The Cowboys and wide receiver Cole Beasley have engaged in discussions about a contract extension that would keep Beasley under team control for multiple seasons, league sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The SMU product is eligible for restricted free agency this offseason.
Beasley, who turns 26 in April, is hardly the most notable Cowboys wideout on an expiring contract, but he has developed into one of Tony Romo‘s more reliable targets over the last couple seasons. In 2014, Beasley set career highs with 420 receiving yards and four touchdowns, while totaling 37 receptions.
When I previewed the free agent market for wide receivers earlier this month, I grouped Beasley in with a handful of RFA wideouts that I thought were good bets to receive one-year tenders from their current clubs. Tendering Beasley would mean making him a one-year offer worth in the neighborhood of at least $1.5MM, depending on where the salary cap lands. However, it sounds like the Cowboys are trying to lock him up for additional years, which would give the young receiver some security and would ensure that no rival suitors try to lure him out of Dallas.
For comparison’s sake, Lance Moore had just put up similar numbers to Beasley’s 2014 output when he entered free agency last winter, and he inked a two-year, $3MM deal. Moore has a more impressive track record than Beasley, but less upside, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Cowboys wideout matched or exceeded that deal. However, I’m skeptical that Dallas would go too much higher, given the team’s other priorities in free agency and a deep 2015 class of draft-eligible wideouts.