Beason Fantasy Ranking

There were very high expectations for Beason coming into this season. Maybe a little too high. It was certainly reasonable to expect Beason to be an elite fantasy linebacker. He had 104 solo tackles as a rookie, 77 of them over the 11 games after he moved to the MIKE. But while Beason has improved going from Year 1 to Year 2, his numbers have suffered the negative consequences of Carolina's improved offense. With the Panthers controlling the ball more effectively because of their improved running game, that has translated into fewer seconds on the field for Beason. And Carolina is no longer a lock to fall behind like last season, when David Carr was imitating a professional quarterback for a good chunk of the year. Last season, teams were consistently running the ball in the second half against the Panthers, and often running right into Beason. So while another 100-tackle season is likely (Beason has 27 through four games), a jump to that Patrick Willis-stratosphere is unlikely.

(cnnsi.com)