Cole Beasley has remained a free agent since the Bills cut him in March. Six months later, the receiver finally has a job.
The Buccaneers signed him to their practice squad this week, but it didn’t come until Beasley expressed interest in playing with Tom Brady.
Beasley didn’t have Brady’s phone number, so the receiver began bugging the quarterback on Instagram.
“I’m going to be honest: I was hitting him up a lot. I slid into his [direct messages] for sure,” Beasley said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I’m sure a lot of guys do that. It’s been awhile. He didn’t really say anything until recently.
“I’ve been wanting to play with Brady for a long time, so it’s exciting for me. I’m excited for the opportunity and just ready to get back at it. You know, it’s a humbling experience kind of waiting this long. It’s the first time I’ve never been through a [training] camp. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
Beasley, 33, will hit the ground running.
Mike Evans is suspended for this week. Julio Jones (knee) and Chris Godwin (hamstring) missed Sunday’s game against the Saints and did not practice Wednesday. Russell Gage (hamstring), Breshad Perriman (knee) and Scotty Miller (calf) were limited Wednesday.
Beasley has 550 career receptions in 10 seasons, and he had 82 catches for 693 yards and a touchdown for the Bills in 2021.
“I was ready to get in somewhere and show that I could still play,” Beasley said. “There’s a lot of guys here who have had a lot of success. So really, I look at it as you can take a lot from each guy, you know? There’s something we can each get from each other and make each other better, so I’m excited for that.”
Beasley’s size -- 5 foot 8, 174 pounds -- makes him similar to the slot receivers Brady had in New England. Wes Welker, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola all had their best success with Brady.
“That was one of the reasons I always wanted to play for him,” Beasley said. “He’s had a lot of success with those types of guys.”