Thomas Dimitroff: Atlanta Falcons plan to exercise Vic Beasley’s fifth-year option

With teams setting their offseason plans in place, we finally heard the word on young pass rusher Vic Beasley. The Falcons had about two more months to make the final decision on his fifth year, a team option for all first-round selections. This one felt like a nobrainer, even though it was far from certain.

Beasley will be with the Falcons until at least the 2020 season.

Beasley’s career has been a mixed bag even if you go beyond just his sack numbers. Pass rushers usually take a few seasons to get up to the speed of the NFL, and Beasley is no different. He’s flashed elite play making skills, but had a disappointing 2017 after playing a surprising number of snaps at linebacker.

Dan Quinn has already said that Beasley will return to defensive end full-time in 2018. It should be easier for him to improve his number of pass rush skills when he’s not learning another position.

Regardless, it would have been foolish to pass on Beasley’s fifth-year option. Young pass rushers are a hot commodity, and Beasley still has a shot at being one of the league’s best. We don’t have numbers yet for the fifth-year option, but expect it to come in around 2014’s 7th overall pick at $13,258,000.