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As they welcome Cole Beasley back, the Buffalo Bills are saying goodbye to a 2021 draft pick who struggled with injury and consistency over his tenure with the team.
The Bills announced on December 13 that Beasley was coming out of retirement to rejoin the team, signing with the practice squad ahead of an expected move back to the active roster. In making room for Beasley, the Bills released speedy receiver and return specialist Marquez Stevenson, who missed the bulk of his first two seasons while dealing with injuries.
Beasley Back, Ready for Significant Role
After wide receivers Jamison Crowder and Jake Kumerow landed on the injured reserve with ankle injuries, the Bills have taken some steps to bolster their receiving corps with familiar faces. The team signed former No. 1 wide receiver John Brown, who was elevated from the practice squad for each of the last two games, and now added Beasley to the mix as well.
As ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg reported, Beasley has the opportunity to bring some stability to a receiving corps that has been shaky at times — especially in the slot.
“Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie was expected to fill the slot receiver position, but he has six drops this year and almost 100 fewer receiving yards in the slot (350) than Stefon Diggs (447),” Getzenberg wrote. “McKenzie leads the team in touchdowns from the slot with four. Relative to other teams, the Bills have had success with receivers in the slot this season. The team is second in receiving yards from the slot (1,346), fourth in slot receptions (111) and tied for eighth in receiving touchdowns from the slot (seven).”
Beasley was an effective slot receiver and favorite target for quarterback Josh Allen during his three seasons, totaling 231 catches for 2,438 yards and with 11 touchdowns. He was released in March after initially asking for a trade, with the Bills not being able to find a partner.
Beasley briefly joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the season, making four catches for 17 total yards across two games before announcing his retirement from the NFL. Prior to the retirement announcement, the 33-year-old Beasley insisted that he had a lot left to contribute to an NFL team.
End of the Line for Stevenson
Beasley’s signing brought an end to Stevenson’s rocky tenure with the team. The 2021 sixth-round pick started his rookie season on injured reserve, then had only a limited impact when he returned in November. He was relegated to return duties, but lost his job after losing two fumbles as head coach Sean McDermott turned to the more sure-handed Micah Hyde to handle returns.
Stevenson was again hurt during training camp this season and placed on injured reserve until last week, when the team activated and then released him. Stevenson was re-signed to the practice squad after clearing waivers, but cut loose again on Tuesday when the Bills signed Beasley.
Though Stevenson could still return to the practice squad at some point, he appears to be far down the depth chart. The Bills opted to keep fellow practice squad receiver KeeSean Johnson over Stevenson, even though Johnson has just 15 catches for 173 total yards since being drafted in 2019.
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