The 2017 season came to a disappointing end for the Atlanta Falcons. For linebacker Vic Beasley, the entire season was a forgettable one.
Although Beasley failed to follow up his spectacular performance in 2016, he has still shown plenty of promise as a premier edge rusher. As a result, the Falcons announced they will exercise his fifth-year option, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
General Manager Thomas Dimitroff said on Wednesday that the team will exercise their fifth-year option on Beasley’s contract. Teams have until May 3 to formally exercise their options, which are guaranteed for injury only, on 2015 first-round picks.
The move should certainly come as no surprise. Beasley burst onto the scene during the Falcons' run to Super Bowl XLI. He finished that season with 15.5 sacks, 39 tackles, and six forced fumbles.
Unfortunately, he took a step back last season as a result of the switch to linebacker. The hope was that Beasley would be able to translate his playmaking ability to other areas on defense. However, the position change did not pan out as he registered just 5.0 sacks and a forced fumble in 14 games. As a result, head coach Dan Quinn announced that Beasley would be making the switch back to defensive end.
It is not uncommon for players of Beasley's skill set to move up and down from the defensive line. Given his slight frame as a defensive end, Atlanta may have been looking to reduce the stress of taking on offensive lineman every play. However, the Falcons are now hoping the Beasley will be able to imitate the success he had during the 2016 campaign.
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