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He may not have notched his first sack as a Las Vegas Raider quite yet but the team is high on Vic Beasley. The former NFL sack leader has had a very up and down career but he’s still young at 28-years-old. Even at his worst, he could still be one of the Raiders’ top pass rushers considering how bad they’ve been.
Beasley is set to hit free agency after the season and he shouldn’t be a hot name on the open market. That could lead him back to the Raiders on a pretty cheap deal. There’s still a lot that can happen between now and free agency but Beasley doesn’t sound liked he’d mind staying in Las Vegas for a while longer.
“As far as being part of the Raiders’ future, I’m open to whatever,” Beasley said Wednesday. “I’m just gonna go out there right now and just try to perform to the best of my abilities Sunday and help the team get the eighth win. Whatever the future holds, whether it’s here with the Raiders or whatever else … I’m fine with it.”
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Raiders Should Re-Sign Beasley
Beasley isn’t going to be a hot name heading into free agency. It’s possible he finishes the season with zero sacks in 10 games played. That’s a huge drop off from the eight sacks he notched last season. That said, this season has been awkward for a lot of players. The lack of an offseason has affected a number of guys who have joined new teams.
Beasley will probably never recapture the magic that saw him lead the league in sacks in 2016 with 15.5. The Raiders don’t really need him to. If the season ended today, Maxx Crosby would lead the team with only six sacks. Even if Beasley could put together a five or six sack season next year, that would be a big help for the silver and black.
Jon Gruden Praises Beasley
The Raiders have tried a number of things to try and fix their anemic pass rush this season. So far, nothing has worked since Jon Gruden took over the team. Based on what the coach is saying, it sounds like the plan is to bring Beasley back for next season.
“I think his availability and his background in the league as a pass rusher is exciting,” Gruden said. “Hopefully, he can answer the bell and be a big part of our future here but I’m not going to make any more predictions.”
At this point, the Raiders have to try whatever they can. Drafting a defensive end early in the upcoming draft would probably be a bad idea considering they used a top-five pick on Clelin Ferrell just a couple of years ago. Beasley is a proven veteran who can possibly help. He’s not going to fix the problem but he definitely won’t make things worse.
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Impending Raiders Free Agent: ‘I’m Open to Whatever’