Getty Former Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley at State Farm Stadium on November 15, 2020.
Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley will be playing for a different team this season, but he’s not exactly starting from scratch with the New York Giants.
The move isn’t a huge surprise, given the mass exodus of former Bills players to the Meadowlands ever since Brian Daboll, Buffalo’s former offensive coordinator, took over as head coach last offseason. Still, the Giants have been trying to land Beasley for a while, according to general Joe Schoen, who was in the Bills’ front office from 2017 to 2021.
“We tried to get him here a couple of times, and it just didn’t work out for various reasons, but we’re excited to have him here [now],” Schoen told The Buffalo News in a story published August 2. “I knew he still wanted to play. He worked out for us and looked good so we signed him.”
Tyler Greenawalt of Yahoo Sports called Beasley nothing more than an “experienced camp body,” and The Athletic wrote, “He’s got his work cut out for him” in order to carve out a spot on the 53-man roster.
But Schoen said he believed it would be “an easy transition for (Beasley) – he knows the offense and knows what we’re looking for,” he said. While Beasley faces heavy competition in the Giants receivers room, he’s not there to be a mere benchwarmer. And Beasley, 34, said he planned to prove that during training camp.
We have signed WR Cole Beasley ‼️
“I really wanted to get my feet under me and get a chance to get into a camp and show what I can do and be utilized a little more,” he said. Beasley turned down the opportunity to play with the Giants last season; now, he said, he feels confident that signing with the Bills was the right move for him. “I already know the offense and I know what [Daboll] is about, and I know what the culture is about. I knew I would have a good time playing football here.”
I kinda feel like Cole Beasley can win a roster spot…
Beasley had told The Buffalo News in January that he’d “definitely” return for another season with the Bills should he receive an offer, but that didn’t happen. “They had moved on. I kind of figured that when they drafted [Dalton] Kincaid,” he said. “I talked to [Bills general manager Brandon] Beane once, but it wasn’t about coming back, just [telling me] to let him know if I needed anything.”
Beasley signed a one-year, $1.16 million contract with the Giants, which includes zero guaranteed money, per Over the Cap.
“We thought we’d add competition to the spot,” Daboll said of adding Beasley during a press conference on July 27. “He’s been in our system, smart player, he’s crafty. He’s played a long time in this league, so I think when you have a veteran in a room, any room, I think younger players can ask them questions and learn from some of the stuff that they’ve been through.”
Cole Beasley Said He Never Wanted to Retire Last Season
Cole Beasley TD in 7 on 7
After getting released by the Bills last offseason, Beasley appeared in two games with Tampa Bay Buccaneers before announcing his retirement from the NFL. Beasley told The Buffalo News, “I wanted to keep playing last year. When I went to Tampa, I thought the situation would be a little different than it was – I thought (Chris) Godwin was going to be out a little longer (with his Week 1 hamstring injury) and he literally came back the week after I signed there.
“That threw a wrench into the things and I retired because I wanted to get out of there, not because I wanted to retire. Last year didn’t happen like I wanted it to.”
After a slew of Bills’ receivers failed to deliver in the slot last season, Beasley came out of retirement to sign with the team’s practice squad in December. Buffalo eventually elevated him to the active roster and during the playoffs, he recorded nine receptions for 68 yards and one touchdown.
In 2019, Beasley recorded 67 receptions for 778 yards and six touchdowns. In 2020, he tallied 82 catches for 967 yards with four touchdowns. During the 2021 NFL season, Beasley once again caught 82 receptions, but for 693 yards and only one touchdown. His yards per catch (8.45) was the worst of his career.
Despite the Controversy, Cole Beasley Looks Back Fondly on His Time With the Bills
Even though Beasley has detailed his misgivings with the Bills organization, he’s at peace looking back at his time with the franchise.
“The whole Buffalo experience was awesome,” he said. “That first year (2019), it brought back the love of football for me. Dallas was a little different – Buffalo is more about football and less distractions. It got me back to where I needed to be mentally… So many good times. Won a lot of games. Got further in the playoffs than I ever had. Definitely a good time and having a quarterback as good as Josh (Allen) didn’t hurt. I had a lot of fun playing in that offense.”