The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will sign Cole Beasley to their practice squad, adding the 11-year veteran to a short-handed wide receiver corps.
Cole Beasley : News | Stats | Buccaneers | Contract
Cole Dickson Beasley is an American football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL).
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | April 26, 1989 Dallas, Texas |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight: | 174 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Little Elm (Little Elm, Texas) |
| College: | SMU |
| Undrafted: | 2012 |
He played college football at Southern Methodist University and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2012.
Beasley accepted a scholarship from Southern Methodist University, where he was converted into a wide receiver, playing in 11 games with seven starts as a freshman, while finishing third on the team with 42 receptions for 366 yards and three touchdowns.
As a sophomore, Beasley started seven games, making 40 receptions (fourth on the team) for 493 yards and three touchdowns.
SMU would win the 2009 Hawaii Bowl marking their first bowl invitation since the so-called death penalty.
News
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will sign veteran wide receiver Cole Beasley to their practice squad.
Sources told ESPN, NFL Network and the Tampa Bay Times about the signing Tuesday morning. The signing comes amid a rash of injuries to Buccaneers wide receivers, a group that includes Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage.
Godwin and Jones each sat out in Week 2. Evans is suspended for Week 3 due to his involvement in a fight Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Godwin is dealing with a hamstring injury, while Jones missed Week 2 due to a knee issue. Evans led the Buccaneers with 61 yards on three catches before his ejection Sunday in New Orleans.
Breshad Perriman totaled 45 yards and a touchdown on three catches. Gage totaled a team-high five catches for 28 yards in the win.
Beasley totaled 82 catches for 693 yards and a touchdown in 16 games last season for the Buffalo Bills. The Bills released the 10-year veteran in March.
Cole Beasley stats
After setting career-highs with 82 catches and 967 yards, Beasley was named second-team All-Pro. He also scored four touchdowns.
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In the Wild Card Round game against the Indianapolis Colts, Beasley caught seven passes for 57 yards in a 27–24 victory. His seven catches led the team and was a career-high for a playoff game.
In the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Beasley recorded seven catches for 88 yards during the 38–24 road loss.
After the season, Beasley revealed he had played through the 2020 playoffs with a partially broken fibula.
In August of 2021, Beasley was placed in a COVID-19 safety protocol.
During Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans, Beasley caught seven passes for 88 yards and his first touchdown of the season in the narrow 34–31 road loss.
On December 21, 2021, Beasley was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list after testing positive for the virus.
During the 2022 offseason, Beasley was given permission to seek trade outside Buffalo. He was released by the Bills on March 17, 2022.
Cole Beasley Buccaneers
The former Bills wide receiver, 33, is being added to the Buccaneers’ practice squad, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday morning, “with the expectation he’ll be elevated to the active roster soon,” according to a source.
Beasley, who spent the past three seasons in Buffalo, is said to have been on Tom Brady’s “radar” for some time now, and that the 45-year-old quarterback “pushed” the Buccaneers to “bring in another veteran pass catcher,” per Garafolo.
In what was his final year in Buffalo, Beasley had 82 receptions for 693 yards and one touchdown during the 2021 regular season. He was released by the Bills in March, the same month he was granted permission to seek a trade.
Beasley’s tenure in Buffalo wasn’t without drama, however, as he was also vocal on social media regarding his decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Should Beasley be elevated to the active roster sooner rather than later, he could serve as an immediate asset to Brady, who has lacked some of his offensive weapons as of late.
Julio Jones was sidelined in Week 2 with a knee injury, and veteran wideout Mike Evans was ejected in Sunday’s win over the Saints after a skirmish with New Orleans cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Evans has since been suspended for one game.
The Buccaneers host the Packers on Sunday afternoon.
Contract
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have added depth to their depleted wide receiver group by agreeing to a deal with Cole Beasley.
| Contract: | 4 yr(s) / $29,000,000 |
| Signing Bonus | $6,000,000 |
| Average Salary | $7,250,000 |
| Total Guarantees | $14,400,000 |
| Guaranteed at Signing | $10,700,000 |
| Free Agent: | 2023 / UFA |
Beasley, 33, spent the previous three seasons with the Buffalo Bills after seven years in Dallas.
Utilized as a favorite underneath target of Josh Allen, Beasley racked up 80-plus catches each of the last two seasons and has been an effective slot receiver during his career.
The Bills released Beasley in March, and he went unsigned throughout the summer.
Beasley became an increasingly controversial figure last year in Buffalo because of his staunch pushback over the COVID-19 vaccine.
That stance may have played a part in his remaining on the free-agent market into the 2022 season.