Here we go, baby. We finally have clarity on Vic Beasley’s future in Atlanta.
Dan Quinn told Vaughn McClure of ESPN that the Falcons will exercise Beasley’s fifth-year option and bring him back for 2019 at $12.8 million dollars after 10 sacks over the last two seasons. As we speak, the cynic and the fan are playing tennis in my head, minus the aggressive grunting from Monica Seles.
Glass Half-Full on Vic
- Beasley will bring it in a contract year. He was motivated in 2016 when he led the NFL in sacks with 15.5, and the hope is that a hot-seat season will lead to a bounce-back year. He wouldn’t be the first player to ball out in a contract year.
- Beasley will be more productive with Dan Quinn calling defensive plays. This remains to be seen, but I’m a big fan of DQ calling plays. So maybe this works out. Quite obviously, the Beasley-Manuel marriage wasn’t working.
- Brotherhood prevails in keeping a key member of the Super Bowl team. We have already said goodbye to Matt Bryant, Robert Alford, Brian Poole, and Brooks Reed, so the Falcons fan in me feels good about keeping a key brick in that Super Bowl wall.
- If it doesn’t work out, Beasley won’t be here in 2020. I’m okay with moving forward without Vic Beasley right now, but I’m reassured that another sleepy season will be his last in Atlanta.
Glass Half-Empty on Vic
- Dan Quinn decided to ride or die with his first-ever draft pick with the Falcons. Said another way, Quinn’s in job-preservation move, and he has been the entire offseason. That’s why he took over play-calling duties from Marquand Manuel, fired Steve Sarkisian, and fired Keith Armstrong. When you gut your coaching staff like that, you know you have one more crack at it. Beasley’s 2019 performance will be pivotal for DQ’s future in Atlanta.
- Did we cut Matt Bryant so we could pay Beasley? It sure seems that way. If you’re going to overpay No. 44 at $12.8 million for MAYBE 10 sacks, you have to cut costs in other areas. As such, you say goodbye to your automatic kicker so you can buy one more at-bat for Beasley to prove you were right about drafting him eighth overall in 2015.
- Will Beasley suffer from a contract-year hangover? Let’s say Beasley channels all of this motivation and registers 12.5 sacks in this contract season. Awesome, right? Maybe not. If he tilts the machine, the Falcons will lock him up long-term for big money. Would Beasley then revert back to 2017 and 2018 form after getting the big payday? Knowing that he’s a low-motor guy, my answer to that question is: Yes.
- DQ called out Beasley’s inconsistency. Here’s Quinn’s exact quote from McClure's ESPN article: “The biggest impact that he can make is doing it really consistently.” Ouch. I’m sorry, sports fans, but consistency should be a given. Being an inconsistent player is a symptom of having a low motor. This is my No. 1 criticism of Beasley. It’s the main reason why I’m not a Beasley guy. Call me crazy, but I need all of my defenders to be high-motor guys.
Conclusion: DQ is betting on himself, but his future is in the hands of Beasley, Tavecchio, Oliver, and Sombrailo. If they succeed, he stays. If they don’t, he goes.
Bottom line: I would not have brought back Beasley at $12.8 million, and this misstep might cost Dan Quinn his job.
