A whole lot of factors go into a successful NFL front office. While every team should always be looking to upgrade their roster and boost their chances at a championship run, it's also important to be realistic about where your team is compared to the competition - and know when it's time to strike and when it's time to look ahead.
It seems that general manager Ian Cunningham and football president Matt Ryan know when to fold em, as they did with this week's trade of safety Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars - who are all in on 2026.
While losing their best defensive player makes this a worse team for now - it's impossible to argue with getting a second and a fifth in return given their current situation - which is last place in the worst
division in football.
Over at NFL.com, Kevin Patra has given the Falcons an A- for the trade and commends them for seeing the truth of where they stand.
"I’m crediting the Falcons for seeing the truth. Just because they’re a half-game back from the top of the division in a grotesque NFC South, they’re still in last place. Even a run to the postseason doesn’t make them championship contenders. That’s just a recipe for a later-draft pick. I’m not suggesting the Falcons should go into full-on tank mode, but it’s a good sign that the current front office understands that getting a second-round pick and a fifth-rounder in 2028 for a free-agent safety who turns 30 in February is excellent business."
Atlanta is currently three games under .500 - and while it's certainly possible that the team could rally and win the NFC South - they would almost certainly get blown out in the Wild Card round - likely by one of the NFC North's four horses of the apocalypse.
The move then is to focus on next year, when the Falcons will have far more cap space than any other team and hold four top-100 draft picks.
It's going to be tough to replace Bates defensively, but those assets will (in theory) make this a more competitive team in the long run.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: NFL.com gives Falcons an A- grade for Jessie Bates trade
