Jason Garrett on Cole Beasley: ‘His change of direction is really pretty unique’

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley caught 39 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns, as he broke into the team’s lineup as the No. 3 receiver behind superstar Dez Bryant and speedy rookie Terrance Williams. He’ll have some competition next season from another rookie in Pitt’s intriguing Devin Street, whom the Cowboys traded up for, but Beasley should have a firm place in the Cowboys pecking order due to his ability to work out of the slot.

A steady wideout, Beasley is a fluid, reliable catcher who has the route-running ability and quickness that allows him to get open on the vast majority of routes he runs. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett recently spoke about Beasley’s route-running, highlighting the wide receiver’s ability to change directions. He said, via ESPN Dallas’s Todd Archer, “What helps him out there is his quickness, his change of direction. He’s a very good route runner, and he’s able to kind of create the space that he needs as an outside receiver a lot like he’s able to do inside. His change of direction is really pretty unique, and he has a real good feel. He’s very quarterback-friendly when he runs his routes. We’re trying to give him opportunities in a lot of different spots. He’s most natural playing inside, but he’s certainly not a non-factor as an outside receiver.”

The 25-year-old has been hard at work this offseason learning more routes and perfecting them, and it will be interesting to see how many targets he gets next season. It sounds like the Cowboys will try him out on the outside, but I think it’s better for them to let him stick to his niche in the slot, especially with plenty of playmakers present outside the hashmarks. Beasley is very young, so he’s only going to get better and, perhaps, more versatile.