Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates III joined Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham for Thursday's Training Camp Report tweeted by the team, and suggested that he's not sure what he needs to do to prove that he's among the National Football League's top defensive backs.
"I guess I haven't done enough yet to be considered one of the top safeties in this league, which is fine," Bates told Hoard and Lapham. He added that it would be the last time he speaks about his contract situation.
From @Bengals:
ESPN's Field Yates called Bates "perhaps the most underrated player in the NFL" in a tweet Wednesday, suggesting that a report Tuesday that the Bengals and Bates aren't expected to reach a contract extension at this time "sets up the likelihood of the Bengals using the franchise tag" on Bates next offseason.