Is James Cook a Top-Five All Time Bills Running Back?

[CSBill]

Not yet. But if he makes Shaw's top-five list, we'll be in great shape for several years (I would say four more like last year).

[first_and_ten]

8 hours ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

I struggled with what to do with Henry.

 

 

The Bills struggled with what to do with Henry. He was a disaster off the field. 

[GASabresIUFan]

1. Thomas - Leads all Bills players in scrimmage yards

2. OJ - He truly was a killer RB.

3. Joe Cribbs - 3 1000 yard season plus nearly 1800 yard in receptions

4. Fred Jackson - Thy name is longevity, but only 1 1000 yard season

5. Travis Henry - 2 huge seasons seasons (1438 & 1356), but then was gone much to soon

HM - Marshawn Lynch & McCoy

 

Top FB

1. Jim Braxton

2. Cookie Gilchrist

 

Did you know that Josh Allen is 7th in career rushing yards for the Bills.

 

It's much much to early to label Cook as anything but a potentially excellent player for the Bills. Cook's Rushing stats were our 21st best rush season (we have had 31 1000 yard rushing seasons) and he currently its 20th on our all-time list.  

 

OJ had 5 1000+ yard seasons (in only 14 games)

Thurman had 8 (16 games seasons).  

 

Truthfully the Bills have had only 2 great RBs plus Lynch who they moved on from much to soon.

[Mike in Horseheads]

3 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

You forgot Cribbs. He was special. 

Right now Cook probably is just ahead of Greg Bell and Spiller(one year wonder). By the end of this year he should surpass McGahee and Henry if they continue to feed him the ball in run and pass game. 

He has a long long way to go to get in the top 5 ( Thomas, Simpson, McCoy, Gilchrist, and Cribbs). Let's just hope he is not a one year wonder like Spiller and Terry Miller. 

Greg Bell will always be remembered by me for the awesome game he had against the Cowboys on a very bad Bills team (1983?)

[PrimeTime101]

55 minutes ago, somnus00 said:

This conversation is way too early. I like Cook, but right now his first two seasons just about match Antowain Smith's first two seasons as far as total yards. Smith had more TDs.

Ok ok OK... Lets get some Perspective here guys ok?

Antowain Smiths first 2 years he had 495 carries

Cook first 2 years he had 326 caries.. 

 

This is a pass first league. Different even when we had Thurman even. 

 

Thurman's 505 caries first 2 years

McCoy 437 first 2 years in Buffalo

Travis Henry 538 carries the first 2 years in buffalo.

 

The argument is, the more snaps, the more Average per carry goes down cause of all the no gains... 

The other argument is... the more snaps... also = more blow out plays as well. 

 

The bottom line... You cant compare our top 5 with Cook cause it was a different league with the top 5. its not a fair comparison. at all. 

The best thing you can do is look at averages only...  You cant even compare reception yards to that area, cause that era.. defenses were slower and screen plays were

in its prime... 

 

So lets look at OTHER Numbers.. OTHER than yards ok?

 

Thurman Thomas.. Rushing TD first 2 years 6 Cook first 2 years 4

Thurman Thomas Passing TD first 2 years 6 Cook first 2 years 5

Thurman Thomas Rushing Average first 2 years 4.25 Cook 5.2

 

Lets look at total rushing yards.. JUST FOR FUN...

 

Thomas 2125 total yards   Cook 1629

 

Cook split his snaps his first year.   Last year cook got 1122 yards Thurman got 1244 

 

Thurman had 61 more caries his second year

 

Do I think Cook is a top 5 right NOW? Heck no... its stupid even trying to go there... out right dumb..  Put people calling cook average? Thats down right 

hating... 

 

I dare you guys put cook at one of the few teams that runs first... and then look at cooks yards.. 

 

AND NOT TO MENTION... 

 

Thurman had an amazing offensive line. 

 

Stop hating Cook... 

 

 

[Joe Mama]

8 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I’ve always maintained that the Bills have the best stable of running backs in the history of the league.  No other team can match a top five of Gilchrist, Simpson, Cribbs, Thomas, and McCoy.  Fred Jackson is my number six, and he’d be number three for many other teams.

