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Cowboys receiver Cole Beasley becomes QB’s best friend
BY CHAREAN WILLIAMS
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
Cole Beasley concedes he isn’t always open, but the Cowboys receiver likes telling quarterback Dak Prescott he is anyway.
“Maybe not always [open], but I like to think more often than not,” Beasley said. “…Anytime I run around now and I’m open, and he doesn’t see me, I let him know about it.”
Prescott, though, has done a good job finding Beasley without any directing. Beasley has become the rookie’s security blanket.
“He’s a guy I always believe he’s open,” Prescott said. “He’s shifty. He’s fast. He does a great job, and he’s a good football player.”
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett calls Beasley “quarterback friendly.” That means the receiver is where he needs to be, when he needs to be.
Tony Romo trusts Beasley. Matt Cassel, Brandon Weeden and Kellen Moore trusted the slot receiver last season. Now, Prescott trusts him.
No matter who is at quarterback, they always seems to find Beasley despite his standing only 5-foot-8.
“He’s a guy the quarterbacks like to throw to,” Garrett said. “They like to throw to him in practice; they like to throw to him in games. One of the reasons is he gets open, and he finishes the play.
“He’s done a good job for us. He’s one of a number of different weapons we have on offense, so defenses can’t simply focus on him, but even when they do, he seems to get open and make plays for us.”
Beasley and tight end Jason Witten share the team lead with 18 targets. Of those, Beasley has caught a team-leading 13 passes for 140 yards.
“My job is to just take advantage of any opportunity I’m given and part of it goes to all the guys I have around me,” Beasley said. “You’ve got Witten and Dez [Bryant], and you’ve got to respect T-Dub [Terrance Williams] for the over the top balls and that opens up a lot of space for me. It’s allowed me to have some room to work.”
It puts Beasley on pace for a 104-catch, 1,120-yard season. His career bests are the 52 passes he caught last season for 536 and five touchdowns.
“It’s only [through] Week 2, man,” Beasley said. “It’s still a long season. I’m just trying to make plays for my team and help us win.”
The only thing Beasley hasn’t done is score. The Cowboys have no receiving touchdowns this season.
Beasley dropped a touchdown pass in the season opener against the Giants, and DeAngelo Hall tackled Beasley at the Redskins 5-yard line after a 28-yard gain last week.
“I thought it was coming last game, but I got tackled,” Beasley said. “I had an opportunity in the first game, and I let that one slip through my hands. I think they’re coming. We’ve had some opportunities. We just missed them. We just have to take advantage of them in the future.”
The SMU product has answered opportunity, going from an undrafted rookie free agent in 2012 to one of the league’s top slot receivers. Not bad for a player supposed to be too small to make it in the NFL.
“It goes back to how I felt about myself,” Beasley said. “It doesn’t matter what everybody else says. I’ve been told I’m too small since high school. It really hasn’t changed at any level. I was told I wouldn’t go D-1, let alone the NFL. It’s nothing new. All I can do is focus on what I do, and that’s playing football.”
BY CHAREAN WILLIAMS
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
Cole Beasley concedes he isn’t always open, but the Cowboys receiver likes telling quarterback Dak Prescott he is anyway.
“Maybe not always [open], but I like to think more often than not,” Beasley said. “…Anytime I run around now and I’m open, and he doesn’t see me, I let him know about it.”
Prescott, though, has done a good job finding Beasley without any directing. Beasley has become the rookie’s security blanket.
“He’s a guy I always believe he’s open,” Prescott said. “He’s shifty. He’s fast. He does a great job, and he’s a good football player.”
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett calls Beasley “quarterback friendly.” That means the receiver is where he needs to be, when he needs to be.
Tony Romo trusts Beasley. Matt Cassel, Brandon Weeden and Kellen Moore trusted the slot receiver last season. Now, Prescott trusts him.
No matter who is at quarterback, they always seems to find Beasley despite his standing only 5-foot-8.
“He’s a guy the quarterbacks like to throw to,” Garrett said. “They like to throw to him in practice; they like to throw to him in games. One of the reasons is he gets open, and he finishes the play.
“He’s done a good job for us. He’s one of a number of different weapons we have on offense, so defenses can’t simply focus on him, but even when they do, he seems to get open and make plays for us.”
Beasley and tight end Jason Witten share the team lead with 18 targets. Of those, Beasley has caught a team-leading 13 passes for 140 yards.
“My job is to just take advantage of any opportunity I’m given and part of it goes to all the guys I have around me,” Beasley said. “You’ve got Witten and Dez [Bryant], and you’ve got to respect T-Dub [Terrance Williams] for the over the top balls and that opens up a lot of space for me. It’s allowed me to have some room to work.”
It puts Beasley on pace for a 104-catch, 1,120-yard season. His career bests are the 52 passes he caught last season for 536 and five touchdowns.
“It’s only [through] Week 2, man,” Beasley said. “It’s still a long season. I’m just trying to make plays for my team and help us win.”
The only thing Beasley hasn’t done is score. The Cowboys have no receiving touchdowns this season.
Beasley dropped a touchdown pass in the season opener against the Giants, and DeAngelo Hall tackled Beasley at the Redskins 5-yard line after a 28-yard gain last week.
“I thought it was coming last game, but I got tackled,” Beasley said. “I had an opportunity in the first game, and I let that one slip through my hands. I think they’re coming. We’ve had some opportunities. We just missed them. We just have to take advantage of them in the future.”
The SMU product has answered opportunity, going from an undrafted rookie free agent in 2012 to one of the league’s top slot receivers. Not bad for a player supposed to be too small to make it in the NFL.
“It goes back to how I felt about myself,” Beasley said. “It doesn’t matter what everybody else says. I’ve been told I’m too small since high school. It really hasn’t changed at any level. I was told I wouldn’t go D-1, let alone the NFL. It’s nothing new. All I can do is focus on what I do, and that’s playing football.”