The Atlanta Falcons moved on from their 2019 sack leader, Vic Beasley, but the decision felt like a logical move for both parties. Beasley landed in Tennessee on a one-year deal, while the Falcons brought in free-agent defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. as a replacement.
Atlanta used the No. 8 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft on Beasley, and while he in no way can be considered a bust, his time with the Falcons was sometimes puzzling. The speedy EDGE had moments where looked like the next Von Miller during the 2016 season, recording 15.5 sacks and earning both Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections.
That breakout year was what frustrated fans the most about Beasley, though. Was he an underachieving mega-talent, or a solid player that over-performed himself into unrealistic expectations?
Pro Football Focus recently released a one-year wonder team, with Beasley starting at defensive end. Check out what the feature had to say about Atlanta’s streaky former edge rusher:
Beasley also cashed in on a new contract this offseason, and part of that check stems from a 2016 season where he led the NFL in sacks. Beasley’s 79.9 pass-rushing grade in 2016 indicates he probably didn’t deserve to lead the NFL in sacks, but it was a strong showing as a pass-rusher nonetheless. His career looked to be on an upward trend. The last three seasons haven’t come close to reaching those heights, though. Eighty-eight edge defenders have 500 or more pass-rushing snaps since 2017. Beasley’s pressure rate of 8.9% ranks 75th among that group. That number doesn’t match up with the guy who led the league in sacks four seasons ago.
Even though he’s no longer in Atlanta, it will be interesting to see how the 27-year-old fares with the Titans in 2020. During his five seasons with the Falcons, Beasley racked up 37.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles and 119 solo tackles.
[lawrence-related id=54085,54079,54049]
[vertical-gallery id=54070]