3 years agoCincinnati Bengals impending free-agent safety Jessie Bates is hoping to avoid playing the 2022 season under the projected franchise tag of $13.5 million. "Some of the top guys got hurt under a franchise tag. It's tough; you only get one shot at this. You just got to play your cards right, I guess you could say," Bates said. Cincinnati has plenty of salary cap space, though, and head coach Zac Taylor said re-signing Bates is a top priority after his postseason performance. The 24-year-old earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2020 while receiving a 90.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. Bates' 406 tackles since he entered the league in 2018 rank third among all safeties. In the 2021 regular season, he had a career-low 88 tackles (67 solo), four passes defensed, one interception and one fumble recovery in 15 games.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller
Source: NFL.com - Adam Maya