Buffalo Bills: PFF tabs Cole Beasley as separation creating specialist

Buffalo Bills newest wide receiver Cole Beasley is a separation creator, according to Pro Football Focus.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley isn’t the biggest guy on the field — measuring in at 5-foot-8, 180-pounds–, nor is he the most athletic. But he’s built a brand of football that makes him well-worth a hefty contract. The Bills gave the undersized receiver a four-year, $29 million in free agency in large part because of his ability to create separation effortlessly.

The analytics tell the same story — Beasley is amongst the NFL’s elite at getting himself open. Pro Football Focus recently acknowledged the receiver’s proficiency in creating separation. On Twitter, the statistics firm told a praise-worthy number. Last year, per PFF, 72.5% of Beasley’s targets came when he had one plus step on his defender, the highest such number in the NFL.

As a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Beasley brought in the bread as a slot ace and reliable third-down target. Though he was often the smallest player on the gridiron, Beasley was able to shred defenses while in North Texas due to an array of press-beating techniques, clean short area route-running, and a surprisingly large catch radius.

For seven seasons, he acted as Tony Romo and Dak Prescott‘s safety valve, tallying 319 receptions for 3,271 yards and 23 touchdowns. He proved to be an efficient option, as per PFF, he has a career 105.6 passer rating when targeted.

Now in Buffalo, the hope is that Beasley continues to build on his game. He’s a noted slot specialist, but offensive coordinator Brian Daboll wants to add to that — as Beasley explained to Tim Graham of The Athletic;

"In this offense, we move around. We’re everywhere. It’s going to be harder to key on one guy here. It’s a lot better than where I was before. — I’ll get to run routes from spots I’ve never gotten to run routes from. It’s going to be sweet. I’m excited about it."

Most figure that Beasley will contribute for the Bills in a significant way. Though the 30-year old’s game is set to expand in Western New York, the Bills likely covet his ability to get open in a jiffy and reliability on third-downs. Quarterback Josh Allen will probably be a benefactor from Beasley’s arrival, as, like Romo and Prescott before him, he should find it easy throwing to a slot receiver that makes getting open effortless.