James Cook SZN incoming.

[FireChans]

1 hour ago, NoSaint said:

Honestly, when we talk where the team got better/worse — 

 

james cook is one of my excitements

 

the only thing to grapple with is how limited the run game should be with a franchise qb. I think the kids got real explosive potential though. He pops. 

I think he’s gonna be a star RB. Obviously a star RB is the worst position to have a star, but still, he’s gonna be fun to watch.

 

he absolutely pops

Edited August 4, 2023 by FireChans

[StHustle]

4 hours ago, FireChans said:

I have been watching some games from last season just for fun. The more I watch Cook in his limited role last year, the more excited I get.

 

Cook, as we know, struggled to get on the field last year. Part of that may have just been some of his rawness in regards to the little things, things that Singletary as a less athletic player was clearly better at.

 

But now, with a full off-season, a decent rookie season under his belt, and limited competition from a pass-catching standpoint, I really think Cook is gonna have a monster year. His burst is undeniable when watching him play last season. If he can tighten up in pass pro and his field awareness, I could see Cook with easily 1200 scrimmage yards. 

I think he will become the best RB in the Cook family this year.

[boyst]

The pass blocking is a major concern. Can't reliably have him in there to block if/when the OL crumbles.

 

Can't simply run 5 guys on pass routes and hope Josh survives. 

[eball]

3 hours ago, unbillievable said:

What is SZN?

 

 

2 hours ago, LOVEMESOMEBILLS said:

 

 Short for season.

 

 

Do you work for the NSA or something?  That is amazing code breaking work.

 

As to the thread topic — get in line.  I’ve been on the Cook bandwagon since he was drafted.

 

 

[Lost]

3 hours ago, unbillievable said:

What is SZN?

 

 

3 hours ago, LOVEMESOMEBILLS said:

 

 Short for season.

 

 

 

 

I thought it meant Sizzling

 

 

[FireChans]

3 hours ago, eball said:

 

 

Do you work for the NSA or something?  That is amazing code breaking work.

 

As to the thread topic — get in line.  I’ve been on the Cook bandwagon since he was drafted.

 

 

You clearly needed someone with a little more gravitas to get this train moving.

[Richard Noggin]

4 hours ago, boyst said:

The pass blocking is a major concern. Can't reliably have him in there to block if/when the OL crumbles.

 

Can't simply run 5 guys on pass routes and hope Josh survives. 

 

One (imperfect) solution to this, as we saw a bit last season, was keeping Dawson Knox inline instead. Cook has the kind of greasy speed and easy hands you don't want to keep bottled up in the backfield blocking, of course. But on an audible to max protect against pressure, or to occasionally keep a dedicated defender/spy occupied and inside the box while someone else gets behind them...you need him to be able to do the dirty work so his presence is NOT a tell or a handicap.   

 

Imagine if/when Kincaid could/can occasionally acquit himself as an inline pass blocker and allow Knox to get downfield instead...

 

The ability to be multiple can be pretty helpful.

[BillsFanForever19]

At the Blue and Red scrimmage today, the first Scrimmage play was a hand off to James Cook. He quickly bounced to the outside on a well sealed edge and glided for a big gain.

[GreggTX]

I think Cook will make a modest jump from year 1 to year 2, but people are assuming too much. He's not a work horse type RB. I look for Damien Harris to get a lot more snaps than people expect. He can take it between the tackles. Cook is more of a gadget player. I see Cook running sweeps, screens, draws and such. Late in games, you'll see a lot more of Harris running the ball than Cook unless we're trailing.

[GunnerBill]

10 hours ago, Beast said:

He still has two vets ahead of him that have been there and done that at a pretty decent level.

 

I really like our RB group.

 

He has nobody ahead of him. Certainly not based on 1st team reps at camp. This is Cook's job to lose. 

 

If he loses it pass pro is my guess as to why.

[Doc Brown]

10 hours ago, 947 said:

If Cook doesn't fumble on his first career carry, I think his 2022 season would've gone much differently. He didn't touch the ball again in the opening game, and had only 35 total touches in Weeks 2-9

 

As long as Cook doesn't fumble vs the Jets Week 1, I expect he'll be the RB1 for the season.

I think it was more him getting more comfortable with the offense than McDermott being an old school curmudgeon coach.  He had excellent ball security in college (didn't fumble once in 2021) and the Bills knew that even after the fumble.  I still see this as a running back by committee team with Cook getting about half of the RB snaps.

[Doc Brown]

5 hours ago, Lost said:

 

 

I thought it meant Sizzling

 

 

My former doctor suggested turkey bacon.  I asked if I could have my copay back.

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

12 hours ago, LOVEMESOMEBILLS said:

 

 Short for season.

 

 

 

Is it really that hard to type SEASON?

[NoSaint]

4 hours ago, GreggTX said:

I think Cook will make a modest jump from year 1 to year 2, but people are assuming too much. He's not a work horse type RB. I look for Damien Harris to get a lot more snaps than people expect. He can take it between the tackles. Cook is more of a gadget player. I see Cook running sweeps, screens, draws and such. Late in games, you'll see a lot more of Harris running the ball than Cook unless we're trailing.

when we aren’t a blue collar running team why is it thought that we need a workhorse back?

[DCofNC]

I’m so confident in him, I’ll take him in the last round of my fantasy draft, 2 rounds after Harris.  I think he has slightly more upside than a second kicker, so I’m willing to roll the dice.

Edited August 5, 2023 by DCofNC

[Shanahan's Horseshoe]

He’s a nice change of pace running back.  But if he can’t protect Josh he’ll never reach his potential.  That and he’s scared of contact 

[Ya Digg?]

7 minutes ago, Shanahan's Horseshoe said:

He’s a nice change of pace running back.  But if he can’t protect Josh he’ll never reach his potential.  That and he’s scared of contact 

Can you give examples of this? 

[Not at the table Karlos]

40 minutes ago, Shanahan's Horseshoe said:

He’s a nice change of pace running back.  But if he can’t protect Josh he’ll never reach his potential.  That and he’s scared of contact 

I wouldn't say he's scared of contact. He just wasn't that big or strong coming out of college and struggled to break tackles. He started to improve on this as the year went on and reports are he looks bigger at camp. 

[NewEra]

1 hour ago, DCofNC said:

I’m so confident in him, I’ll take him in the last round of my fantasy draft, 2 rounds after Harris.  I think he has slightly more upside than a second kicker, so I’m willing to roll the dice.

Thanks.  I feel much better about cook becoming a major weapon after reading this

1 hour ago, Shanahan's Horseshoe said:

He’s a nice change of pace running back.  But if he can’t protect Josh he’ll never reach his potential.  That and he’s scared of contact 

Scared of contact is the dumb way of saying Cook is smart.  
 

 

[Manther]

17 hours ago, 947 said:

If Cook doesn't fumble on his first career carry, I think his 2022 season would've gone much differently. He didn't touch the ball again in the opening game, and had only 35 total touches in Weeks 2-9

 

As long as Cook doesn't fumble vs the Jets Week 1, I expect he'll be the RB1 for the season.

I agree.  McD should have let him play more.  I think one of Cook's next carries (or next 10) was a fumble too.  Bad timing that didn't allow him to play much last season.