Chicago Bears: Should the team trade for Vic Beasley?

With Vic Beasley reportedly on the trade block, should the Chicago Bears consider making a deal?

The Chicago Bears entered the season and appeared to be set at the edge rusher position. Obviously, on one side, they have All-Pro, future Hall of Famer Khalil Mack who is signed through 2024. On the other side, the Bears have Leonard Floyd.

The former top-10 pick got off to an extremely slow start to his Bears’ career but seemed to pick it up towards the end of last season after fully recovering from a hand injury that hampered him for part of the year.

His performance was enough for the Bears to feel comfortable exercising his fifth-year option for around $13.2 million. Another reason the Bears felt good about exercising the option for 2020 was the expectation that he would continue to develop alongside Mack and reach the potential that led the Bears to select him so high.

Unfortunately, Floyd has underwhelmed this season. With Mack drawing double and triple teams, you’d think Floyd would be flourishing — but he’s not. He has not come close to making the kind of impact the team was expecting.

Another former top-10 pick who has not reached his full potential is Vic Beasley, the edge rusher out of Clemson University, now with the Atlanta Falcons. Currently in his fifth-year option, Beasley finds himself on the trade block per a recent report.

Much like Floyd, the Falcons had high hopes for Beasley and exercised his option, but also like Floyd, Beasley hasn’t lived up to expectations. However, the team feels a change of scenery will do Beasley good and are looking to shop him.

Might it make sense for the Bears to kick the tires? Well, this all depends on what it would cost, but assuming the price is reasonable, they should certainly put a call into the Falcons.

For starters, Beasley, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, could likely be re-signed for less than the $13.2 they have earmarked for Floyd. And Floyd’s deal is guaranteed only for injury, so they could still part ways with him without incurring the cost.

As for talent, Beasley certainly has it, just like Floyd, but hasn’t realized it fully yet. However, what is cause for more optimism that he’ll realize it before Floyd, is that Beasley has flashed the potential.

In 2016, Beasley recorded 15.5 sacks. Floyd hasn’t sniffed a season that good so far. In fact, in his career, Floyd has only 17.5 sacks (two more than Beasley had in one season). Part of the reason for the low total has been Floyd’s injury history. While Floyd has missed 10 games in just over three years, Beasley has missed just two in four-plus.

Perhaps Chuck Pagano can unlock that potential that saw him dominate in 2016. If so, the Bears should at the very least, check-in on the price for him.