Getty Former Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley (R) celebrates a touchdown with Stefon Diggs (L) at State Farm Stadium on November 15, 2020.
Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley is once again a free agent this offseason, however, the outspoken veteran, who turns 34 tomorrow, remains as confident as ever in his talent and what he could provide should the team bring him back.
Beasley sounded off on Twitter on Monday, April 24, about how he’d be “the best slot” receiver on the Bills “by a long shot” if he were to return to Buffalo for the 2023 NFL season, which turned some heads on the social media app. Beasley added, “If I’m there for a whole training camp you wouldn’t find anybody better…”
While fans had strongly mixed reactions to Beasley’s bold statement, Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs chimed into the conversation on Tuesday, April 25, to give his former teammate a full endorsement.
The Bills No. 1 receiver first retweeted a highlight reel of Beasley’s tape that read, “The Bills missed a guy that controlled the short middle of the field. Option Routes and Seam Reads helped them control the middle but also controlled the blitz. They need to get back to accessing that area. Allen and this offense were at their best when they had a WR to control the middle. Beasley was a BEAST. Watch how many sets of eyes he commanded and how he could read multiple defenders in the blink of an eye.”
Diggs then tweeted, “I’ve never seen a better slot receiver than @Bease11,” before adding, “Imagine watching tape with your coach arguing who’s more open @Bease11 🤝🏾,” and lastly, “Just a bease appreciation post… ❤️.”
Beasley responded to Diggs’ compliments. He tweeted, “I love you big dog. Miss you pops! My favorite #1. Lol.”
Stefon Diggs Used the Same Hand Shake Emoji While Commenting on DeAndre Hopkins’ Instagram Post
GettyCardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins at State Farm Stadium on December 12, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona.
While Beasley slammed the rhetoric that DeAndre Hopkins is the team’s missing link, Diggs appears to approve of the Bills trading for the Arizona Cardinals star.
Buffalo needs a solid backup for Diggs when the 29-year-old receiver is clobbered by the defense and while Gabe Davis could be in a better position to step up now that his high-ankle sprain is healed, landing Hopkins would give opposing defenses a scary one-two punch.
Last week, Hopkins shared a video on Instagram that showed him walking the runway in a fashion show at the Hollywood Bowl. He captioned the post, “History in the making… @fearofgod @jerrylorenzo @adidas #fearofgod,” which caught Diggs’ attention.
Diggs simply wrote, “🤝🏾🤝🏾🤝🏾,” to which Hopkins wrote back, “@stefondiggs 🤝🏾🤝🏾.”
While Diggs, who’s become the offseason king of cryptic posts, could merely be connecting with Hopkins over their shared love of fashion, as the Bills star has hit several high-profile designer events over the past few months, the mutual “handshake” comments definitely raised some eyebrows, especially after USA Today’s Bradley Gelber shared a screenshot of the interaction on Twitter.
One fan commented on the Instagram post, “@stefondiggs please make this happen! Best WR Duo ever! #BillsMafia,” while another person wrote, “@deandrehopkins you ARE a bill.”
While the Hopkins situation has been dragging on for weeks, Adam “Pacman” Jones announced on Tuesday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show” that the Cardinals are expected to get a trade for the five-time Pro Bowler “this week,” which was the expected move since Arizona would want to gain picks in the deal before the draft kicks off on April 27.
The Bills Don’t Have a Solid Slot Receiver Option on the Roster
Whether or not Beasley makes another surprise return to Orchard Park will greatly depend on how things go on Thursday. Buffalo has a lot riding on the 2023 NFL Draft as they only have six picks and a lot of holes to fill. Of course, Buffalo is not unique in this situation, but without a clear WR2, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bills snag a versatile playmaker that can also play the slot with their No. 27 overall pick.
Whichever way things shake out, Diggs sent an inspirational message to the prospects waiting to get their name called in the first round. While the Maryland alum is arguably one of the best wide receivers in the entire league, back when he forewent his senior year to enter the 2015 NFL Draft, he was not a first-round pick or even a second-rounder.
Diggs was selected in the fifth round by the Minnesota Vikings as the No. 146 overall pick which put a motivational chip on his shoulder. After NFL Rookie Watch’s Twitter account named Diggs as their “favorite late round NFL Draft steal” on April 8, Diggs retweeted the message and wrote, “Pay attention… I had to really go from WR7 to WR1.”
Diggs went on to encourage NFL prospects to be “Purpose driven,” before admitting, “Boy that waiting to get drafted stuff really a tough experience.”
Stay down ignore the noise. Grind like you only got 1 shot.
“Stay down ignore the noise. Grind like you only got 1 shot,” Diggs added. “Just make sure you ready when the opportunity presents itself.”