Tag: Cole Beasley

Former Bills WR Cole Beasley finds home with Buccaneers

Former #Bills WR Cole Beasley finds home with #Buccaneers:

Cole Beasley is officially back in the NFL.

On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed the veteran receiver to their practice squad.

According to Bucs Wire, Beasley is unlikely to spend much time on the PS. He’ll be brought up to the active roster in due time, potentially as soon as their upcoming contest against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3.

In March, Buffalo released Beasley. The 33-year-old requested to be traded by the Bills prior to that.

Early in the offseason, general manager Brandon Beane had stated that he would welcome Beasley back in the fold next season despite him being an obvious cut candidate.

Beasley’s cap hit stayed around the same as it was last season ($7.5 million) in his contract with the Bills, but his dead cap hit dropped from $8.4M to $1.5M, per Spotrac.

Last year, Beasley had 82 catches for 693 yards with one touchdown. The season prior he also had 82 grabs but the rest of his numbers were better: 967 yards and four TDs.

The Bucs bring Beasley on board as an option for quarterback Tom Brady following a slew of injuries Tampa has had at the receiver position. Additionally, wideout Mike Evans was suspended for one game.

Reports as recent as July had indicated there was “significant interest” in Beasley. Despite that, he remained a free agent until now.

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Ex-Cowboys WR Cole Beasley to sign with Buccaneers in return to NFC

The Dallas native and SMU product was a fan favorite in his seven season with the Cowboys; Tom Brady actively pursued him to join the Bucs. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Former Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley is signing with a new team. Though some within the fanbase had hoped for a reunion with the Dallas native and onetime SMU star- and he himself suggested one- he’ll instead join forces with another receiver-needy club for his 11th NFL season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding Beasley to their practice squad, according to multiple reports, with the expectation that he’ll move up to the active roster in very short order. The Bucs have several injuries at the position- Julio Jones and Chris Godwin sat out the team’s Week 2 game in New Orleans, and Mike Evans is currently facing a one-game suspension for his role in a fight during that 20-10 Tampa Bay win.

Beasley will suit up in red and pewter at the personal urging of Bucs quarterback Tom Brady, who had reportedly been in regular contact with the 33-year-old free agent.

Beasley was released by the Bills in March after three seasons in Buffalo.

An undrafted prospect in 2012, the 5-foot-8-inch Beasley was signed by Dallas, but nearly quit football just as his first training camp began. He changed his mind and returned to the team, going on to not only make the final roster, but eventually see action in 10 games as a rookie.

Beasley quickly became a fan favorite and tallied 319 receptions and 3,217 yards over seven seasons with the Cowboys, scoring 23 touchdowns along the way.

Among his most memorable Cowboys moments was his game-winning grab in the back of the end zone to beat the Giants in the 2018 regular-season finale. It would be his last touchdown with the team; he signed with Buffalo two months later.

Beasley added another 231 catches, 2,438 yards, and 11 touchdowns in his three years with the Bills.

Despite going scorched-earth with critical comments made about the Cowboys organization after first joining the Bills, Beasley tweeted over this past summer that he would welcome the chance to play once again with Dak Prescott. But his earlier trash talk and controversial soapbox stance on the NFL’s COVID vaccination policies made such a reunion unlikely, despite the Cowboys finding themselves thin at wide receiver as they headed into 2022.

Of his signing by Tampa Bay, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo said in a Tuesday tweet, “Tom Brady pushed to bring in another veteran pass catcher and has had Beasley on his radar for a while.”

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Bucs sign WR Cole Beasley to practice squad

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are signing veteran wide receiver Cole Beasley to their practice squad

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding another veteran pass-catcher, adding wide receiver Cole Beasley to their practice squad, per multiple reports.

Beasley was most recently with the Buffalo Bills, and has been one of the league’s most reliable slot receivers over the past few seasons.

With injuries mounting at the position, and Mike Evans suspended for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, adding an experienced receiver to the mix makes plenty of sense.

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Cole Beasley on Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie: ‘He’s gonna do big things’

Isaiah McKenzie might be replacing Cole Beasley, but Bease might be his #1 fan too:

Cole Beasley has some feelings about the Buffalo Bills.

