The Tennessee Titans have made their first move to sign a free agent off the open market and will reportedly bring in former Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker, Vic Beasley, on a one-year deal.
Here are six things to know.
Beasley led NFL in sacks in 2016
Not only did the 27-year-old lead the league with 15.5 sacks in his second season, Beasley was also a First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler that year. If he can come anywhere close to that form in 2020, this will be a steal.
A career on the upswing
For whatever reason, Beasley’s production fell off considerably over the course of the next two seasons. He posted a combined total of 10 sacks between 2017 and 2018.
The good news is that Beasley had somewhat of a resurgence in 2019 after he posted his second-best career sack total in a season with eight.
The hope is that Beasley can fall somewhere between his 2016 and 2019 versions and be a double-digit sack guy with a change of scenery. He and Harold Landry could be quite the formidable duo off the edge if that happens.
Why didn’t the Falcons bring him back?
After failing to try and trade him during the season, the Falcons announced that they wouldn’t pursue bringing Beasley back, which allowed him to hit the open market.
That move seems kind of odd considering the Falcons desperately need pass-rush help, but Atlanta is also a team that is strapped for cash.
Perhaps the Falcons could have found a way to make the money work, however it’s also possible they had some concerns about giving money to him after an inconsistent tenure.
And it’s because of that inconsistency that Beasley is getting a “prove it” deal from the Titans.
No health/age concerns
Beasley is still relatively young (27) and has played in 16 games in four of his five seasons in the NFL. The most games he has missed in a single campaign is two, which occurred in 2017.
That is a stark contrast from the team’s big EDGE signing from last year in Cameron Wake, who was already in his late 30’s and ended up playing in just nine games in his one season in Tennessee.
At best, Beasley could return to the form we saw earlier in his career and is still young enough to re-sign to a multi-year deal if he proves to be the answer the Titans are looking for.
Trouble setting the edge
There’s no question that Beasley is a freak athlete and could be a huge asset in the pass-rush, while also being able to drop back into coverage when needed to do so.
However, there is a concern about his ability to play the run, as ESPN noted.
At times with the Falcons, he was not able to hold outside containment, which is something the Titans ask their outside linebackers to do in run defense. In some circles, Beasley was labeled as a sack-chaser, and he’ll need to be more than just that for Titans coach Mike Vrabel.
This is something to keep an eye on as Beasley tries to fit in with head coach Mike Vrabel’s defense.
A high-end stopgap
With Beasley only being on a one-year deal, the Titans can continue trying to find a long-term solution at EDGE.
Tennessee will likely look to add one in the 2020 NFL Draft, and the team has other young options to take a look at in 2019 fifth-round pick D’Andre Walker and undrafted free agent Derick Roberson.
In the meantime, Beasley should be an upgrade over Wake and will give the Titans a chance to groom a younger outside linebacker.
