Vic Beasley Jr. would be a perfect fit in Eagles defense

Now that Vic Beasley Jr. is set to become an unrestricted free agent this March, the Philadelphia Eagles should be one of his top pursuers.

On Monday, reports surfaced stating that the Atlanta Falcons weren’t going to engage in contract negotiations with one of their potential free agents, Vic Beasley Jr. The 27-year-old pass rusher will hit the open market and certainly garner attention from several teams around the league, and for obvious reasons, the Philadelphia Eagles should be one of those teams that give him a look.

Vice president and general manager Howie Roseman is always looking for ways to improve his team, and Beasley would improve the defense’s pass rush. the ‘Birds’ finished the season with 43 total sacks, good for 14th most in the NFL. That’s not a terrible output, but it’s not as good as defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is accustomed to.

Schwartz’s defenses are built around the defensive line, and while there are still a handful of solid pieces along the Eagles front, they could use a guy with less tread who can deliver in pass-rushing situations.

Beasley’s strongest trait is his ability to get to the quarterback and he seems like the perfect situational pass rusher for Schwartz’s defense. Not to mention, Vinny Curry is set to become a free agent this offseason as well, leaving a vacancy that Beasley could potentially fill.

He racked up 37.5 sacks during his five-year run with Atlanta, with 15.5 of those coming in his All-Pro 2016 campaign. He had a bit of a drop off in the following two seasons, but he saw a resurgence in 2019, leading Atlanta with eight sacks.

Pass rushers aren’t the Eagles’ biggest need but consistently is. A ferocious pass rush is invaluable for a defense, and that’s especially true in Schwartz’s scheme. It allows the secondary to take more chances in an attempt to create potential turnovers, and it keeps the linebackers clean to make tackles in the run game.

One of the biggest reasons the Eagles won the Lombardi Trophy two years ago was their ability to get consistent pressure with just four guys. Their corners weren’t world-beaters, and their linebackers weren’t seen by anyone as being elite. The defensive line simply made everyone look better.

Adding Vic Beasley to this already solid bunch of lineman would help the Eagles immensely. There’s no reason Roseman shouldn’t be in the market for this guy once the free agency period rolls around.