None of those translate to the way he feels about his former teammates and fans, though.

After writing on his social media account on Twitter this week that he “wont’ regret” his departure from the team, Beasley did compliment both players and Bills Mafia.

The 33-year-old wrote multiple messages , including: I’m going to miss the crowd for sure” and “the most fun I’ve ever had playing football was in Buffalo.”

Specifically, Beasley noted one teammate in particular as well. It also might be the player that will replace Beasley in the lineup: Isaiah McKenzie.

During his series of posts on his Twitter account one fan suggested Beasley was “ran” out of town by McKenzie, who is having a solid 2022 training camp. Beasley initially laughed, but was blunt in saying he thinks McKenzie is going to have good things ahead of him:

While optics might suggest Beasley would dislike his potential replacement, that could not be further from the truth. Nor is it surprising.

Soon after Beasley was released, Buffalo teammates sent him encouragement via social media. McKenzie was amongst them, and he’s also touted his appreciation for Beasley on numerous occasions.

Nonetheless, even if Beasley is long gone, Buffalo will hope he’s right about one thing: McKenzie moving forward.

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Cole Beasley speaks on Bills departure: ‘I won’t regret leaving’

Cole Beasley speaks on his departure from the #Bills & how much he appreciates #BillsMafia still:

Cole Beasley and the Buffalo Bills split back in March. He was released after requesting a trade.

The team did save against the salary cap in letting him go, however, general manager Brandon Beane did express a desire to bring Beasley back. That did not happen.

For the first time since becoming a free agent, Beasley has spoken his mind on the Bills. There was both positive and negative, similar to his career in Buffalo.

Beasley, taking to his social media account on Twitter, had plenty of good to say about Bills fans.

The 33-year-old wrote multiple messages on Bills Mafia, including: I’m going to miss the crowd for sure” and “the most fun I’ve ever had playing football was in Buffalo.”

The receiver said he felt “things changed” regarding the club, though. His message can be found below:

On the field, Beasley was productive throughout his time in Buffalo. He was named a second-team, All-Pro in 2020 and nearly surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career.

Off the field, things drastically changed for Beasley once COVID-19 and vaccinations became a hot-button topic. Regardless of stance, most would hope such a situation could remain behind closed doors which did not occur.

Beasley currently remains a free agent and it’s clear at this point he won’t be returning to the Bills. Time will tell if he ends up on a roster as reports suggested on July 26 he’s waiting for the right opportunity.

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Why the Texans may need to turn to Cole Beasley to solve their slot WR issues

If the Houston Texans need a reliable veteran to solve their slot WR issues, @johnhcrumpler believes @bease11 (Cole Beasley) is a viable option.

There is a renewed sense of optimism surrounding the Houston Texans’ offense. Second year quarterback Davis Mills has drawn praise from all levels of the organization and is coming off a five-game stretch to end the 2021 campaign where he looked like a legitimate NFL quarterback. NFL analyst Greg Cosell went as far to say that Mills looked “far more talented” than former San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Meanwhile, the comments around new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton are equally glowing. Those in the locker room praise his communication skills, the simplicity of the scheme, and just how strong of a coach he appears to be. He’s established a fast connection with his quarterback and the rest of the locker room following his promotion this off-season from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. Hamilton is on the radar for many as a potential coaching candidate during the 2023 offseason cycle.

There is one glaring cause for pause amongst the immense encouragement those two bring together to Houston’s offense.

Outside of Brandin Cooks, now playing on a new three-year extension, the Texans lack any guaranteed NFL playmaker on their offense.

Second-year wideout Nico Collins and second-year tight end Brevin Jordan are hoped to take huge steps forward this year but neither is a guarantee. Wideouts Phillip Dorsett and Chris Conley fall firmly in the “retread” category more so than the “future” category and the running back room is headlined by fourth round rookie Dameon Pierce and Marlon Mack, who is still trying to revitalize his career following a Week 1 Achilles tear in the 2020 season.

