The Jacksonville Jaguars addressed a major weakness by acquiring three-time Second-Team All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III from the Atlanta Falcons. The Jaguars sent a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round selection to the Falcons to bolster their secondary after Eric Murray suffered a season-ending elbow injury at the start of the month.
The move resulted in comprehensive improvement with respect to their Super Bowl odds, per BetOnline. The Jaguars are now listed at a healthy +950, the fourth-best odds for teams in the NFL.
They trail San Francisco 49ers, who are currently the favorites with +550 odds, followed by the Buffalo Bills at +650, with the Chicago Bears rounding off the top-3 with +850. Murray’s injury came at a time when the likes of Caleb Ransaw and Antonio Johnson have also been struggling with problems of their own.
The Jaguars are still 6-2 for the season and won 33-10 against the Baltimore Ravens in their most recent outing. They rank second in the NFL in points allowed at 15.1 per game, fifth against the run at 89.3 rushing yards allowed per game, third in interceptions with 11 and first in turnover ratio at plus-9, but their pass defense ranks 22nd, surrendering 229 yards per game.
Article Continues BelowBates directly addresses that weakness, bringing 139 career starts, 28 interceptions, 74 passes defended and 14 forced fumbles across his time with Cincinnati and Atlanta. He has missed only three games in nine NFL seasons and has recorded 60 tackles, three forced fumbles, one interception and four passes defended through nine appearances this season.
The 29-year-old is in the final year of his four-year, $64 million contract and is scheduled to become a free agent after the season. That means that the Falcons ran the risk of losing him on a free next season, and Jacksonville may now explore the possibility of an extension.