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

[Dablitzkrieg]

1 hour ago, Sweats said:

Get rid of Cook, keep Davis and draft Skattebo

Skattebo is garbage.

12 hours ago, HerdMentality said:

 

Maybe DM me, Joe. You've monetized it. Probably tm'd it. You might want to protect your longterm brand.

 

I can be reasonable if you are.

Are you ok sir?  

[DrDawkinstein]

1 hour ago, HerdMentality said:

 

Maybe DM me, Joe. You've monetized it. Probably tm'd it. You might want to protect your longterm brand.

 

I can be reasonable if you are.

 

[Mat68]

19 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

I dunno what part the agent plays in this.  I think it's pretty clear players do things all the time without their agents' direction, and sometimes that their agents do damage control for.  I wasn't paying attention during Dalvin Cook's contract negotiations 'cuz, not my guy, not my team, but both Cooks do have the same agency.

 

At the time Cook said about the toe injury, "It's getting better. Just improving every day," Cook said after Saturday's practice. "Trying to get it back stronger, and go out there and help the team, like I said, I'm just taking it day by day, treatment, see what, how I feel on Monday."  That sounds entirely like a guy who plans to play but knows he might not be able to.  He and his agent both know it's a national game, all players like to excel on a national stage.

 

Puffing that into "I could tell what he was all about" as a player or as a negotiator seems like a stretch.

The bottom line is, the Bills don't have to negotiate with Cook at all.  He's under contract to them for another year.  He plays for us or for no one.

 

Um, no.  No, he's not the best weapon on offense.  That was, is, and remains, Allen.  Who by the way, is grossly under-paid by today's market.

 

I want to see Allen keep his playmakers and add to them, sure.  But I want to see a better defense on the opposite side of the field, as well.

 

It's not about "protecting billionaires money", it's about a finite salary cap, and about how once you pay one guy substantially over market value, the rest of the team watches and says "where's mine?"

Allen is the Qb.  Not named Allen, Cook is 2nd and 3rd isnt close.  He needs players around him.  Sure 15 is top of the market.  Likely just a starting point.  Compared to every other position 15 mil a year is not that much.  I want to experience a Superbowl win.  I don't care about how solvent Buffalos cap is.  Reason why I compared Phillys money in Void years and Buffalos.  359 mil in void years is the owner.  Buffalo is over 300 million less.  Everyone has the same rules and options. But tell me more how finite the money is?  Philly pays Hurts more than Allen.  Pay Smith, pay Brown, pay both tackles, Slay and can afford Barkley.  Yet Cook is too much for Buffalo to afford? 

[SCBills]

14 minutes ago, Mat68 said:

Allen is the Qb.  Not named Allen, Cook is 2nd and 3rd isnt close.  He needs players around him.  Sure 15 is top of the market.  Likely just a starting point.  Compared to every other position 15 mil a year is not that much.  I want to experience a Superbowl win.  I don't care about how solvent Buffalos cap is.  Reason why I compared Phillys money in Void years and Buffalos.  359 mil in void years is the owner.  Buffalo is over 300 million less.  Everyone has the same rules and options. But tell me more how finite the money is?  Philly pays Hurts more than Allen.  Pay Smith, pay Brown, pay both tackles, Slay and can afford Barkley.  Yet Cook is too much for Buffalo to afford? 

 

If Cook was Barkley, I'd be more open to this.

 

He's not.

 

He's very good.  And we keep paying very good players while Philly pays elite players in Barkley, Brown, Smith etc.. Which, along with drafting extremely well, is why they win Super Bowls. 

 

Edited Tuesday at 03:54 PM by SCBills

[Mat68]

22 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

Have you heard of the salary cap? No reason to overpay a player because they’re throwing out ridiculous numbers publicly. And posting on social media counts as publicly saying words. I’d love for Pegula to open the purse strings and adopt the Eagles salary cap model, but that does not mean overpaying players as doing so would immediately and completely destroy the advantage it is designed to create. Lastly, no, the Bills do not need to make this work. They should offer a fair deal at market value. If Cook doesn’t want to make that work, then it’s on him not the Bills. 

