Dallas Cowboys: Is Cole Beasley a new deep threat?

After posting a down season in 2017, will the Dallas Cowboys be able to find new ways to get slot receiver Cole Beasley involved in the offense?

In 2016, Dallas Cowboys wideout Cole Beasley emerged as one of the top slot receivers in the NFL. The then 27-year old led the Cowboys with 75 receptions for 833 yards and five touchdowns. Beasley’s boost of production helped Dallas post a 13-3 season-ending record and secure themselves a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Last season, opposing defenses made it a point to remove Beasley as an offensive option for young second-year quarterback Dak Prescott. As a result, Cole posted one of the worst seasons of his six-year career in Dallas, only record 36 catches for 314 yards and four scores in 2017.

This offseason, the Cowboys made many changes to their wide receiver corps. The biggest likely being the release of longtime number one receiver Dez Bryant. But Dallas also made a critical change to their coaching staff that could breath new life into the entire positional unit. That being the hiring of Sanjay Lal as their new receivers coach.

This offseason, Lal has begun breakdown this squad, often practicing without the football to do more fundamental work. From cleaner releases off the line to more detailed route-running, to how to properly catch a football; the Cowboys newest positional coach is rebuilding the wide receiver corps from the ground up.

And it’s Beasley who may benefit the most. In fact, with Bryant gone and Terrance Williams recovering from a broken foot, it’s been the 29-year old Beasley who has become the elder of this new unit in Dallas.

One of Lal’s goals for Beasley this offseason was to build onto his route tree. At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, the seventh year veteran has been a slot receiver for his entire career as his slight frame was believed to make him a liability on the outside. But that’s exactly where the Cowboys have been practicing Beasley this offseason, no doubt hoping to take more advantage of his speed.

Here’s what Beasley had to say after the team’s first padded practice on Saturday, via the Star-Telegram.

"“I was actually saying I never had a practice like this before. I got a little fatigued. I’m used to doing all the quick stuff. Now they got me all over the place, running all types of routes; it’s really fun.”"

Could it be that Beasley might turn out to be the Cowboys newest deep threat? Many forget that along with being cat-quick, the undrafted rookie free agent out of SMU back in 2012 ran a blazing 4.49 at his pro day. Beasley also possesses one heck of a vertical jump as this video of him dunking a basketball will attest.

At times this offseason, the Dallas Cowboys have had both Cole Beasley and new receiver Tavon Austin (5-foot-8, 179 pounds) set as their outside wide receivers during practices. As both players are more traditionally slot receivers, it’s clear Sanjay Lal and the Cowboys coaching staff are expanding their playbook a bit in the hopes of opening up this offense.