Falcons Rumors: 'Big-Name Safety' Eyed by ATL; Jessie Bates III 'Would Fit Nicely'

After finishing in the bottom 10 in the NFL in points allowed last season, the Atlanta Falcons are looking for help in the secondary as free agency begins.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, there is "a lot of buzz" that the Falcons are targeting a "big-name safety" on the market with Jessie Bates III mentioned as a potential option.

The Falcons are in a great position to make significant moves this offseason. They are going into free agency with $63.8 million in cap space, second-most in the league behind the Chicago Bears.

Finding a long-term solution at quarterback is the biggest concern in Atlanta. The team owns the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL draft, though it seems unlikely one of the top signal-callers in this class will get that far after the Carolina Panthers agreed to trade up to No. 1, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Head coach Arthur Smith has praised Desmond Ridder after making four starts as a rookie last season, but he stopped short of naming him the starter for 2023 in a recent interview with Falcons digital managing editor Scott Bair (h/t Tori McElhaney of the team's official website).

The Falcons need to make their defense a priority this offseason. They allowed the sixth-most yards per game (362.1) and had the second-fewest sacks (21) in the NFL during the 2022 campaign.

Bates has spent the past five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He's ranked as the No. 5 overall free agent in this year's class by NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, who noted he will have "more value to a team that plays with a single high safety" a majority of the time.

It's unclear exactly what new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen wants to do with that unit, but Bates has a track record of success as a disruptive player in the secondary. The 26-year-old had eight pass breakups and a career-high four interceptions in 16 starts last season.

The Falcons are looking to build off a 7-10 record in Smith's first season as head coach. The NFC South looks to be wide open with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing Tom Brady to retirement.

A couple of key moves this offseason could make Atlanta a playoff contender for the first time since 2017.