The Atlanta Falcons wasted no time a day ahead of the trade deadline and have sent away a player who has been one of the best on the team for the last several years.

On Monday morning one day after the team lost a frustrating game to the Cincinnati Bengals in Spain, the Falcons have traded away former All Pro safety Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2027 second round selection and a 2028 fifth round selection.

With Bates set to hit free agency after this year playing on the final season of the four-year deal he signed with Atlanta in free agency, rumors have been swirling since the offseason, but with Bates having a stellar season, some hoped the Falcons could choose to extend him rather than sending him away. With the team now three games below .500 though and starting to slip in the standings, clearly the Atlanta front office felt getting rather significant draft compensation in exchange for half a season more of Bates was well worth it.

As much as Bates is a franchise guy and one of the fan favorites, this is a strong return for a rental player. Jacksonville will likely work out a new contract with him, but the reality is the Jaguars are simply in a different place right now than Atlanta as a legitimate Super Bowl threat this year.

As things stand, the Falcons will have some of the most cap space in the league this offseason with an extra second round pick as well to give this new regime legitimate ammunition for what likely will be a continued rebuild.

Fans will certainly be sad to see Bates go, but it's not a huge shock to see a franchise who is in the first year of a new era and slipping out of the playoff picture part ways with a guy who was going to be on the open market. It's a strong return for Bates and a deal which Atlanta likely felt they simply had to make once Jacksonville was willing to include a second round pick.

Bates will always be remembered as a great Falcon, and it was obvious he loved playing in Atlanta. Now, he gets the chance to join a team which has championship aspirations and potentially try to get himself a ring.