The Falcons have been linked to free agent safety Jessie Bates III for a while now, and it seemed like everyone was expecting him to land in Atlanta. That’s enough to make a veteran Falcons nervous, given how infrequently players we covet land with our favorite team, but it turned out all that reporting and rumor-mongering was correct. I couldn’t be happier about it.
Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Bates will sign with the Falcons, assuming nothing drastic changes between now and Wednesday at 4 p.m. The team has landed perhaps the best free agent safety available, and a player they clearly coveted.