Falcons HC Dan Quinn: 'The Plan Right Now' Is to Keep Vic Beasley for 2019

Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday that "the plan right now" is for pass-rusher Vic Beasley to be on the team in 2019.

According to ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure, Quinn said: "I'm very excited about where I think he can go to, and we've had good conversations about the impact that he can make. The biggest impact that he can make is doing it really consistently."

In April 2018, the Falcons exercised their team option on Beasley's contract for 2019, meaning he is under contract for one more season before being eligible to hit free agency.

Beasley has fallen off significantly since leading the NFL with 15.5 sacks in 2016, as he registered just five sacks in each of the past two seasons.

Quinn also commented on pending free-agent running back Tevin Coleman, saying, "This is where football and business meet," with regard to whether the Falcons will re-sign him, per Sal Capaccio of WGR 550.

Capaccio noted that Quinn's comments made it sound as though the Falcons don't expect to re-sign Coleman despite talking about "how explosive he is on the edges and how much respect they have for him."

While Coleman would be a loss, the Falcons still have Devonta Freeman and Ito Smith at running back. Atlanta doesn't have that same depth in terms of pass-rushers.

Second-year player Takkarist McKinley led the Falcons with seven sacks last season, while defensive tackles Grady Jarrett and Jack Crawford tied for second with six apiece. Jarrett can become a free agent this offseason, which makes Beasley even more important for a Falcons team that ranked 22nd in sacks last season.

The 26-year-old Beasley only got nine starts in the 16 games he played last season and finished with just 20 tackles and no forced fumbles, though he did recover a fumble and return it for a touchdown. The previous season, he made eight starts and finished with 29 tackles, five sacks and one forced fumble.

In addition to leading the NFL with 15.5 sacks in 2016, Beasley was tops in forced fumbles with six, which made him the most dangerous weapon on a defense that helped Atlanta reach the Super Bowl.

While he hasn't shown that type of form recently, Quinn said: "I think it's going to take really good preparation and really consistent play. So how do we get him to that? A lot of things are going to come into that. But if I didn't think that he could do it, I wouldn't [commit]. So that's our belief as an organization, to say, 'Hey, man, we believe you can get the job done.'"

The 2015 first-round pick out of Clemson is almost exclusively a pass-rusher since he doesn't play the run or defend the pass particularly well. Because of that, he is only of great value when he is pressuring the quarterback.

Beasley hasn't done that consistently over the past two seasons, but if he can recapture the spark he had in 2016, it could go a long way toward turning around an Atlanta defense that ranked 28th in yardage allowed and 25th in points allowed last season.