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By Aaron Becker
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The Atlanta Falcons decided to trade Pro Bowl defensive back Jessie Bates to the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline after suffering their sixth loss of the season in Week 9 to fall to 3-6.
However, Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski had a bit of a surprising message to the team after the trade.
“You guys know how I feel about Jessie the person, Jessie the player,” Stefanski said via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “But at the same time, this is football, where sometimes you have one foot in the short term, one foot in the long term. There’s things like this that make your team better in the long run. Draft picks are the life blood of an organization. That’s something we believe in.
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“Our fans are smart enough to know that in no way, shape or form would we punt on this season. We have three wins, just like the rest of our division. Obviously not where we want to be, we want to play better, but we’re in the thick of this thing and we trust in the guys we have.”
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Stefanski certainly has a point that the NFC South is still wide open for the taking. The Falcons currently sit in last place at 3-6 but the Carolina Panthers are in first at 3-5, with the New Orleans Saints (3-5) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6) sandwiched between.
However, it will not be easy to replace the caliber of player Bates is. He has recorded 60 tackles, three forced fumbles, four passes defensed and an interception for Atlanta this season, adding a 36-yard fumble return for a touchdown.
The veteran safety, now in his ninth NFL season after spending his first five years with the Cincinnati Bengals, has 28 career interceptions and 14 forced fumbles.
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