Beasley, NFL elites gather at Miller's "pass rush summit"

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Vic Beasley was one of several NFL elite pass rushers to attend a pass rush summit June 29 at Stanford University.

This was more than just a collection of guys getting together for a workout. The miniature mini-camp hosted by the Denver Broncos Von Miller was an invitation only event and it included many of the league’s best.

Among the NFL stars in attendance were defensive ends Cliff Avril and Cassius Marsh of Seattle. Also present were outside linebackers Khalil Mack (Oakland), Olivier Vernon (NY Giants), Arik Armstead (San Francisco), and Shane Ray (Denver). Dallas defensive end Damontre Moore participated as did Falcons' former All-Pro Chuck Smith, Jacksonville defensive lineman Malik Jackson, and 49ers defensive end Solomon Thomas.

The attending players gathered to share their knowledge and to sharpen skills. The players at this elite level know that subtle changes they pick up and obtaining intricate expertise can be just enough to separate themselves from the remainder of players at their positions.

Beasley (15.5) and Miller (13.5) were the top two NFL sack leaders in the 2016 season and talked about developing a summit last January. Last week, they made the gathering happen.

Richard Smith, who coached Miller at Denver and was Beasley’s defensive coordinator in Atlanta, apparently helped solidify the link between the two pass rush stars. Smith has now moved on to the Los Angeles Chargers as a linebackers coach.