NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- One thing was clear for the Tennessee Titans after their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game last season: They needed to add a game-changing pass-rusher. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 294 yards, accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) and was sacked just two times for minus-2 yards.

The Titans acted quickly. They homed in early on former Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley Jr., agreeing to terms on a one-year, $9.5 million deal the day before free agency started.

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"We’re focused on moving forward with Vic [Beasley], with a skill set that we like, with a player that can run and have some speed, some explosiveness, some versatility, we believe," coach Mike Vrabel said via conference call.

Considering that Beasley was a top-10 pick, there's always going to be interest in developing him as a player. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Beasley had his best season in 2016, when he led the NFL with 15.5 sacks. His eight sacks last season marked the closest he has come to matching his breakout season as a second-year pro.

Now Beasley finds himself in a new environment where he can secure a long-term contract if he can showcase the talent that once made him one of the most promising young pass-rushers in the league.

A clean slate

Beasley was the first draft pick of Atlanta's new regime after coach Dan Quinn took over in 2015. Quinn, a former defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, spent a lot of time working with Beasley and some of the other Falcons pass-rushers. After picking up Beasley's $12.1 million fifth-year option, Atlanta made it clear that he needed to earn a contract extension.

Vic Beasley Jr. has been very productive in spurts in his NFL career. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Even though Beasley ended last season by making what GM Thomas Dimitroff called "a nice push down the stretch," with 6.5 sacks in the final eight games, the Falcons decided to sign former Los Angeles Rams pass-rusher Dante Fowler Jr. to a three-year, $45 million deal rather than bringing Beasley back.

Now Beasley will get to work with another hands-on coach in Vrabel. Whatever it was that didn't work for Beasley in Atlanta is water under the bridge for the Titans.

"I’m not going to comment on what was done or what wasn’t done in Atlanta," Vrabel said. "Our job is to have the vision for the player and coach him and hold him to a standard that’s expected of our players. That’s what I’ll do, that’s what [outside linebackers coach] Shane [Bowen] will do, that’s what [defensive assistant] Matt Edwards will do. There will be a lot of people involved in helping him continue to develop and try to find a role for us and ultimately help us win."

Titans GM Jon Robinson said the team believed Beasley's ability to rush the passer off the edge was something they could build on, especially with Vrabel and the coaching staff.

"I think our head coach played 12, 13, 14, 15 years at that position, and he’s got a wealth of knowledge at that position," Robinson said via conference call. "I just think that he can work with Vic ... and hopefully take his game to another level."

The goal is clear: to find a way to get Beasley to play consistently.

Why so streaky?

Robinson acknowledged that Beasley plays hard and has some good snaps on tape. But Robinson also said that there are snaps on which he's sure Beasley would like to be better. Beasley has the combination of strength and fast-twitch ability to create speed-to-power situations that should disrupt opposing offenses. His ability to get a jump on the ball consistently puts him at an advantage against offensive linemen.

The gap between his statistically impactful seasons (2016 and 2020) is an example of streaky play from Beasley. Former Falcons and Carolina Panthers defensive end Chuck Smith has seen all of Beasley's snaps as a pro. He offered his take on Beasley to ESPN.

"He has the potential to be a consistently good pass-rusher," Smith said. "Here's the key: If he puts in the work and learns a signature pass-rush move and counter, the sky is the limit."

In addition to developing a signature move, Beasley needs to believe what he sees so he can aggressively make plays more often. Beasley pointed to not second-guessing things as a reason for his surge in the second half of last season.

"A lot of times, as defensive players, we’ll know a look, but we’ll second-guess it and then put ourselves in a bind by doing that," he said in December. "But when you see something, it’s kind of like taking a gamble. A lot of times, that’s what I’ve done this second half: took my chance, took my shot, and it came to life for me."

Expect to see Beasley used on a series of stunts to give him another way to make an impact on the quarterback.

Run-game liability?

One area of concern with Beasley is run defense. According to Next Gen Stats, Beasley’s run stuff rate last season was 3.4%, which ranked 32nd out of 84 edge defenders with at least 200 run snaps. It’s worth adding that San Francisco 49ers defenders Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, along with Fowler, had the same rate.

The Falcons gave up an average of 5.5 yards per rush on runs outside the tackles from 2015 to '19 with Beasley on the field, which ranked 29th in that span. Obviously, all of that is not on Beasley. However, to be a more effective run-stopper, he needs to better set the edge to funnel runs back inside. There are times when tackles are able to seal the edge, allowing ball carriers to bounce runs outside for more yards. Avoiding those situations should be a focal point for Vrabel and Bowen when they’re working with the outside linebackers during individual periods in practice.

Mike Vrabel spent a lot of one on one time with #Titans rookie OLB D'Andre Walker during practice today. pic.twitter.com/mGrUnXBt2U — TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) May 11, 2019

Additional help on the way

There is little doubt that Beasley will help the Titans' pass rush. More help could be on the way, though. The Titans have been connected to multiple pass-rusher prospects in the draft. This year's group of pass-rushers is not as deep as at other positions, but prospects such as Alabama's Terrell Lewis will likely be available to the Titans at No. 29.

A torn elbow ligament in 2017 and a torn ACL in 2018 caused Lewis to miss a combined 25 games. At 6-foot-5, 262 pounds, Lewis' length coming off the edge, along with his ability to snatch offensive linemen, would complement the speed rushers who are already in Tennessee.

The Titans have been in touch with Jadeveon Clowney's agents and are continuing to monitor his situation. Clowney's asking price appears to still be too high, but a deal could become more reasonable after the draft.