So your first point is invalid.  You are ok with Buffalo not spending like other teams.  Yes, Cooks contract is a drop in the bucket in NFL pro bowl contracts.  Whether its 10,11,12,13 or 15 a year.  Buffalo can keep good players and add new ones.  Getting upset at a guy coming off a career year again is protecting the Billionaires money.  Cook is 25 without an injury history and an incredibly low career workload dating back through college.  He has a case for being paid tops in the league.  Will his ultimately? Probably not but if you don't ask you don't get.

 

I will not be ok with letting Diggs go than the following year letting Cook go.  This is 1 step forward 2 steps back.  Getting ride of Allens best weapon is not a recipe for success.  This is drought era Bills all over again.  Let your best players leave draft their replacements.  Started with Winnfield and stopped in 2020.  I dont want to do that again.    

1 minute ago, SCBills said:

 

If Cook was Barkley, I'd be more open to this.

 

He's not.

 

He's very good.  And we keep paying very good players while Philly pays elite players in Barkley, Brown, Smith etc.. Which, along with drafting extremely well, is why they win Super Bowls. 

 

Smith and Hurts are elite now?  

[SCBills]

2 minutes ago, Mat68 said:

So your first point is invalid.  You are ok with Buffalo not spending like other teams.  Yes, Cooks contract is a drop in the bucket in NFL pro bowl contracts.  Whether its 10,11,12,13 or 15 a year.  Buffalo can keep good players and add new ones.  Getting upset at a guy coming off a career year again is protecting the Billionaires money.  Cook is 25 without an injury history and an incredibly low career workload dating back through college.  He has a case for being paid tops in the league.  Will his ultimately? Probably not but if you don't ask you don't get.

 

I will not be ok with letting Diggs go than the following year letting Cook go.  This is 1 step forward 2 steps back.  Getting ride of Allens best weapon is not a recipe for success.  This is drought era Bills all over again.  Let your best players leave draft their replacements.  Started with Winnfield and stopped in 2020.  I dont want to do that again.    

Smith and Hurts are elite now?  

 

Where did I say Hurts is elite?

 

Devonta Smith is better than any WR we have. 

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, Mat68 said:

Allen is the Qb.  Not named Allen, Cook is 2nd and 3rd isnt close.  He needs players around him.  Sure 15 is top of the market.  Likely just a starting point.  Compared to every other position 15 mil a year is not that much.  I want to experience a Superbowl win.  I don't care about how solvent Buffalos cap is.  Reason why I compared Phillys money in Void years and Buffalos.  359 mil in void years is the owner.  Buffalo is over 300 million less.  Everyone has the same rules and options. But tell me more how finite the money is?  Philly pays Hurts more than Allen.  Pay Smith, pay Brown, pay both tackles, Slay and can afford Barkley.  Yet Cook is too much for Buffalo to afford? 

 

OK, so we agree Cook is not, in fact, the best weapon on offense.

 

He's an excellent weapon, and we agree that I want Buffalo to keep all its offensive weapons, and keep them happy if we can.  That definitely means negotiating with Cook and trying to get him an extension while he's still under contract.

 

It doesn't mean pay him $15M

The Bills tried to buy a Superbowl when they signed Von Miller.  We know how that story ended - not well for the Bills.  

[BarleyNY]

1 hour ago, Mat68 said:

So your first point is invalid.  You are ok with Buffalo not spending like other teams.  Yes, Cooks contract is a drop in the bucket in NFL pro bowl contracts.  Whether its 10,11,12,13 or 15 a year.  Buffalo can keep good players and add new ones.  Getting upset at a guy coming off a career year again is protecting the Billionaires money.  Cook is 25 without an injury history and an incredibly low career workload dating back through college.  He has a case for being paid tops in the league.  Will his ultimately? Probably not but if you don't ask you don't get.

 

I will not be ok with letting Diggs go than the following year letting Cook go.  This is 1 step forward 2 steps back.  Getting ride of Allens best weapon is not a recipe for success.  This is drought era Bills all over again.  Let your best players leave draft their replacements.  Started with Winnfield and stopped in 2020.  I dont want to do that again.    

You have a lot wrong in your post. I’m going to focus on the most important points you got wrong.

 

I never said that I was okay with the Bills “not spending like other teams”. For starters, they do spend as much or more than other teams. Up until this past season they’d been a top 6 spender for several years. But the Eagles (and Browns) found a way to spend more. I’d like them to be the third team to adopt that model. 

