Baltimore Ravens: Vic Beasley would be perfect signing

The Baltimore Ravens pass rush needs some extra juice and free agent Vic Beasley seems like a perfect fit for what they’re looking for.

The Baltimore Ravens have historically been quiet when it comes to Free Agency, but in recent years they’ve become more aggressive. The team has made a splash signing seemingly every year with guys like Eric Weddle, Tony Jefferson, and Earl Thomas being a few examples. Could Vic Beasley be the next guy in line?

The former eighth overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons has been somewhat productive in his NFL career, but he’s certainly not lived up to his lofty draft status. The Falcons announced that they would not be pursuing negotiations with the 27-year old pass rusher from Clemson, meaning he’ll hit the open market at the league new year. The Baltimore Ravens should take a strong interest in signing him.

From a need standpoint, it makes perfect sense. Baltimore accumulated just 37 team sacks in 2019 with Matt Judon leading the charge with a team-high 9.5 sacks. Judon is slated to be a free agent, however, and it’s vague as to whether or not he’ll return to Charm City for 2020. History would have us believe he won’t be, leaving a giant hole at edge rusher.

Tyus Bowser broke out with 5.0 sacks in 2019, but rookie Jaylon Ferguson had just 2.5 sacks. The defensive line isn’t a unit that produces sacks, either, so having edge-rushing depth is a priority in Baltimore. The addition of Vic Beasley to the position seems more than ideal with all this in mind.

From a fiscal standpoint, this move also makes sense. Beasley can be brought in for relatively cheap considering he has one season of production. Of his 37.5 career sacks, 15.5 came in 2016. Since then, Beasley has just 18.0 sacks over the last three seasons.

Vic Beasley’s 2019 was relatively successful, as he recorded a career-high 42 tackles to go along with 8.0 sacks. The talent is certainly there for Beasley, and we’ve seen that he can produce at a high-level. The key with him is finding a way to get the most out of his talent. The Ravens are the best fit for him to get that level of play.

While Beasley would be the team’s best pass rusher should Judon walk in Free Agency, he has a defensive line in front of him that eats up blocks. Beasley would get plenty of one-on-one matchups with offensive tackles this way. Better yet, the Ravens 3-4 defense would let Beasley line up all over the defensive front and allow him to rush the passer from a plethora of spots. Beasley’s athleticism would be put to its maximum potential this way and Baltimore would get more than their money’s worth out of him.

Vic Beasley isn’t an elite edge rusher, but he’s much better than “serviceable.” The Baltimore Ravens would be wise to monitor him throughout the 2020 Free Agency process. Should they bring him in, they’d be getting someone who would fit their defense to perfection and give them a major return on their investment.