Dallas Cowboys: Is Cole Beasley worth $20 million?

Cole 0Beasley is set to hit free agency. Recently, Beasley has hinted at wanting $20 million guaranteed to stay with the Dallas Cowboys. Is he worth it?

Earlier this week, Dallas Cowboys‘ wide receiver, Cole Beasley, took to Twitter once again. According to report by longtime Cowboys’ beat reporter Clarence Hill Jr., the free agent slot receiver is rumored to want $20 million guaranteed as part of his next contract.

Beasley responded to a fan via Twitter shortly after who said that only quarterbacks make that kind of money, clarifying that’s a guaranteed amount over the life of the contract, not per year. The 29-year old wideout later stated that he is not confirming whether or not he wants $20 million guaranteed, but he was simply clarifying the previous report.

Let’s get to the real question: Should the Cowboys spend that kind of money to keep Beasley?

Beasley has been one of quarterback Dak Prescott‘s best receivers. Especially when the team was without a number on, he was the man for the job. Last year, Beasley had the second most receptions and yards in his career (69 receptions and 715 yards). If not for the acquisition of receiver Amari Cooper, he would have most likely broken his own personal records.

Beasley, though limited by his size, is a productive slot receiver– one of the best in the league. In man-to-man coverage, he is practically unstoppable.

And the most important factor which cannot be overlooked is that Beasley has chemistry with Prescott. Sure, he isn’t the type of guy that can run down the seam and catch a 50-50 ball, but he makes his money in the intermediate passing game. According to @CowboysStats, Beasley led the Cowboys in expected points added, or EPA, in 2018.

Instead of throwing to running back Ezekiel Elliott behind the line of scrimmage, perhaps the Cowboys should turn those passes into targets to Beasley.

Now to the contract situation. That is ultimately what it comes down to. As previously reported, Beasley is rumored to want $20 million guaranteed. This does not mean he wants a price tag like defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. It’s a total contract, over a certain amount of years, to amount to the $20 million figure.

A solid proposal would be to offer Beasley a four-year deal, $30 million with $20 million guaranteed. The spread of the money would be tilted to the first two years of the contract– something like $7 million a year for two years. Then after those two years, when Beasley is older and not as productive, the Cowboys can have flexibility with a low cap hit.

This would also allow the Cowboys to focus more on finding a long-term solution at tight end, defensive tackle, or defensive end in the draft. It would secure the receiver position for at least a little while. Beasley is Prescott’s security belt– that cannot be easily overlooked.

Re-signing Cole Beasley would provide Dak Prescott something that he has not had the privilege of having for any decent length of time — consistency at the receiver position.

Do you think the Dallas Cowboys should re-sign Cole Beasley? Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below!