Falcons’ Vic Beasley, Bryant Young respond to former’s 2018 season

We’ve had the Vic Beasley conversation aplenty here on The Falcoholic, and sometimes, it’s just nice to hear the source speak on itself.

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke with Beasley and Falcons DL coach Bryant Young (a former pass rushing great himself) about the former’s 2018 season and what might need to change to get him more production.

First off, let’s hear from Beasley on where he’s at.

“My production is not what I want, but I’m working hard,” Beasley said. “I’m practicing hard and playing hard.”

Over the Falcons’ 3-4 start, Beasley has played 351 of the defensive snaps (72.8 percent), but has just one sack, seven tackles, one tackle for loss and three quarterback hits.

So, obviously, the stats don’t show the kind of impact the team needs from its starting defensive end, though D-Led points out where the team’s mindset is right now on it.

Beasley has been close on some sacks, but the Falcons hope those close calls turn into production over the second half of the season.

“We have to continue to be opportunistic and hope that things go my way,” Beasley said. “But still as long as the team is winning, I’m excited and happy.”

Finishing pressures would go a long way with helping Beasley get more sacks and hits, so you can imagine that’s the focus of where the team is working with him as we get into the latter portion of the schedule.

Bryant brings up the obvious point a lot of folks have made about Beasley’s rushes.

“A guy like him, a 4.5 (40-yard dash) guy who can really get off the spot and speed around the edge, it would be great to have something that’s a change-up,” Young told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday. “That’s been his go-to, his off the edge speed and winning off the corner. That always keeps people honest when you can change it up a little bit.”

Back in 2016, Beasley was working with future Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney, the master of the spin move.

“He hasn’t done a whole lot of it,” Young said. “That could be something that he look to do moving forward. You don’t want guys to just over play you and just really setting on your speed and play you that way.”

It’s heartening to see the team be fully aware of Beasley’s need to widen his skillset and find new ways to get after the passer. We’ve all said for years that he needs a new move to make, so perhaps Bryant and company can help him find it.

In the interview, Bryant also mentions that Beasley using his hands more often would help him better attack the offensive lineman in his path.

Beasley told D-Led that he feels a counter move would work to ramp up his impact, but it might not be the spin in a major way.

“Yeah maybe I could throw that in there a little bit,” Beasley said of his spin move. “Any counter would be beneficial depending on the call and when I know I can use it. I rarely used the spin, it’s not really my thing. I do bring it out every now and then.”

The rest of the piece is worth reading for insight into his chemistry with fellow defensive end Takkarist McKinley on the field, some praise for Beasley from Washington head coach Jay Gruden and Beasley sizing up Sunday’s opponent (at the time of Trent Williams playing).

Everyone is saying the right things in regard to Beasley’s season. It’s just a matter now of putting those words into practice and seeing the pass rusher improve.