Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
The veteran pass rusher is potentially headed for a new team.
Earlier this week, we heard reports for the first time that Vic Beasley was available via trade. That’s the first confirmed name we’ve seen for a team that has to be thinking about selling at the deadline at this point, and it was a painful one for a lot of reasons.
The first reason is Beasley himself, of course. It’s well-understood at this point that the 2016 season was a bit of a mirage for him, but the stellar, charitable dude who grew up a Falcons fan and put together a magical season during a Falcons Super Bowl run should have blossomed into a franchise great. The fact that he hasn’t is disappointing for us, but it’s also likely been disappointing for him.
The second is that the Falcons had chances to move on from Beasley and elected not to. He’s been far from the team’s biggest problem—it’d be a long afternoon to list all of them—but he’s also had another fairly quiet year for a deeply disappointing defense. All of that has conspired to put him on the trade block, and Beasley confirmed that he’s well aware of that today.
Vic Beasley told me he understands he’s on the trade block and has be informed. He’s just going to keep playing and see what happens.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) October 20, 2019
When asked if he needs a change of scenery, Beasley re-affirmed that he feels like the men in the locker room in Atlanta are capable of better things, noting it’s largely the same group that went to the Super Bowl back in 2016.
Vic Beasley when asked if he needs a fresh start elsewhere pic.twitter.com/PG6YQ41OAR
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) October 20, 2019
I don’t know what the Falcons will get for Beasley or where he’s going—the Raiders are reportedly sniffing around pass rushers and seem like an extremely logical landing spot—but I know like so many other aspects of this particular era in team history, this is not how things were supposed to end or how we wanted them to end. There have been too many would-be great pass rushers (or heck, even good ones) who haven’t panned out in Atlanta, and Beasley was incredibly easy to root for when he joined the team. Unless Takk has a big turnaround in him next year or John Cominsky turns out to be startlingly good, though, it’s basically just Grady Jarrett in Atlanta for the foreseeable future.
Given that this team’s season is lost and it’s imperative they get things right for 2020, though, Beasley shouldn’t be the only man they’re looking to move. It’s not like they don’t have guys from the 2018 and 2019 draft that are eager for more playing time. I do sincerely hope he lands somewhere where he’ll be happy and productive.
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