Ahead of hitting the free-agent market, Dallas Cowboys receiver Cole Beasleysuggested the team's front office dictates where passes are thrown.
On Wednesday, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones brushed aside that notion during an appearance on the The Rich Eisen Show.
"I would hope that's just his frustration but certainly not at all the case," Jones said. "We don't get involved in that. The only thing we ever do is decide if we're going to pay players a lot of money. Or if we're going to trade for players and give up big picks. We certainly hope that they would be involved if we're going to do things like that; that there's a reason that we're doing it they're going to be involved.
"But we would never dictate where balls go or things of that nature. In terms of the game plan and getting involved with what our coaching does to get ready to play the ball game. And certainly of all people, Cole is always involved in getting balls and getting catches. He's been just an integral part of what we're about. Certainly, he's made a lot of big catches and key catches in games that we've won."
Perhaps Beasley's comments will make the Jones family consider giving someone else big(ger) bucks this offseason.
Beasley is coming off the second-best season of his career, generating 65 receptions on 85 targets for 672 yards and three touchdowns. He doubled his yardage output from the previous campaign.
Beasley's frustration in Dallas could be partially due to his targets dipping from 6.14 per game to 4.45 per game after the acquisition of Amari Cooper in a trade from the Oakland Raiders. If Beasley is suggesting that the Cowboys paid a first-round pick for someone the front office wanted to use, he's correct. Cooper is also the better receiver.
Regardless of the current Cowboys kerfuffle, if Beasley returns to Dallas, he would likely remain in line behind Cooper and a surging Michael Gallup, who showed flashes down the stretch that suggest a potential breakout sophomore season. Maybe Beasley is just steeling himself for a potential breakup by pointing out his companion's perceived flaws.
Beasley later tried to clarify his comments on Twitter:
