It’s not often a pass rusher with 37.5 sacks in five seasons hits the open market, but that’s exactly where Vic Beasley finds himself after the Falcons announced they wouldn’t pursue contract negotiations with their 2015 first-round pick. With Beasley becoming a free agent, the Jets should take a hard look at the 27-year-old Beasley, who is fresh off an eight-sack season and has the tools to be a solid contributor in the pass rush.
Beasley opened his career with an uninspiring rookie season after the Falcons took him eighth in the 2015 draft, but broke out in a big way in 2015. He led the NFL with 15.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2016 and looked poised to become the Falcons’ next great pass rusher.
However, his production dropped off considerably. Beasley tallied only five sacks in each of the next two seasons. He looked poised for another disappointing season in the final year of his rookie contract in 2019, but registered four sacks in the final four games of the season amid a late-season resurgence for the Falcons defense.
In a way, Beasley’s final season in Atlanta encapsulated his entire career so far. Though he doesn’t lack the ability to perform at a high level, Beasley has always battled consistency. He’s had two big seasons in between three mediocre ones and he’s disappeared during stretches through each season as well, stacking great performances back-to-back before failing to make an impact for multiple games.
While the Falcons may be over Beasley’s inability to perform week and week out, the Jets should swoop in to grab Beasley to help fortify their pass rush.
The Jets had one of the worst pass-rushing units in the league in 2019 and only saw real production from Jamal Adams and Jordan Jenkins, who combined for 12.5 of the Jets’ 35 sacks. Though the Jets blitzed the fourth-most in the NFL, they finished with the 27th-most hurries and the 23rd-most sacks.
The price will need to be right for the Jets to give Beasley a shot, though. He won’t get a big-money contract like the one Za’Darius Smith or Anthony Barr earned last offseason, but there’s a chance Beasley could command somewhere between Tahir Whitehead’s three-year, $19 million contract with the Raiders and Alex Okafor’s three-year, $17.9 million contract with the Chiefs. Both are around the same age and body type as Beasley, though Beasley has been more productive than both during his career.
The Jets can afford to pay Beasley and see if they can capture some that potential the league saw in 2016. New York is projected to have the 11th-most cap space this offseason, per Spotrac, and Beasley could be a nice, cheaper option for a Jets with a considerable amount of holes across the roster.
If the Jets do go after Beasley, it shouldn’t be contingent on what they decide to with Jenkins and/or Brandon Copeland. If anything, Beasley and Jenkins would make a great pass-rushing duo on each edge. At 6-foot-3, 246 pounds, Beasley is built similarly to Jenkins and Copeland and could seamlessly slide into Gregg Williams’ defense.
Beasley also fits the mold of a Williams defender in that he can play multiple positions in the front-seven. He’s lined up both as a 4-3 defensive end and as a strong-side linebacker in Dan Quinn’s defense. Williams could have a lot of fun with a pass rush revolving around Beasley, Jenkins, Anderson and Quinnen Williams.
The Jets need help across the board, and Beasley offers the perfect opportunity to fill a need without breaking the bank.