James Cook on IG Live - "15 mill year" EDIT: Scrubbed his IG and Doubled Down on Twitter

[Kirby Jackson]

18 minutes ago, BeastMaster said:

Dude has handled it poorly, and we saw this coming from not just him, but his brother who was also a problem. Don't state your demands publicly, and don't make it look as if you are angry with the team cause of the backlash you received for something you put out there in the first place.

 

Nobody is saying he shouldn't want to get paid. He has the right to seek an extension based on his play this season, but negotiating through the media is not something that organizations that are run well typically encourage, and now all the backlash from fans and his response has already poisoned the well to an extent. 

 

I wanted to pay the guy, and if he would've made it known to Beane through his agent I'm sure that there would have been talks, and maybe there still is or will be...who knows. But to me, a guy who chirps about his contract and then proceeds to get upset when he put it out there in the first place screams headache that is always going to be looking for a way to squeeze the most money out of the team he plays for...even if it's at the expense of others and causes problems for the team.

 

Some guys are willing to renegotiate their deals or maybe take a bit less to stick with their team if the team is successful and has other great players around them. Cook seems like the type that wants all he can get and isn't interested in helping the team by maybe taking slightly less or working the contract so they can maintain cap flexibility. I would bet that he would rather play for the Cowboys at 15 mil then the Bills at 12, and there's nothing wrong with him wanting to do that, but maybe that's not the type of player the Bills want on their team?

 

I certainly don't. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So if I’m understanding this correctly, you had no issue with him wanting more money 3 weeks ago. In fact, you supported it and he was a valued member of the team. Now that he has gone public with his demand he’s not the kind of person that we want on the team? Do I have that right? If so, we strongly disagree. I don’t care about how he asked for his money. I care that he shows up vs. KC. To each their own…

[Johnnycage46]

18 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

No, not at all. This is old school message board posting. We arent following individual people to get information from/about them. We're anonymous commenters.

 

I was joking lol. But it is 100% social media. We're posting things on the internet (either giving folks real info about ourselves or hiding behind screen names...just like Twitter). But I got your point in your initial post.

[Buffalo716]

7 hours ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Neal is decent in pass protection too. I love Neal's vision and acceleration through the holes. Also a good receiver out of the backfield. Like you said, he can spell Davis/Johnson while learning the NFL game. Cook wasn't Jimbo start of his career  

Yea he's a good back .. love his vision also 

 

Lance Leipold has a great eye for running backs going back to UB

[Taro Nimbus]

So do we trade Cook and a first to the raiders for Max Crosby and a mid round pick this year? 

[bigduke6]

to my knowledge Beane doesnt seem to be an unfair GM.  when you earn it he typically rewards you.  going public is kind of a dik move to put outside pressure on Beane.  not very professional.  you handle your business in house, not in public. 

[itaos]

14 minutes ago, bigduke6 said:

to my knowledge Beane doesnt seem to be an unfair GM.  when you earn it he typically rewards you.  going public is kind of a dik move to put outside pressure on Beane.  not very professional.  you handle your business in house, not in public. 

It's not a great look but I get why he's going about it this way. Doesn't help with fans perception and could affect trade value, but Beane likely has a number in mind that won't be influenced by social media gamesmanship.

[Chandler#81]

On 2/11/2025 at 11:27 PM, Straight Hucklebuck said:

See ya later Cook. 

 

This class is too loaded at RB to be held hostage. 

Yes, but aging a RB this offset wasn’t in the mix. RBs are getting more recognition recently and he had a great season. But not Saquan Great! DE & DE remain the primary targets.

[Kirby Jackson]

This feels timely:

 

 

[Einstein's Dog]

16 minutes ago, itaos said:

It's not a great look but I get why he's going about it this way. Doesn't help with fans perception and could affect trade value, but Beane likely has a number in mind that won't be influenced by social media gamesmanship.

Beane's number might not be influenced but his resolve to keep Cook may be changing/affected.  Beane now has a clearer idea of what he is dealing with. 

 

For instance Beane may have thought he would offer an extension to Cook of an additional two years (to add onto his contracted $5M yr) and he would have given Cook a signing bonus/guarantee of $15M with the additional two years at $11M each.  Beane now would realize he has to be careful that if the last year of an extended contract is in the Bills favor there is the distinct possibility that Cook would hold out.

