Jessie Bates: 3 teams that could trade for Bengals safety
By Randy Gurzi
1. San Francisco 49ers
Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals made it to the Super Bowl where Jessie Bates recorded six tackles, broke up one pass, and also had an interception against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.
His ability to step up against this high-powered offense surely caught the eye of the San Francisco 49ers, who play in the NFC West with the Rams.
The 49ers know in order to get back to the Super Bowl themselves, they need to be able to knock off Los Angeles, and while they came close in the NFC Championship Game, they might have been able to pull off that upset with someone such as Bates in their secondary.
Jimmie Ward and George Odum are the current starters for San Francisco and Bates would prove to be an upgrade next to Ward, who was one of the top-15 ranked safeties in the NFL according to PFF.
Bates could also find plenty of success with the Niners should this move happen. With an elite defensive line that features Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, and Javon Kinlaw, quarterbacks don’t have much time at all to sit in the pocket and pick a defense apart.
That plays into the hands of Bates, who has been opportunistic with 10 picks in his career. — and another two in the postseason this past year.
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