Last Thursday the Atlanta Falcons came to the decision that they would not be picking up defensive end Takk McKinley‘s fifth-year option. McKinley first reported the news on himself.
He tweeted “5th year declined ??” via Twitter and the tweet has been deleted since then. We all know what they say…once it’s on the internet, it’s on the internet forever.
Falcons Sleeping on McKinley
Falcons former outside linebacker, Vic Beasley retweeted McKinley’s tweet before he deleted it with the ‘ZzZz’ emoji. There’s no way there’s beef between the two former teammates who are kind of in the same boat. Beasley’s tweet had to of been directed at the Falcons inferring they’re sleeping on McKinley’s talent or even broader saying Atlanta is sleeping on a lot of talent—including him. He could even be saying that the Falcons franchise simply sucks.
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Falcons Pick Up Beasley’s Fifth-Year Option
The former Clemson Tiger, Vic Beasley was selected 8th overall by the Falcons in the 2015 NFL Draft. Beasley went onto lead the league in sacks with 15.5 in 2016. The Falcons picked up Beasley’s fifth-year option in 2018 which cost them $13 million. In the next two seasons, Beasley’s success spiraled down with only 5 sacks in each season.
At the end of the 2019 season, Beasley recorded 8 sacks to lead the Falcons, but the team only registered a total of 28 sacks by the end of the season, finishing second to last in the NFL. The Falcons finished the season with a 7-9 record, struggling mainly on the defensive side.
The Falcons decided to released Beasley in early February.
Of course, we can’t put all the blame on Beasley for the 2019 season, but he sure as heck didn’t live up to his expectations in Atlanta so it was time to move on.
I can see him not fancying the Falcons very much after not giving him any more chances, but that’s “show biz” baby.
McKinley Deleted His Tweet?
It’s also interesting that McKinley deleted his tweet. First of all, what did his tweet with praying hands mean?
Was he happy that Atlanta decided not to pick it up and he wants to leave the Falcons or is he being optimistic and it’s time to prove them wrong for the 2020 upcoming season—if he stays?
McKinley will really need to prove himself if he wants to stay in Atlanta. So, maybe the Falcons and his agent are discussing their next deal and his agent made him delete the tweet. It certainly wasn’t a good considering it can be taken out of context in multiple ways.
As a Falcon, McKinley has played in a total of 45 games and made 21 starts. He has recorded 16.5 sacks in the past three years, including a high of 7.0 in 2018. He tried to play through his shoulder injury and finished with 3.5 sacks before having to step off the field and get surgery. This will be his third shoulder injury that he’s recovering from.
McKinley had a $3.25 million cap hit this year and was worth over $10 million, but the Falcons didn’t think so. Since his option wasn’t picked up, the 2020 season will be the end of his rookie contract.
The Falcons have a new defensive line to work with through free agency and the draft so if McKinley stays in Atlanta, he’ll be up against some competition in the offseason.
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Did Vic Beasley Subtly Troll the Falcons on Twitter?