Atlanta Falcons: 5 offseason needs in 2020

1. Find that elusive pass rush

After a five-year stint that featured more disappointment than success, the Falcons have decided not to bring back pass-rusher Vic Beasley. As a rookie, the eighth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft was a 16-game starter but dropped opposing quarterbacks just four times. The light seemed to go on in 2016, as he led the NFL with 15.5 sacks and a half-dozen forced fumbles while making the move from defensive end to linebacker. But the past three seasons have seen a combined 18 sacks in 46 regular-season outings.

Of course, this shortcoming doesn’t all fall on Beasley. Dating back to head coach Dan Quinn’s arrival in 2015, the Falcons have rolled up only 157 sacks in 80 regular-season games, the fourth-fewest by any team in the league over that span. This past season, the team’s top producers in this area were Beasley (8.0), defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (7.5) and end Adrian Clayborn (4.0). Simply put, it’s a pass rush that doesn’t strike a lot of fear into the opposition.

So can recently-promoted Raheem Morris make a difference here? The Falcons are in a division with Drew Brees and Cam Newton. In 2019, Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston led the league in passing yards. The new defensive coordinator must find a way to generate some more consistent heat this fall.