Atlanta’s falcons may be able to employ a partnership with the 20-year-old that Real Union signed, who attracted interest from Atletico and other teams. Chris Lindstrom and Jessie Bates are two of the 100 most valuable NFL players.
The Falcons’ 2023 campaign was disappointing, and Arthur Smith was fired as a result. A few players stood out, though, most notably Chris Lindstrom and Jessie Bates III, who were selected to the AP All-Pro squads.
This summer, Atlanta’s two largest investments yielded positive returns right away. At the time of the contract, the team made Chris Lindstrom the highest-paid guard in league history and Jessie Bates the fourth-highest-paid safety.
Bates signed a four-year, $64.02 million free agent contract, while Lindstrom signed a five-year, $105 million agreement. The Falcons are clearly satisfied with their approximately $170 million investment, and the national media is still praising them.
The two most recently appeared on ESPN’s list of the 100 most valuable players for the 2023 campaign, compiled by Seth Walder. Lindstrom was ranked 77th, and Bates was ranked 29th.
Walder evaluated each player based on their worth, taking into account qualitative data like Pro Football Focus grades, All-Pro teams, and quantitative data like pass block victory rates and our receiver tracking metrics. Walder evaluated a player’s value relative to an average starting player at his position in order to address the relative worth of various positions.
This report ranked Lindstrom as the third most useful offensive lineman and Bates as the third most valuable safety. Bates was second behind Camryn Bynum among safety with 132 tackles, second to Geno Stone with 6 interceptions, and tied for third with 3 forced fumbles behind Josh Metellus and Antoine Winfield Jr.
It was as tight a contest as it could have been, with both players missing out on first-team accolades by a single vote. Icon Sportswire/Rich von Biberstein
Given his talent, Kelenic could be the most intriguing Braves offseason addition. He is still only 24 years old, was selected sixth overall in the last round, and had some serious progress last season. He is signed through the 2028 season, so there’s a potential he may have a big breakout season this year given the Braves’ previous history of developing youngsters offensively. Given his inconsistent start to his career, there is some danger, but there is also a huge potential profit.
Contributing to what is maybe the strongest rotation in baseball is Chris Sale. The Braves hope Jarred Kelenic can rebound and emerge as the team’s third outfielder of the future, behind Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II, in left field. Reynaldo Lopez, Joe Jimenez, Aaron Bummer, and Pierce Johnson round out a much-improved bullpen.
