Falcons LB played with pain, like rookie

Sacks leader ready to teach first-round pick McKinley tricks of trade.

Atlanta sacks leader Vic Beasley (left) is ready to teach first-round pick Takkarist McKinley some tricks of the trade.

Vic Beasley FLOWERY BRANCH — knows about the pain of playing with a shoulder injury.

The Falcons’ third-year linebacker played his last season at Clemson and his rookie season in the NFL with a torn labrum.

Beasley has some advice for Falcons rookie Takkarist McKinley, who’s coming off major shoulder surgery in March.

“It was a tough situation, but I didn’t let that keep me back,” Beasley said Tuesday. “Obviously, I played with it in college and throughout my first year. I think it’s a mental thing. For me, I didn’t do surgery on it. I just rehabbed it, and I really haven’t had a problem with it.”

McKinley said he played his final two seasons at UCLA with a torn labrum and fractured socket. He underwent surgery in early March

to repair a torn right labrum and glenoid fracture. At the combine, McKinley said the recovery time was four to six months.

McKinley could start the season on the non-football injured list and possibly play with a harness when he’s recovered.

“Sometimes, I wore a harness and sometimes I didn’t because I felt it limited the mobility of my arms,” Beasley said. “But it’s all a choice of how you feel.”

Beasley had four sacks as a rookie before breaking out with 15.5 last season, which led the league. The Falcons hope that McKinley and Beasley can be book-end pass rushers in their nickel defense.

“I’m very excited about Takk coming in here,” Beasley said. “I think he’s a great addition to our organization and our defense as a whole. I’m excited to get to work with him, and I look forward to it.”

The laid-back Beasley, who chills out by listening to country music, is the polar opposite of the emotional McKinley, who plastered the live airwaves with an F-bomb on draft night.

Beasley says they’ll blend together just fine.

“It will be pretty cool,” Beasley said. “He’s a very emotional guy from what I see from the draft. I’m excited to see him here and be able to work with him. I think we’ll clash pretty well.”

Beasley figures he’s ready to take McKinley under his wing after studying future Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney’s every move last season.

“I kind of embrace it,” Beasley said. “I knew this day would come as I continue to prepare as a player and try to become better as a player. Then having Dwight last year mentor me will definitely help me become a better mentor to this team.”

Beasley already has his message ready for McKinley.

“Just come in and work very hard,” Beasley said. “Be on time for meetings. ... My main focus is to be a mentor for him. I’ll lead by example, and hopefully he’ll follow my footsteps and see me as a mentor and then just become a better player by watching me.”

Beasley led the team with 16.5 hits and 33.5 hurries. With his sacks, he affected the quarterback on 65.5 plays. He believes that he’ll continue to improve.

“I kind of critique myself,” Beasley said. “I have to do a better job of play recognition. I feel like a lot of times I ran past the quarterback a lot instead of being up in his face. I want to work on that this offseason to create even more pressure.”

Down-and-distance awareness is a factor when rushing the passer, too.

“You have to be wise to the situation,” Beasley said. “The down and the situation. Is it third-and-long or third-andshort? You don’t want to be behind the quarterback on third-and-short because he can easily go up the field and get the first down.”

Beasley didn’t want to project how many sacks he can get in 2017.

“Those will come,” Beasley said. “I’ll just focus on becoming a better player and being a leader for my team.”

After his banner season, Beasley knows that stopping him will be a part of most team’s game plans in 2017.

“I’m going to get more attention as a pass rusher, but we’ve got guys who can help me out,” Beasley said. “The guys up front like Grady ( Jarrett) and RaShede (Hageman) and the additions of ( Jack Crawford), Takk and (Dontari) Poe. We’ve got great additions up front. I look forward to getting on the field in OTAs. Right now, we are just focusing on becoming better players.”

CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM Falcons pass rusher Vic Beasley Jr. played through a torn shoulder labrum during his final season at Clemson and rookie year in Atlanta, but was able to avoid surgery.

Falcons’ No. 1 pick Takkarist McKinley had shoulder surgery after the combine.

JOE ROBBINS / GETTY IMAGES Takkarist McKinley played his final two seasons at UCLA with shoulder injuries, but was able to get through defensive line drills at the scouting combine.