Philadelphia Eagles: Signing Vic Beasley would be a waste of time

Vic Beasley is the wrong player at the wrong time for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Anytime the words ‘release + pro bowl + linebacker’ are strung together by an NFL insider like Ian Rapoport or Adam Schefter, it draws some serious attention from fans of the Philadelphia Eagles.

In theory, it makes sense.

Even with the emergence of Alex Singleton and T.J. Edwards‘ exemplary play as a base-down MIKE, the Eagles’ linebacking corps could use a serious upgrade to even creep back to average, let alone become one of the better individual units in the NFL. If some mythical external linebacker could come in and even just settle the storm – maybe correctly read a coverage here or there too – they would be heralded a hero and elevated to the sort of cult status typically reserved for backup quarterbacks and practice squad elevatees.

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But here’s the thing: In the NFL, all linebackers aren’t made equal.

On a 4-3 team like the Eagles, inside and outside linebackers effectively play the same role, but on a 3-4 squad like, say, the Tennessee Titans, they couldn’t be any more different.

Take, for example, a player like Vic Beasley, who was just released by the Titans after a trade failed to materialize. He’s a former first-round pick and a Pro Bowler, but on the Eagles, he’d be classified as a defensive end, as he rarely drops into coverage and isn’t particularly good when he does so.

With that in mind, why are fans actively hoping Beasley ends up in South Philly?

I mean, sure, the Eagles’ current defensive backs coach, Marquand Manuel, served as the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive coordinator from 2017-18, but Beasley actually had two of his worst seasons as a pro during that stretch, so I’m not sure how that is really relevant.

Heck, even if Beasley wanted to play for the Eagles moving forward, I’m not really sure where he’d even fit on this current roster as things presently stand.

With Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, and Derek Barnett combining to average 123 defensive snaps per game, the Eagles really don’t have enough playing time left on the table for any sort of contract with Beasley to make sense for either party moving forward. Heck, even Genard Avery, the player Howie Roseman surrendered a fourth-round pick to acquire one year ago, can’t crack the defensive end rotation after the return of Vinny Curry.

If Avery found his playing time dropped to zero snaps against the Giants before landing on IR with an elbow injury, how could Beasley expect to magically become a starter upon his arrival?

Really, the only way a deal with Beasley would make sense is if he was willing to sign a two-year deal worth next to nothing, as it would allow the Eagles to move on from Barnett and still maintain a top-tier defensive end rotation well into 2021. Would Beasley be willing to make such a deal? I guess anything is possible, but why would he even want to? Beasley isn’t subjected to waivers, isn’t injured, and has earned north of $36 million over his five and a half year NFL career thus far; why not take a vet minimum deal with a Super Bowl favorite like the Kansas City Cheifs, ball out, and earn a new deal next spring?

Even if the Eagles were hypothetically the perfect scheme fit for Beasley’s speed rushing style, their timeline is anything but.

Next. Thank goodness the Philadelphia Eagles stood firm at the trade deadline. dark

Barring a massive change in fate, it feels like a longshot that there would be any mutual interest between the Philadelphia Eagles and Vic Beasley. If they want to upgrade their linebacking corps at all, the Eagles are far more likely to target a coverage specialist on the margins than another edge rusher. And as for Beasley? Well, he’s probably more likely to look for a spot on a contender than waste his time grinding away in the NFC East in what almost certainly feels like a destined one-and-done trip to the playoffs. Sometimes, things just don’t make sense, and honestly, that’s okay.

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