Atlanta Falcons: Vic Beasley Struggling With New Positon
By Nick Ziegler
It was not a good night for the Atlanta Falcons in their third preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, and one player was very frustrated.
2015 first round pick Vic Beasley is transitioning to linebacker this season. However, the move is not going as smoothly as he would like. After missing the second preseason game for the Atlanta Falcons with a shoulder injury, Beasley returned against the Dolphins.
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On 29 snaps, Beasley wasn’t able to generate any pressure on the quarterback, and after the game, he was clearly frustrated.
“I don’t know man, I’ve just got to keep working,” Beasley said to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “I’m not able to get home like I want to. I’ve got to keep a positive mindset and keep working.”
Moving to a different position is a challenging thing for a young player and that is what Beasley is dealing with right now. There are certainly going to be growing pains for him this season, but he appears to be motivated to put in the work to improve.
“Nah, it ain’t working right now,” Beasley said to McClure. “I have to go to the film room, go to the practice film, and try to critique something. “It is (frustrating) at times. I just know I have to keep working.”
The Falcons’ defense was certainly improved last season, as they were ranked in the middle of the league in total yards allowed. Beasley was certainly a contributor to the improvement, as he totaled four sacks last season. While four sacks as a rookie aren’t awful, he needs to do more in his second season.
“I mean, I just want to produce,” he said to McClure. “I want to help my team the best way I can. Again, I just want to produce. I’m going to keep working. Hopefully, good things will come.”
A glaring issue for the Falcons’ defense last season was getting pressure on the quarterback. Last season, the Falcons were dead last in the NFL in team sacks with just 19. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that 19 sacks as a team in a 16-game season is really poor.
In 2016, the Falcons are certainly hoping that Beasley can help them generate some more pressure on the quarterback. The signing of Dwight Freeney should benefit the Falcons’ defense in more ways that one.
Despite being past his prime, Freeney can still be used effectively as a pass-rusher in certain situations. In 2015 with the Cardinals, Freeney was able to total eight sacks in just 11 games. He might not be an every-down player anymore, but he can succeed when used right.
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Due to a back injury, we have yet to see Freeney this preseason, but he can certainly help the development of Beasley. In the loss to the Dolphins, Beasley did pull off a Freeney-like spin move to try and get to the passer.
Little tips like that from Freeney can go a long way in helping Beasley adjust to his new position. Beasley is a very gifted and hard-working athlete that should be able to thrive as a linebacker in time.