Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sign Wide Receiver

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding yet another big name to their receiving corps. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo shared that the team was signing wide receiver Cole Beasley to the practice squad.

News from @gmfb: The #Buccaneers are signing veteran WR Cole Beasley to their practice squad with the expectation he’ll be elevated to the active roster soon, source says.

Tom Brady pushed to bring in another veteran pass catcher and has had Beasley on his radar for a while. pic.twitter.com/dTBH64cgyR

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 20, 2022

The move comes following wide receiver Mike Evans' one-game suspension and a rash of injuries to key contributors Chris Godwin and Julio Jones. The Bucs have been somewhat disappointing on offense despite their 2-0 start, and that's in large part due to the lack of consistency and availability from their pass catchers. The Bucs will hope Beasley can provide a reliable, stable presence in the slot.

Photo Credit: © Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

An undersized, shifty receiver with strong hands, Beasley has caught 550 passes for 5709 receiving yards over his 10-year career. He had maybe his best season with the Buffalo Bills in 2020 when he tallied 967 yards on 82 receptions for 9.0 yards per target, setting career-highs in all marks. He fell out of favor somewhat with the Bills in 2021 due in part to some controversial thoughts on vaccination mandates, but he also took a step back in his production, managing a meagre 6.2 yards per target across 16 appearances. He spent this past offseason without a team. Should Jones, Godwin, and Evans all be unavailable for the Bucs' Week 3 game against the Green Bay Packers, Beasley could find himself on the 53-man roster sooner than later.

Photo Credit: © Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports