to me. Burrow, Higgins, Jonah, Spain, Chase, Hill or Ogunjobi, Wilson, whatever RT we go with next year, and some outside FA are bigger priorities to me. I don't hate Bates, but he's been invisible to bad, mediocre, and pretty good from time to time this year. To me that doesn't warrant Jamal Adams money.

[J24]

(12-13-2021, 10:49 PM)jason Wrote: Kinda irrelevant, but the rumors (never heard it from Bates himself) were that he wanted around Jamal Adams money. My point is that paying top dollar for him didn't make sense to me. Burrow, Higgins, Jonah, Spain, Chase, Hill or Ogunjobi, Wilson, whatever RT we go with next year, and some outside FA are bigger priorities to me. I don't hate Bates, but he's been invisible to bad, mediocre, and pretty good from time to time this year. To me that doesn't warrant Jamal Adams money.

Just curious how many of those guys that you mentioned have made an All Pro 2nd team or been regarded as the Best player at his position by PFF? 

[jj22]

I think we tag him and then let him walk. I can't see letting him walk this offseason and opening up a hole at the FS position. I also think a youth movement is coming on the defense since we have so many outside free agents signed already. The way the front office has been the last couple offseasons it's possible they'll sign a top FS to replace him (within reason, I still can't see MB paying a safety, CB money). That makes it hard for me to think they'll let him walk just to sign another FS for big money. We'll attack the secondary in the draft, and hope to have a replacement option after 2022.

[samhain]

This team will have to pay several players big contracts sooner than we'd like to think. Burrow, Tee, Williams, Chase, and even Spain to a lesser extent will cost a big chink of cap to extend. I think Bates will be a guy they opt to let go to preserve cap to pay the others. I'm good with that at this point.

[TecmoBengals]

Offer him a three year deal that puts him at about mid tier pay for safeties.

[Tony]

(12-13-2021, 10:44 PM)thompson19osu Wrote: He took an absolutely horrible angle on the Deebo touchdown, not even really sure what he was doing or thinking. He then made a weak effort on the Aiyuk touchdown (not that it would have mattered in the end).

He's trying not to get hurt, that's all that matters to him at this point...

[Tony]

(12-13-2021, 11:14 PM)TecmoBengals Wrote: Offer him a three year deal that puts him at about mid tier pay for safeties.

If someone offers him more , let him walk.. I don't hink he is gonna get what he wants...

[*bfine32*]

But the transition tag on him

[J24]

(12-13-2021, 11:23 PM)Tony Wrote: He's trying not to get hurt, that's all that matters to him at this point...

He leads the team in Solo Tackles this season but yet he is playing not to get hurt? 

[*jason*]

(12-13-2021, 11:05 PM)J24 Wrote: Just curious how many of those guys that you mentioned have made an All Pro 2nd team or been regarded as the Best player at his position by PFF? 

I mean I guess that's all fine and good. Awards and grades and stuff.

I think it's universally agreed upon that QB is the most important position in the sport. So there's Burrow. Protecting his blind side is right up there... Jonah. Protecting him period, running the ball Spain, Reiff, whoever gets Reiff's money.

That QB needs to throw to somebody... Chase and Higgins.

Somebody should get after the other team's most important position. The ends are locked up, but the interior guys are not.

Those guys are all more important to this team's success moving forward than Jesse Bates is. I'm not opposed to keeping him, but if that somehow means we eventually can't re-up one of those guys then no way. Bates has had one great year. One... Solid as a rookie. Meh as a sophomore. The great year. Mostly meh again.

[*jason*]

I guess I just thought that the parables of William Jackson III and Carl Lawson would have taught us that it's ok to let guys that we convinced ourselves are super awesome (on a shit defense) walk.