Watch: Vic Beasley’s Jekyll and Hyde Season Makes Offseason Decision Tough

During the Falcons bye week there was no question among fans that Vic Beasley would be wearing another uniform next season. Now the decision is tougher.

There was a lot of doubt in the 2019 offseason when the Atlanta Falcons picked up the fifth-year option for defensive end Vic Beasley for $12.8 million. The quality of his play had fallen off after earning first team All-Pro honors in his 2016 sophomore season. The naysayers seemed to have been on the right side of the argument through the first eight games of this season.

Since the bye week though, Beasley has shown flashbacks to the 2016 version that intimidated quarterbacks at will. Next offseason a decision will have to be made. Cut Beasley loose and start again at edge rusher or decide he’s going to be the man opposite Takk McKinley and sign him to a multi-year contract and keep him off the free agent market.

For the first eight weeks of the 2019 season it looked like the Falcons were getting the 2017/2018 version. The lack of Falcons defensive pass rush couldn’t be blamed entirely on Beasley. From Week 4 to Week 7 the Falcons barely registered a quarterback hurry, much less showed that they were capable of sealing the deal.

Beasley contributed 1.5 sacks over the first half of the season. He was also credited with only 19 combined tackles. In Week 5 against the Houston Texans he was kept entirely off the stat sheet despite playing on 75 percent of the defensive snaps.

Since the bye week though, Beasley’s season has taken a 180 degree turn, back to the 2016 version. He’s picked up 5.5 sacks in the past six weeks and has been credited with 6 quarterback hits. He’s also been tough against the run with 13 solo and five assisted tackles with four of those for losses.

Now, after two more weeks, it will be time for the coaching staff and general manager to make some tough decisions. Beasley will be one of them. He will be a free agent when the 2020 NFL league year begins next March.

If the Falcons decide to sign him, he’s going to take up a substantial portion of the team’s free salary cap space. If they decide to move on, then edge rusher is going to become a priority in the 2020 NFL Draft.

With his improved play over the past six weeks, Vic Beasley has given the Falcons another tough decision to make after the 2019 comes to a close.