It appears Cole Beasley’s time with the Buffalo Bills is up.
According to NFL Network, Beasley has asked the Bills to trade him. He was granted permission from the team to seek out a trade partner.
While the report added that Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane would welcome him back… Beasley’s days are probably numbered with the Bills. Even if he’s not dealt, it seems unlikely Beasley will suit up again for Buffalo.
But could a trade actually strike? A team would likely only have to part with a late-round pick for him.
With that, here are seven possible trade destinations for Beasley:
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
The Ravens do have tight end Mark Andrews in the middle of their offense as a top playmaker. However, the wide receiver position has consistently not been the best around quarterback Lamar Jackson.
While the Bills would probably not want to trade Beasley to a team that they might be battling for a playoff spot… Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott does have a connection with Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh. They worked together on Andy Reid’s coaching staff.
Justin Fields #1 of the Chicago Bears passes. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Bears are hoping Justin Fields is going to be the answer to their quarterback question. They’re not going to find out if they don’t get playmakers around him.
Beasley was a bit of a safety valve for Bills quarterback Josh Allen out of the slot. Perhaps he can do the same for Fields.
Davis Mills #10 of the Houston Texans. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
If we’re being honest, the Texans have needs just about… everywhere. Beasley is also a Texas guy, so even though they’re not the best roster right now, he might be open to the idea of playing closer to home.
Colts head coach Frank Reich y Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Most are focusing on what the Colts will do regarding their quarterback position this offseason. Whether it’s Carson Wentz again or not, head coach Frank Reich could probably use a reliable slot receiver. Right now Indy’s lone threat in the passing game is Michael Pittman Jr. He surpassed 1,000 yards in 2021 but nobody else went over 400.
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Josh Allen (41), [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]
The Jaguars hold the No. 1 overall pick at the upcoming draft. Clearly they have needs. Like the Bears, the Jags could nab Beasley to potentially create a reliable option for their young QB in Trevor Lawrence that he can count on.
In addition, the Jaguars have the third-most salary cap space ($56.1 million), according to Spotrac, and can easily fit Beasley’s $6.1M cap hit.
Nov 29, 2020; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The Chargers could be on their way to losing Mike Williams on the outside. Keenan Allen currently does take some snaps out of the slot, but adding Beasley could push Allen to the outside more while giving quarterback Justin Herbert another weapon over the middle.
The Bolts are probably going to try and shore up their defense this offseason more than anything, though. Per Spotrac, the Chargers do have $57.5M is cap space, the second-most in the league, so they could splurge at receiver.
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Everything with the Buccaneers in the coming weeks and months will surround Tom Brady and whether or not he will be back from retirement. However, a big pending free agent of the Bucs is Chris Godwin. He’s one of the NFL’s best slot receivers and while Beasley might have lost a step, he could provide a good backup option.
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