Some Competition --

 

Browns -- Jim Brown. Marion Motley, Leroy Kelly, Jamal Lewis, Eric Metcalf

Steelers -- Franco Harris, John Henry Johnson, Jerome Betts, "Bullet Bill" Dudley, Leveon Bell

Cowgirls -- Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, Hershell Walker, Calvin Hill, Zeke Elliott

[Shaw66]

49 minutes ago, Ray Stonada said:

 

This is a great point! I hadn't thought of it before. Dallas would also have a pretty good group with Tony Dorsett, Hershel Walker and Emmitt Smith. 

The Bears had Sayers and Payton and some other good players.  Browns had Brown and Leroy Kelly.  Many people don't remember how good Kelly was, because he played in Jim Brown's wake.  When Brown retired and people commented that the Browns would be left without a running back, Brown said that was wrong, because they had Kelly.  Brown was correct.  

 

Only Dorsett and Smith are in the HOF.  Bills have Simpson and Thomas, with LeSean McCoy likely and Frank Gore a lock, if you want to count him.

 

Pro Football Reference has an interesting metric where they measure Hall of Fame worthiness.  Running backs who deserve to be in Hall of Fame.   Some observations on their list:

 

Top 10, in order:  Payton, Brown, Sanders, Smith, Tomlinson, Simpson, Dickerson, Peterson, Faulk, Terrell Davis.  Peterson is a lock, as is Gore, who is 11th.  Thomas is 14.  McCoy is the next guy on the list who isn't in.  He's 20th, ahead of Curtis Martin, Leroy Kelly, and Tony Dorsett, who all are in.  

 

The next guys on the list are Roger Craig (not in), Bettis and Riggins (both in), Lynch ( a lock), Hornung (in), and - get this -are you ready? - Cookie Gilchrist. 

 

Simpson, Thomas, McCoy, Lynch, Gilchrist.  Two absolute sure-fire Hall of Famers, two on the bubble, and Cookie.  Damn good.  

 

 

[Shaw66]

45 minutes ago, GASabresIUFan said:

 

Top FB

1. Jim Braxton

2. Cookie Gilchrist

 

Sorry, but that's laughable. 

 

You must not have seen Cookie.  He was one of the great athletes and great ball carriers of his time.   He was All-Pro four times.  

 

Braxton never led the team in rushing (haha, of course he played with Simpson), but one season he wasn't even second in rushing.  In fact, Braxton got his yards BECAUSE he played with Simpson.  Fergie would fake the pitch to Simpson and give it Braxton up the middle.  The fake to Simpson was essentially a play fake - the entire defense had to honor it, and a great offensive line created holes that anyone could run through.  Anyone just happened to be Braxton.  

[oldmanfan]

9 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Is there a Bills running back from the past whom, if you could bring him back in his prime, you would start in place of James Cook?

 

I’ve always maintained that the Bills have the best stable of running backs in the history of the league.  No other team can match a top five of Gilchrist, Simpson, Cribbs, Thomas, and McCoy.  Fred Jackson is my number six, and he’d be number three for many other teams.

 

Let’s skip the obvious choices.  Gilchrist was a completely different style of running back, but he ran like and was as good as Derrick Henry.  I don’t care if Cookie can’t run pass patterns, he’d play ahead of Cook.  Simpson is a top-five all-time running back, and Thomas is at least a top-ten guy.  I know, some of you would put them in the other order, but forget that for now.  It goes without saying that either one would start ahead of Cook.

 

I didn’t see a lot of Cribbs, but from what I recall of him, Cook would back him up.

 

I think I’d take McCoy over Cook.  Different styles, but Shady was special. 

 

Finally, Fred Jackson.  I loved Freddie, but I think he’s the only great Bills back who would be a backup to Cook. 

 

What do you think?  Does Cook make the top five?

Would definitely start the following over Cook:

 

OJ

Thurman

Cribbs

Cookie

Lynch

McCoy

Jackson

 

And I’d put Kenneth Davis even with him

[harmonkillebrew]

Cook has the POTENTIAL to be top 5, but he needs at least 2 more years like last year to pass Fred, Shady, Travis Henry or Marshawn. Even Kenneth Davis is, at the moment, more of an all-time Bill. 

Cook is like CJ Spiller at this moment in his career. Exciting to watch, but has to put it together year after year.

[Shaw66]

9 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

Would definitely start the following over Cook:

 

OJ

Thurman

Cribbs

Cookie

Lynch

McCoy

Jackson

 

And I’d put Kenneth Davis even with him

KENNETH DAVIS!!!!!!

 

Wow!  If the was a Hall of Fame for backups, he would be in it!

 

And I don't disagree.  He and Cook are a push.  

