Atlanta Falcons: Vic Beasley Ready For His New Role
By Nick Ziegler
The Atlanta Falcons will be trying to spark their defense in the 2016 season by asking their top pick of 2015 to switch positions.
After a hot start to the 2015 season, the Atlanta Falcons hit a wall and ended up finishing with a record of 8-8. Prior to the start of the 2015 season, the Falcons hired former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, to be their new head coach. After hiring Quinn, the hope was that the Falcons’ defense would make some strides, but the group lacked talented even with a great defensive mind in Quinn coaching them.
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One of the biggest players that the Falcons added to their defense was defensive end Vic Beasley. The Falcons selected Beasley with the eighth overall pick in the 2015 draft, and the hope was that he would help improve their pass rush.
The Falcons ended up having the worst pass rush in the league last season, as they only totaled 19 sacks as a team. Beasley was able to set a team-record with four sacks in his rookie season, but that wasn’t close to the expectations that he set for himself.
With a need to still improve their pass rush, the Falcons reached out to Beasley for him to consider a move to linebacker.
“That’s pretty much how it went,” Beasley said to D. Orlando Ledbetter of MyAJC.com. “Coach Ulbrich reached out to me. He left the option up to me. I felt like I could benefit from that position. I could see myself out there.”
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The move from defensive end to linebacker isn’t an uncommon one for players of that position, as Beasley’s athleticism should provide him with the ability to be a great edge-rusher and now pass-defender.
“I think I’ll do great,” Beasley said to Ledbetter. “I have great versatility and athletic ability that God’s blessed me with. I also played it a little bit in college, so that adds and should help.”
“I’m pretty sure they’ll use me as a rusher and dropping back,” Beasley said to Ledbetter. “I’ll be going back and forth. I think we are just using my abilities in different areas on the field and maximizing my gifts.”
The move to linebacker for Beasley will be a challenge in his second season in the NFL, but he is studying film on the Super Bowl MVP from last season, Von Miller, to try and help make the adjustment.
“I don’t try to be exactly like him because I am my own person, but we do share a lot of similarities,” Beasley said to Ledbetter. “I will try to mirror some of my stuff after him.”
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There are some noticeable differences between Miller and Beasley, as the Denver Broncos run a 3-4 defense, which is a bit easier for linebackers to rush the passer from. Beasley will be making the transition to linebacker in a 4-3 defense, which means he might be in pass coverage a good amount.
Beasley is a hard worker and a tremendous athlete, and the move to have him at linebacker might be very beneficial for the Falcons’ defense in 2016.