[BillsFanForever19]

1 minute ago, Kirby Jackson said:

This feels timely:

 

 

 

True - but liquid cash in a contract still effects the Salary Cap. You can't say "i'm signing you to a 4 year contract with a 1m cap hit annually, but paying you 14m in cash".

[Process]

1 hour ago, Taro Nimbus said:

So do we trade Cook and a first to the raiders for Max Crosby and a mid round pick this year? 

Cook a 1 and a 4, for Crosby and a 3? I'm in. 

[Kirby Jackson]

9 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

True - but liquid cash in a contract still effects the Salary Cap. You can't say "i'm signing you to a 4 year contract with a 1m cap hit annually, but paying you 14m in cash".

Of course. I think Monson was basically saying, Mike Brown can’t cry poor. If he wants to keep that team together he can but he will be paying some big signing bonuses up front. He’s going to be pulling from the profits he’s pocketing and paying the big up front cash numbers. 

[DaVinci]

Why does he have to negotiate through the media?

 

[3rdand12]

19 minutes ago, DaVinci said:

Why does he have to negotiate through the media?

 

He's not a Pro's Pro.

 And how his whole perspective is suspect for me.

One of those cats who gets paid and then becomes a Me Me type.

 No Team player vibe in his immature attempt at creating a starting point for negotiations , in public no less.

Beane is smart enough to be aware of whats what.

 poor start to the offseason Cook.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

19 minutes ago, 3rdand12 said:

He's not a Pro's Pro.

 And how his whole perspective is suspect for me.

One of those cats who gets paid and then becomes a Me Me type.

 No Team player vibe in his immature attempt at creating a starting point for negotiations , in public no less.

Beane is smart enough to be aware of whats what.

 poor start to the offseason Cook.

I mean scrubbing your Instagram is a standard play, but it’s not like the Bills have screwed him over.

 

This is the first offseason where they can extend him. 
 

$15M is not outrageous. The market is always being reset.

 

If $10M - $12M is palatable for most fans, then $15M isn’t far off.

 

The bigger interest for me is what is the backup plan if those negotiations go poorly - I just don’t want the pivot to be Ty Johnson and Ray Davis are good enough. 

 

And then the second part is the philosophy of the Bills this offseason. Can they both swing for the fences and extend their own players after reworking the cap. 
 

 

Edited February 13 by Straight Hucklebuck

[Jay_Fixit]

Cook is not even arguably the 2nd best weapon on the offense. 
 

Some of your takes in here are beyond awful.

 

And that isn’t even directed at the 40% of you who just became fans the past 5 years.

[BeastMaster]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

So if I’m understanding this correctly, you had no issue with him wanting more money 3 weeks ago. In fact, you supported it and he was a valued member of the team. Now that he has gone public with his demand he’s not the kind of person that we want on the team? Do I have that right? If so, we strongly disagree. I don’t care about how he asked for his money. I care that he shows up vs. KC. To each their own…

I had no issue with him wanting to get an extension in the 30-33 million range with about half guaranteed for an additional three years. I do however have an issue with him putting out he wants 15 mil/year to the world and then getting upset cause of some people's reactions on social media.

 

And, yes...now that he has shown this type of behavior I question whether he's the type of guy that the Bills want in their locker room. I question his motivation and whether he wants to win or get paid. Me first guys that cause issues unless they get what they want and team be damned probably aren't the best fit for this roster.

 

Hopefully I'm way off base and we have this all wrong and Cook wants to be here on a deal that works for both sides

[DaVinci]

Id trade him to Cleveland, I Think the Bills should post him with  a Cleveland uniform. We just got rid of a child.

Edited February 13 by DaVinci

[gonzo1105]

I think smart business would be to keep him on the 5 million, franchise tag him next year and see what his market is on the tag, if you reach a deal that’s great. If not get some value for him.

 

If no one has trade interest at that salary, play him on the tag , let him go and take the comp pick. 
 

Use a draft pick on a RB this year and re-sign Johnson and keep 4 on the roster this year. Cook re-signs the Rookir replaces Ty Johnson, if he doesn’t you have your replacement for Cook. 
 

I think Lequint Allen from Syracuse would be a great mid round pick 

[Big Blitz]

Everyone R-E-L-A-X

 

This is what RBs do now come contract time.  
 

Remember a few years back they started going on Twitter and posting how shocked at how little their cohorts were getting paid vs WRs like Kirk or Gabe Davis (crazy it’s the same team).  

Every player in the league sympathizes with them knowing owners do not want to commit cap to them.  
 

 

 

This doesn’t concern me at all.