 

 

[Augie]

After watching the games and reviewing the stats, I think he has a healthy lead over Mini Max Anderson. 

 

He’s not top 5, but the game has changed and his skill set could launch him in the next couple years. 

 

 

.

Edited June 11 by Augie

[Einstein's Dog]

No, of course not top 5.

 

With Cook he has been improving.  If he can continue that, work for better pass pro, was already improving ball security, and clean up the drops he can continue his ascent.  He started a little slow and has improved immensely.

 

The only problem is having a developing RB is extending him with a new contract.  The Bills have been rotating RBs and not paying.  If Cook continues his improvement the FO may need to rethink their stance and offer up something mid-season.

[Chandler#81]

7 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

My list based on personal observation (i.e. not an analysis of stats or highlights).  I'm only considering the time they played in a Bills uni.  

 

(1)  OJ.  An other worldly runner.

(2)  Thurman.  A great all-purpose back and a great fit for the offense he was in.

(3)  Freddy.  Freddy is often underrated  because he mostly played behind bad lines on bad teams.  Great at getting something out of nothing.

(4)  Joe Cribbs.  Excellent runner and receiver.  

(5) Shady.  A bright spot on a bad team.  

 

I never watched him play live, but some old-timers might make a good case for Cookie Gilchrist.  

 

On a different day of the week, I might alter the order but I'd stick with these five with OJ on top.  If we include their careers beyond the Bills, Marshawn probably moves into the Top Five and Shady moves up the list.  

Thank you. The 1st time Cribbs was mentioned. Cookie Gilchrest was a 2X All Pro & 1000 yrd RB in a 12 game season. Then there’s Antwan Smith, Terry Miller, Jim Braxton, Wray Carlton, Shady and a slew of others way ahead of whathizname. Hell, Curtis Brown was better than Cook. He’s just the flavor of the month..

🤦‍♂️

[ryguy101]

I love James Cook. When the Bills used him correctly this year, he earned around 59 to 60% of the snaps and I think he will have 1200 yards this season. Definitely top 5 

[BuffaloBillyG]

Better question would be might he crack the top 10? 

 

Based on his only having 1 season of good performance....I'd say no.

[DeepPass]

11 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Is there a Bills running back from the past whom, if you could bring him back in his prime, you would start in place of James Cook?

 

I’ve always maintained that the Bills have the best stable of running backs in the history of the league.  No other team can match a top five of Gilchrist, Simpson, Cribbs, Thomas, and McCoy.  Fred Jackson is my number six, and he’d be number three for many other teams.

 

Let’s skip the obvious choices.  Gilchrist was a completely different style of running back, but he ran like and was as good as Derrick Henry.  I don’t care if Cookie can’t run pass patterns, he’d play ahead of Cook.  Simpson is a top-five all-time running back, and Thomas is at least a top-ten guy.  I know, some of you would put them in the other order, but forget that for now.  It goes without saying that either one would start ahead of Cook.

 

I didn’t see a lot of Cribbs, but from what I recall of him, Cook would back him up.

 

I think I’d take McCoy over Cook.  Different styles, but Shady was special. 

 

Finally, Fred Jackson.  I loved Freddie, but I think he’s the only great Bills back who would be a backup to Cook. 

 

What do you think?  Does Cook make the top five?

Not at this time.  Give him 2 more seasons to become an NFL star

[Ethan in Cleveland]

3 hours ago, Mike in Horseheads said:

Greg Bell will always be remembered by me for the awesome game he had against the Cowboys on a very bad Bills team (1983?)

Exaclty. 80 yards to the house on the first play!!!

[danc]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Sorry, but that's laughable. 

 

You must not have seen Cookie.  He was one of the great athletes and great ball carriers of his time.   He was All-Pro four times.  

 

Braxton never led the team in rushing (haha, of course he played with Simpson), but one season he wasn't even second in rushing.  In fact, Braxton got his yards BECAUSE he played with Simpson.  Fergie would fake the pitch to Simpson and give it Braxton up the middle.  The fake to Simpson was essentially a play fake - the entire defense had to honor it, and a great offensive line created holes that anyone could run through.  Anyone just happened to be Braxton.  

I agree.  Also why specify Cookie as a FB, Jim Brown was a FB.  Brown is considered one the greatest RBs, not just FB. 

[The Firebaugh Kid]

12 hours ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

Not yet.

 

OJ

Thurman

Marshawn

McGahee

Fred

 

Id throw Henry in there too.