Time For Vic Beasley to Go
With the eighth pick of the 2015 NFL draft, the Atlanta Falcons select Defensive End Vic Beasley from Clemson University.
I have to admit I was HYPE!!
At the time, I was producing the NFL Draft show on 929 The Game here in Atlanta and right after Vic was drafted, he called in to join our hosts. As a Clemson alum, I was super excited to be the first one in Atlanta to talk to him.
For as happy as I was, I was also a little worried too.
See, over the last 10 years or so, Clemson Defensive Lineman taken in the first couple rounds of the NFL draft have not fared well. Gaines Adams, bust. Da’Quan Bowers, bust. Shaq Lawson, bust. Kevin Dodd, bust.
Vic Beasley, bust.
That hurts to even type that. I am a HUGE fan of Vic personally; how can anyone not be? His smile is infectious. However, as a Falcons fan, it’s time to move on.
Vic’s scheduled to make an astronomical $12.81 million in 2019. That would make him the 11th highest paid defensive end in the NFL and the fourth highest paid Atlanta Falcon. Vic has not earned that contract extension or that pay day.
The Falcons need production from the Defensive Line and Vic hasn’t been productive. If there was stats for almost sacking the QB, almost a tackle for loss, almost a pass deflection, almost a QB hurry, Vic would be a hall of fame player.
Those categories do not exist.
Instead Vic, in 2015, 2017 & 2018, amounts to a guy that was taken in the seventh round and is barely hanging on to his NFL life at this point. Those numbers – 14 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 18 QB hits and he played in 48 games those three seasons.
Simply not enough.
Fans and NFL observers want to know why Vic has never developed his pass rushing moves. Coming out of Clemson the concern with VB was that all he had was his speed rush. Going into his fifth season, all Vic Beasley has is his speed rush.
He has no secondary move, no third move; he has nothing but his speed rush. In college, he got away with that. In the National Football League, Defensive Ends must have multiple moves to survive; NFL Defensive Ends must have moves to set up other moves. Vic has none of that and doesn’t come across as a player willing to add to his arsenal.
A perk of being in radio for five years was having locker room access and the privilege to conversations that took place. I can tell you from personal experience, even his coaches have wondered out loud, where these additional tricks the Vic Beasley bag are.
No one questions his work ethic, he has always been the first one in and the last one out. However, if you are not working on ways to truly get better, why show up?
I want nothing but the best for Vic Beasley, however, we need the Falcons to bring in guys that are going to bring home a Lombardi Trophy. We need the Falcons to draft and sign Free Agents that are going to make those around them better.
Falcons need to cut Vic Beasley and save the $12.81 million in order to do those things. This is not personal, this is business and the Falcons need to make the right business decisions.