“The Paperboy” Cole Beasley Will Deliver

At 5’8” 180lbs, it’s easy to overlook a guy like Cole Beasley. After all, he doesn’t exactly fit the stereotypical image many of us have of an NFL WR. But as Jason Garrett explained during this week’s press conference, Bease is pretty special regardless of his diminutive status.

"“He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s explosive and he’s strong,” said Jason Garrett. “He’s a sneaky guy because when he walks in he looks like the paperboy. It’s like ‘hey, I need my $3.85 I delivered the last seven days’…He just has a knack about him and I do think people underappreciate how physically talented he is.”"

Dallas Cowboys fans certainly know how talented the 3^rd year receiver from SMU is. If anything, fans expected him to receive more opportunities this season than his 37 catch, 420 yard, 4 TD, season totals indicate. Cole Beasley has been one of the many bright spots on this Dallas Cowboys roster. He’s made big plays when the Cowboys needed them and always risen to the challenge.

The Cowboys’ diverse and dynamic offense takes advantages of matchups and coverages, so at times, Beasley disappears from the stat sheet. He may be gone but he’s not forgotten. Consider the following:

The Cowboys regularly run 2 and/or 3 TE sets and rotate in Gavin Escobar and James Hanna next to offensive stalwart, Jason Witten. 12 and 13 personnel typically means the Cowboys don’t have room for their favorite slot receiver. But even with the TE-heavy formations, Beasley has found a way to make a substantial impact on the Dallas Cowboys offense. He lined up for 443 snaps which is more than both Escobar and Hanna.
The 2014 (and now 2015, I suppose) Dallas Cowboys are a run-first football team. Gone are the pass-happy days of old. The Cowboys offense is now built on their massive offensive line and their talented rushing attack first and foremost. There just aren’t enough balls to go around to give everyone a fat stat sheet. The running game gets half and the passing game gets the rest. Dez is getting his (and no one wants to take balls from Dez) and everyone else has to fight over the rest. Sometimes it’s Terrance Williams, sometimes Jason Witten, sometimes Gavin Escobar, and sometimes Cole “the Paperboy” Beasley. Even with the run-focused offense, Beasley has managed to corral 37 catches and more yards and TDs than last season, back when the Cowboys were certifiably “pass-happy”.

"[Beasley’s] got a lot of unique skills, he’s a hard matchup for guys,” Garrett said. “It’s hard to cover him. It’s hard to cover him in man. It’s hard to cover him in zone, but maybe more than anything else – his mentality is really good. He’s got great confidence in himself. He’s got a really good feel for playing the game and I think he understands that somehow someway he’s going to present himself to the QB where he’s going to be open and I think that instills a lot of confidence in the QB to throw it to him.”"

Cole Beasley has a knack for making himself available. In much the same way Terrance Williams has a knack for getting open in the endzone, Beasley has a way of getting open in space.