Oakland sent safety Patrick Bates to Atlanta on April 18,…
Oakland sent safety Patrick Bates to Atlanta on April 18, 1996 and received the 48th pick in the draft. Bates started nine games for the Falcons that season but never played another NFL game. The Raiders did not use No. 48 themselves; two days later they included it in the package sent to Houston to move up for Rickey Dudley. Turning a short-lived veteran into meaningful draft-day leverage gives the Raiders the clear edge.
Atlanta Falcons Received
- player Patrick Bates
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 1996 2nd round pick (48th overall subsequently traded, Jason Layman )
Trade Analysis
Patrick Bates had pedigree when Atlanta made this trade. The Raiders had selected him 12th overall in 1993, and the Falcons were buying a still-young defensive back with starting experience rather than gambling on an unknown rookie. Bates did contribute immediately: he played 15 games for Atlanta in 1996 and started nine of them. If he had settled into a multi-year role, the price of the 48th pick could have looked reasonable.
Instead, 1996 was the end of Bates’ NFL career. That sharply limits the return Atlanta received for a mid-second-round selection. The Falcons spent a valuable draft asset on a one-season rental without a corresponding playoff breakthrough or long-term defensive payoff. That outcome is the central reason their grade falls below average.
Oakland’s side is best understood as part of a larger draft-day sequence. The Raiders acquired No. 48 on April 18, then used it two days later along with No. 17 and No. 109 to move up to No. 9 in a deal with Houston. Oakland selected Rickey Dudley at No. 9. Dudley was not a superstar, but he became a useful starting tight end and produced far more sustained NFL value than Bates supplied Atlanta after this exchange.
The Raiders therefore accomplished two things: they moved on from a player who was near the end of his career and preserved the acquired pick as premium trade currency. Atlanta received some immediate snaps, so the deal was not completely empty, but a second-rounder should normally buy more than one season and nine starts. In hindsight, Oakland’s ability to turn Bates into a meaningful component of a top-ten move makes this a clear Raiders win.