Good move on the team's part. They get a qualified overall manager (Beard has done that as long ago as when he built Joe Gibbs' drag race team), have a very good crew chief waiting in the wings, in case things do not go well with the present ones in the DSR fold, who will know their set ups and procedures (insures a rapid transition if a change happens),...and....
keeps him from working on other cars that race against DSR
Walter - a very good point. I'm sure there was some wiggle room in DSR's payroll after AJ left! -