To alleviate this burden, general manager Nick Caserio had parted with significant draft capital to acquire Alabama wide receiver John Metchie. Unfortunately, Metchie’s plans for the 2022 season came to a screeching halt last week with his diagnosis of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. Suddenly, Houston’s plan to have a dynamic slot receiver to help alleviate the burden from Cooks has been torn to shreds.

This issue came to a headway at Houston training camp last week as Mills was forced to checkdown time and again as his receivers struggled to get open.

It raises an important question: should Houston explore the veteran market to fill that new void? One name in particular in free agency stands out as one of the NFL’s best slot receivers from the past 3 seasons.

Former Buffalo Bill and Dallas Cowboy, Cole Beasley.

Beasley is fresh off three seasons in Buffalo where he had over 690 yards in each campaign and at least 67 receptions. He was targeted by Josh Allen over 100 times in 2019, 2020, and 2021 while helping the Bills’ young signal caller evolve from a project quarterback into one of the NFL’s truly elite players.

Alongside the sheer volume, the numbers point to a receiver that truly served as a security blanket for Allen. Beasley was responsible for a first down on 53 of his 82 catches in 2020. That number went down to 34 first downs on 82 receptions in 2021 as Allen grew more comfortable but that points to a specific idea.

Beasley is a crafty slot receiver who excels in finding space and creating comfortable passing lanes and checkdowns for his quarterbacks. He had only 13 dropped passes over his three seasons on 325 targets. Beasley is the type of veteran receiver who not only represents someone that a young quarterback can trust but also betters the offense by virtue of his own ability to get open.

Why couldn’t Beasley play this role again for Mills?

Signing Beasley this early into training camp would still allow plenty of time for the veteran receiver to establish rapport with his young quarterback and to learn Hamilton’s new offense alongside everyone else. He would also be able to mentor and teach some of the younger potential slot receivers on the roster like Chris Moore and Damion Davis.

Beasley does come with off-field controversy. The former SMU Mustang was outspoken on his refusal to take the COVID vaccine. For the time being, it appears this particular distraction is not going to be present in the NFL for 2022.

Houston may believe that his personality is too disruptive or that he could upset the chemistry that they’ve worked so hard to build over the past six months. If they’re willing to take the swing though, it could pay huge dividends.

Beasley could provide a reliable weapon for Mills while hopefully drawing attention away from Collins and Cooks.

The options this late in the offseason are always limited. For a team that needs a slot receiver suddenly, Beasley may be as good as they ever come in August.

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Report: Former Bills WR Cole Beasley drawing ‘significant interest’

Report: Former #Bills WR Cole Beasley drawing ‘significant interest’ around NFL:

There is one former Buffalo Bills player who previously played a big role in the team’s successes that is still currently a free agent: receiver Cole Beasley.

However, that could soon change.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo on Tuesday, there is said to be “significant interest” in the 33-year-old from teams around the league.

The reason why he Beasley remains unsigned resides with the player himself. That is split into two parts.

Reportedly Beasley wants to find the right “fit.” Beyond that, he also wants to get paid as he allegedly will not sign for the veteran minimum.

The Bills released Beasley back in March. While the team did express interest in keeping him, Beasley ended up becoming a bit of a lightning rod for attention once the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. He started to heavily express his opinions relating to it and eventually a breakup appeared inevitable.

With the Bills, Beasley recorded 231 catches for 2,438 yards and 11 touchdowns in three seasons. He was named a second-team All-Pro selection in 2020.

With the New York Giants hiring Brian Daboll and Joe Scheon, former Bills staffers now with the Giants, Big Blue was named a potential suitor for Beasley. Nothing concrete was said to be there just yet.

For more on the latest regarding Beasley, check out the NFL Network clip below:

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Titans named ‘best fit’ for free-agent WR Cole Beasley

ESPN recently named the Titans as the best fit for free-agent WR Cole Beasley.

With wide receiver Julio Jones’ release now official, the Tennessee Titans freed up approximately $9.5 million in salary cap space. Per Over The Cap, the Titans have $13.5 million in total cap space to work with heading into the 2022 season.

Given the remaining holes on the roster along the offensive line and at the wide receiver position, general manager Jon Robinson has the opportunity to add to his roster.

