Getty Wide receiver Cole Beasley, formerly of the Buffalo Bills.
The Buffalo Bills are getting the gang back together.
NFL insider Mike Garofolo reported on December 13 that former wide receiver Cole Beasley was coming out of retirement to re-sign with the Bills’ practice squad. Beasley had been the team’s top slot receiver for the previous three seasons but left the team after requesting a trade in the last offseason.
“A reunion in Buffalo: WR Cole Beasley is coming out of retirement and expected to sign with the #Bills’ practice squad, sources say,” Garofolo reported. “After a brief stint with the #Buccaneers earlier this season, Beasley returns to Orchard Park to provide Josh Allen with another trusted target.”
Beasley Back With Bills
The Bills had yet to officially confirm Beasley’s return, but when completed the 33-year-old would add some veteran depth to a wide receiving corps that has been hit with injuries. Jamison Crowder, the veteran slated as a top slot receiver going into the season, has been out since being placed on the injured reserve in September. Jake Kumerow has also been placed on injured reserve.
Beasley was a key factor in the Bills turning the corner in Josh Allen’s second season. He became a steady slot target, making 231 catches for 2,438 yards and with 11 touchdowns in 46 career games across three seasons.
A reunion in Buffalo: WR Cole Beasley is coming out of retirement and expected to sign with the #Bills’ practice squad, sources say. After a brief stint with the #Buccaneers earlier this season, Beasley returns to Orchard Park to provide Josh Allen with another trusted target.
Beasley asked the team for a trade in the last offseason and was released in March when the Bills could not find a partner. He briefly signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, appearing in two games and making four catches for 17 yards, before leaving the team and announcing his retirement.
Before leaving the Buccaneers, Beasley had repeatedly insisted that he still had a lot left to contribute this season.
“All these ‘unemployed’ jokes like I don’t have the skill anymore,” Beasley tweeted in August. “You don’t go from drawing double teams in the playoffs to not having it anymore within a few months. I still grabbed 80 catches with 3 broken ribs for half of them. No games missed. Don’t get it twisted.”
Beasley may not stay on the practice squad for long. Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports noted that he will likely take a high role on the depth chart behind No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Boosting Wide Receiving Corps
The Bills have already brought back another top wide receiver to bolster their wide receiving corps. In late November, the team signed wide receiver John Brown to the practice squad. Brown was the top wide receiver in Allen’s second season, leading the team in 2019 with 1,060 yards and six touchdowns.
Brown has played an immediate role, being elevated from the practice squad in each of the team’s last two games, wins over the New England Patriots and New York Jets. The Bills face the Miami Dolphins on Saturday in a game that could help the Bills take a stranglehold on the AFC East with a win.