Getty Cole Beasley walks off the field after a game against the Arizona Cardinals.
One of the top wide receivers for the Buffalo Bills last season could be headed to an early exit from the team, an insider speculates.
The Bills came into the current season with relatively few holes after having spent the offseason re-signing key players and addressing some needs — namely pass-rushing — through the draft. But heading into this year’s trade deadline, one report indicates that the team could be ready to ship out a former top target for Josh Allen who has seen his production drop this season.
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Receiver’s Production Drops
After making a career-best 11 catches against the Washington Football Team on Sept. 26, Cole Beasley has seen a dramatic drop in production. He has made just three catches on four targets over the last two weeks, totaling 21 yards. Beasley has not caught a touchdown this year, seeing other pass-catchers surpass him as preferred targets for Allen. That includes newcomer Emmanuel Sanders, who has 19 catches for 322 yards and four touchdowns. Tight end Dawson Knox is also having a breakout season, making 18 catches for 261 yards and five touchdowns this year.
As Nick Fierro of SI.com’s Bills Central speculated, Beasley could be redundant and potentially expendable for the Bills at the trade deadline.
“But if the Bills continue to win big without Beasley involved, it shouldn’t come as a shock if he’s dealt by the NFL’s trade deadline on Nov. 2,” he wrote.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott explained that there is nothing wrong with Beasley’s performance this year, but gameplans and the fact that there are so many weapons on offense means there are bound to be weeks when his production is lower.
“He’s a pro,” McDermott said on Oct. 14 via video conference. “It’s hard when you don’t get the football. And I get that. There’s only one football to go around, and sometimes it’s not just one game, it’s two games, it’s three games and how are you going to react?”
What’s going on with Cole Beasley? For starters, there are a lot of mouths to feed in Buffalo high-octane offense.
Stefon Diggs setting the tone in WR room: “We got to do what we got to do to win.” That may be low target share sometimes.
As last season showed, Beasley remains one of the best slot receivers in the NFL and could be a worthwhile addition for another team at the trade deadline.
Bills Offense Rolling
While Beasley may be taking a back seat, the offense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders. The team has a four-game winning streak thanks largely to an offense that has been unstoppable at times, scoring a league-best 34.3 points per game while the defense is also leading the league with just 12.8 points given up each game. The team’s 172 points scored is a new franchise record through the first five games of a season, USA Today’s Bills Wire noted.
The Bills are simply on another level right now.
12.8 PPG Allowed (1st in NFL)
34.4 PPG Scored (1st in NFL)
15 Takeaways (1st in NFL)
The four-game winning streak included a resounding, 38-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs that McDermott said was a good sign for the season.
“I think more than anything, it’s a step in the right direction,” McDermott said Monday, via The Buffalo News. “They’re a good football team. You know, we’re trying to continue to grow and become a good football team. To see the contributions that were made from everyone, in particular, a couple of the young players in that game that are new to our team this year, that we acquired via the draft, is a good sign. It doesn’t mean we’re where we need to be, right? But it is a good sign at this early stage of the season.”
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