Former Atlanta Falcons pass-rusher Vic Beasley Jr. will sign with the Tennessee Titans, his agency, CAA, told ESPN's Dianna Russini on Tuesday.
Beasley, who turns 28 in July, made a name for himself during the 2016 season when he led the league with 15.5 sacks. He had four multi-sack games that season, including 3.5 sacks against the Denver Broncos. Beasley also had six forced fumbles in '16, which tied Bruce Irvin for the league lead.
The Falcons expected the one-time Pro Bowler to thrive after his breakout second season. Beasley regressed instead, recording just 10 sacks combined in the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Beasley had just 1.5 sacks through the first seven games of last season. He then experienced a second-half resurgence and finished with a team-leading eight sacks. Ultimately, the Falcons decided to part ways with Beasley by announcing in a Feb 3 statement that they were not going to negotiate a new contract.
Beasley fits the Titans' need for an impact pass-rusher to come off the edge, matching him with third-year player Harold Landry.
The Titans will need to make sure that Beasley is able to set the edge against the run. At times with the Falcons, he was not able to hold outside containment, which is something the Titans ask their outside linebackers to do in run defense. In some circles, Beasley was labeled as a sack-chaser, and he'll need to be more than just that for Titans coach Mike Vrabel.
Beasley was Falcons coach Dan Quinn's first draft pick and the eighth overall selection in the 2015 draft. In five seasons, Beasley has 156 tackles, 37.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles and an interception.
Some believe Beasley's athleticism still makes him a valuable asset. He showed the ability to drop into coverage at times when not focused on pass rushing.
ESPN's Vaughn McClure and Turron Davenport contributed to this report.
