veteran Toledo DB with ball skills and special-teams grit
Joe Bates is a seasoned Toledo defensive back whose value shows up in reliability and opportunism more than flash: in the 2008 season he played in 10 games with four starts and posted 9 total tackles, and in the 2009 season he added a forced fumble in limited action[1][3]. Toledo listed him as a preseason No. 3 free safety, which suggests coaches trusted his grasp of the system and his depth-chart flexibility[1]. He looks like the kind of steady, physical fit that helps a secondary hold together, especially if your team wants experience, toughness, and a player comfortable in a supporting role[1][2].