The Titans acquired wide receiver Robert Woods from the Los Angeles Rams, but with Jones and A.J. Brown now gone, another veteran wideout makes a lot of sense.

According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, the Titans are the best fit for free-agent wide receiver Cole Beasley.

The Titans drafted Treylon Burks to replace A.J. Brown in their offense, and veteran Robert Woods is a good fit here given the in-breaking cuts we see in the team’s pass game. But Beasley would add a different element in 11 personnel sets, where the Titans need a boost in the dropback pass game on third down. He can shake coverage on crossers and option routes to give quarterback Ryan Tannehill a dependable second-level target when throwing from the pocket. Tennessee definitely needs some help here after ranking 27th in expected points added on third-down dropbacks last season.

Beasley, 33, is coming off an 82-catch, 693-yard season with the Buffalo Bills. He played in all 16 games, including eight starts, lining up primarily as the slot receiver.

However, the Titans already have two slot receivers in rookies Kyle Philips and first-round pick Treylon Burks, who lined up out wide on just 24 percent of Arkansas’s offensive snaps in 2021 (Pro Football Focus). Burks figures to end up on the outside for the long term, but the Titans could deploy him out of the slot in Year 1 to make his transition to the NFL easier.

Another veteran wide receiver capable of lining up outside would make more sense than signing Beasley. Two names come to mind: Odell Beckham Jr. and Will Fuller.

The latter is recovering from ACL surgery and is not expected to be ready until early November, which doesn’t help the Titans, who need an immediate solution.

There is also the concern about whether Beckham would be 100 percent when he returns, as the Titans have learned from recent ACL recoveries with both left tackle Taylor Lewan and outside linebacker Bud Dupree.

Woods also continues to work his way back from ACL surgery, and he has been limited in Organized Team Activities (OTAs).

Fuller would give the Titans a legitimate speed threat on the outside to take the top off opposing defenses, and he already has a connection to Tennessee through his former offensive coordinator and current Titans passing game coordinator, Tim Kelly.

But Full has yet to prove that he can stay healthy. The former Houston Texan has not played a full campaign in six NFL seasons and was limited to just two games in 2021 due to a broken thumb that ended his year early.

The good news is the Titans can likely get him for a reasonable price at this late stage in free agency, thus he’ll be worth the risk for a team desperately in need at the receiver position.

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5 Remaining free agents that just make sense for the Lions

The free agent market isn’t strong but there are still some players out there who might help Detroit

As the 2022 NFL draft has passed us by, and the early stages of free agency are in the rearview mirror, remaining free agents will be awaiting calls from a slew of teams, now that they don’t account into the 2023 compensatory pick formula, post-draft.

The Detroit Lions had a sneaky excellent offseason that should make them a much-improved team in 2022. Take a look at the additions the Detroit Lions made through the NFL Draft and Free Agency (excluding UDFAs)

2022 Additions: DJ Chark, Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, DeShon Elliot, Mike Huges, Garrett Griffin, Chris Board, Joshua Paschal, Kerby Joseph, James Mitchell, Malcolm Rodriguez, James Houston, and Chase Lucas

But with all of this behind us, there are still some talented veteran free agents on the market. Here’s a look at some of the better fits for this roster, and why they just make too much sense. Detroit still struggles to attract big-name free agents, but in 2022, with this improved roster, we may finally see people wanting to become a part of One Pride.

What the Bills still need heading into the 2022 NFL Draft

What the #Bills still need heading into the 2022 NFL Draft:

With the 2022 NFL Draft only a couple of weeks away, the Bills are in a position to draft for roster strength.

GM Brandon Beane has set the team up ahead of this month’s NFL Draft to take the best players available when Buffalo is on the clock.

Even after a successful offseason of adding talent, there are still there are some areas Buffalo could address on the days of the draft.

The team has nine picks in rounds one through seven, including two sixth-rounders, and they’re slated to pick at positions number 25, 57, 89, 130, 168, 185, 203, and 231.

With that, here are some of the positions we might see the Bills add to with their selections in the 2022 NFL Draft: