Cole Beasley signs with Giants to reunite with Brian Daboll
The Giants, who seemed to be replete with experienced and quality slot receivers, added another one Friday with the signing of Cole Beasley, a 34-year-old who twice has retired from football and took a controversial stand against the NFL’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
Beasley is a newcomer to the Giants, but is well-known by head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen from their time together in Buffalo.
Beasley caught 231 passes in three seasons with the Bills, operating at a high level in Daboll’s offense.
The pickup comes with Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson, two slot receivers already on the roster, as candidates to start training camp next week on the physically unable to perform list.
Robinson, a rookie last year, tore his ACL in late November and will not yet be ready to take the field.
Shepard tore his ACL in late September and said he hopes to be ready for the start of the season.
The Giants this offseason signed Parris Campbell, a speedster who can play out of the slot, and Jamison Crowder, a 30-year old veteran who makes his living running routes out of the slot.
Beasley announced his retirement from the NFL after playing in only two games for the Buccaneers during the 2022 season.
He returned to the league a few months later to re-sign with the Bills.
He retired a second time after only two games with Buffalo.
Now he is back, at least for the start of Giants training camp, with players reporting Tuesday and the first practice set for Wednesday.
At 5-foot-8 and 174 pounds, it is easy to see why Beasley was overlooked when he came out of SMU in 2012 and signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent.
He made the team and it did not take long for Beasley to become a favorite third-down target for Tony Romo.
Beasley caught 75 passes for the Cowboys in 2016 and in 2019 signed a four-year deal with the Bills worth $29 million.
It proved to be money well spent as Beasley became an important safety-valve option for Josh Allen, running routes out of formations put together by Daboll.
In June 2021, Beasley took to social media to state he would end his career rather than get vaccinated for COVID-19.
He engaged in a public debate with Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA’s Mavericks, and was fined $15,000 for not wearing a mask in violation of the NFL’s protocols.
He missed one game on the COVID list, stating it was the rules, and not the virus, that kept him off the field.
Beasley took to Instagram to post “If you don’t get what’s happening then there is nothing anybody can do for you.”
In 2021, Beasley caught 82 passes for the Bills.
The Giants had interest in signing him a year ago, but no deal was made.
Last season, in only four games for the Buccaneers and Bills, Beasley managed just six receptions.