The Houston Texans need some help with their pass rush. The AFC South champions finished with 31, tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for the sixth-fewest in the NFL.
If the Texans want to give a former first-round pick a chance to live up to his former draft status, as they did with cornerbacks Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargreaves, then former Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley should be on their radar.
The NFC South team announced Monday they will not pursue negotiations with the former No. 8 overall pick from the 2015 NFL Draft.
BREAKING NEWS: We will not pursue negotiations with Vic Beasley this offseason. https://t.co/AWbxv1SiGi
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) February 3, 2020
Beasley had an All-Pro season in his second year with 15.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, six forced fumbles, and a fumble recovered for a touchdown. The Clemson product was a key part of Atlanta’s defense that helped the team win the NFC South, lock up a first-round bye, and take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium.
The problem is Beasley fell off the map after that career season. The 6-3, 246-pound edge defender produced two consecutive seasons with 5.0 sacks and started in eight and nine games as opposed to 12 in in 2016 and 16 as a rookie. Beasley finished his last year with the Falcons with 8.0 sacks, but still didn’t hit the double-digit mark since that 2016 campaign.
Houston already has outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus locked up, and defensive end J.J. Watt will always bring pressure off the edge. Adding Beasley could give the Texans a trio of pass rushers they haven’t had since the club traded Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 31, 2018.
The Texans may be better off to let Beasley float by them in free agency and continue to develop defensive end Charles Omenihu and outside linebacker Jacob Martin. Nonetheless, the Texans should also evaluate edge rushers on the market as they need to restore their pass rush to formidable levels.