Terry Fontenot made a name for himself in New Orleans under Mickey Loomis for his ability to find talent on the pro personnel side of things. That trend has continued in Atlanta as he’s taken over the Falcons as GM.
Though it’s up for debate how successful he’s been in the draft, only a fool would debate the work he’s done identifying and acquiring pro talent.
Cordarrelle Patterson was an aging enigma that nobody quite figured out how to use before he set career marks across every metric in 2021 and 2022 with the Falcons. However, it wasn’t until this past offseason that Fontenot took the gloves off.
He was finally able to participate in free agency without financial limitations, and it netted a haul of talent. The Falcons added long-term pieces in Jessie Bates III, Kaden Elliss, and David Onyemata while acquiring shorter-term players like Dee Alford, Calais Campbell, and Bud Dupree.
I didn’t even mention the acquisitions that were made via trade like Jonnu Smith and Jeff Okudah. The Falcons are a better team because of Terry Fontenot’s ability to evaluate professional talent, but no addition has been as impactful as Jessie Bates, who Jason McCourty of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football believes is the best free agent signing of the 2023 season.
We In or We Out:
Gardner Minshew was the best Free Agent signing of 2023.@JasonMcCourty looks to an @AtlantaFalcons safety instead… Who do you think takes this one? pic.twitter.com/Es11WLbEnx— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) December 5, 2023
Jessie Bates ranks third among defensive backs in tackles and third in interceptions while also being one of two players to force at least three interceptions and three fumbles. It’s also not an exaggeration to say he’s single-handedly responsible for several Falcons victories.
Against the Panthers, Bates was responsible for three turnovers that put Atlanta’s offense in plus territory, leading to 17 points. Then two weeks ago against the Saints, Bates was directly responsible for a 14-point swing and I could argue it was a 28-point swing.
Derek Carr was driving the New Orleans offense down the field, poised to score a touchdown, only for Bates to deliver a pick-six for Atlanta. On a later drive, the Saints once again looked like their momentum would end in six points, but the Falcons safety punched the ball out of Taysom Hill‘s hands, which eventually ended in a score for the good guys.
Jessie Bates hasn’t just played at a Pro-Bowl level, he should receive All-Pro honors at the end of the year. And while he won’t win Defensive Player of the Year or MVP, he’s certainly been the MVP of the Falcons, who lead the NFC South.
—
Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.