Should the Dallas Cowboys re-sign Cole Beasley?

The Dallas Cowboys have several players wanting new contracts or extensions this offseason. Could pending free agent Cole Beasley be expendable?

Who is the best wide receiver on the Dallas Cowboys‘  roster? For years, that player was considered to be Dez Bryant. But the Cowboys opted to part ways with their former number one wideout last April. That left Cole Beasley filling that role until Dallas made a blockbuster midseason trade for now three-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper.

And suddenly, Beasley, who is scheduled to become a free agent next month, could become a causality of a dwindling salary cap as several high-profile Cowboys are looking for new contracts or extensions this offseason.

Beasley is considered one of the best slot receivers in the NFL. And when opposing offenses aren’t able to focus on removing him from the gameplan, the seven-year veteran is uncoverable at times. Despite turning 30-years old in April, Beasley hasn’t lost a step and is in the prime of his career.

But last season, Beasley’s role on the team diminished. Prior to the trade for Cooper, Cole was targeted 43 times in the team’s first seven games. After Amari’s arrival, Beasley racked up just 44 targets in the Cowboys’ final nine contests of the regular season. In the playoffs, he was targeted just five total times in two games.

Beasley didn’t seem to be in the Cowboys plans at the end of last season. And considering his pending free agency, age and other contract concerns; it seems like a real possibility Cole isn’t a Cowboy in 2019.

Here’s what former NFL scout turned football analyst for DallasCowboys.com Bryan Broaddus had to say about the future of Beasley in Big D responding to a mailbag question recently.

"“There comes a point in time where you can pay certain players so much. The front office might be at that point with Beasley. If you sign him, great. If you don’t you move on. I saw three slot players at the Senior Bowl I’d love to have that could be just as productive as [Julian] Edelman or Beasley for a quarter of the cost.”"

Despite not being part of the gameplan much late last season, Cole Beasley still led all Dallas Cowboys’ receivers in targets (87) and catches (65) in 2018. If he is not re-signed this offseason, that’s a major part of the offense to replace. But according to Broaddus, that appears to be very doable.