 

I’m not protecting a billionaire’s money. I’m advocating for spending wisely and maximizing the talent on this team because of, you know, that pesky salary cap. So why are you in favor of overpaying Cook? What about overpaying other players? If not, why not them when Cook gets more than his value? Seems a great recipe to stay slide back from where we are now. 

 

Cook is not a special player. He’s limited as an overall back, though I think his vision is elite and he is an excellent runner. Still, his pass pro sucks, he is only a fair receiver and his snaps are limited to <50% because of his limitations in the passing game and durability due to his size. Why would you make a player like that the second highest paid at his position? 

 

 

[LabattBlue]

1 minute ago, BarleyNY said:

Cook is not a special player. He’s limited as an overall back, though I think his vision is elite and he is an excellent runner. Still, his pass pro sucks, he is only a fair receiver and his snaps are limited to <50% because of his limitations in the passing game and durability due to his size. Why would you make a player like that the second highest paid at his position? 

Well said!  👏🏻👏🏻

[Mat68]

1 hour ago, SCBills said:

 

Where did I say Hurts is elite?

 

Devonta Smith is better than any WR we have. 

Comparing rosters you pointed out Cook is not elite I was sarcastically pointing out neither was Hurts or Smith. Its more age, potential and market.  With Barkley and Henry being a success I could see a large market for Cook.  Cook would be significantly less than Hurts or Smith at 15 mil per.  Again.  Buffalo isnt paying anyone.  They easily can pay Cook without an issue.  Character assassination over wanting a new deal is crazy.  Buffalo can sign Cook.  They can trade for a De.  They dont have to choose.  The lack of action is the front office and likely ownerships choice.  Not Cook wanting 3-5 mil more than some think he is worth.     

[RichRiderBills]

Cook was 16th in rushing yards, 19th in attempts. 

 

He's a very good balanced back, but that's not top dollar money. His TD production was elite, but I do feel we have such a good OL the production could be made up. 

 

The price for cook now is 8-9 million per year. Maybe he sees 13-14 million in the last year of a 4 year extension. 

 

I do love the guy and do want him back. 

[Mat68]

10 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

You have a lot wrong in your post. I’m going to focus on the most important points you got wrong.

 

I never said that I was okay with the Bills “not spending like other teams”. For starters, they do spend as much or more than other teams. Up until this past season they’d been a top 6 spender for several years. But the Eagles (and Browns) found a way to spend more. I’d like them to be the third team to adopt that model. 

 

I’m not protecting a billionaire’s money. I’m advocating for spending wisely and maximizing the talent on this team because of, you know, that pesky salary cap. So why are you in favor of overpaying Cook? What about overpaying other players? If not, why not them when Cook gets more than his value? Seems a great recipe to stay slide back from where we are now. 

 

Cook is not a special player. He’s limited as an overall back, though I think his vision is elite and he is an excellent runner. Still, his pass pro sucks, he is only a fair receiver and his snaps are limited to <50% because of his limitations in the passing game and durability due to his size. Why would you make a player like that the second highest paid at his position? 

 

 

The market dictates the price.  Rb is also a very depressed market.  With his age, injury history and career workload I think the next 3-4 years will be his best years.  Now as a fan.  Are the Bills better without Cook and a premium pick used for his replacement? Or are they better with Cook and a premium pick used to enhance the roster elsewhere?  I think thats an easy answer they are better with him.  Cheaper cap wise to do it now.  They have the money and ability to make it digestible in the short and long term.  If those 2 things are true why is Cook so bad for asking for it?  You dont think he is worth it ok.  The team isn't better without him and the they are just plugging holes on a boat my making new ones imo.

[SCBills]

21 minutes ago, Mat68 said:

Comparing rosters you pointed out Cook is not elite I was sarcastically pointing out neither was Hurts or Smith. Its more age, potential and market.  With Barkley and Henry being a success I could see a large market for Cook.  Cook would be significantly less than Hurts or Smith at 15 mil per.  Again.  Buffalo isnt paying anyone.  They easily can pay Cook without an issue.  Character assassination over wanting a new deal is crazy.  Buffalo can sign Cook.  They can trade for a De.  They dont have to choose.  The lack of action is the front office and likely ownerships choice.  Not Cook wanting 3-5 mil more than some think he is worth.     

 

I think I'm getting more to the place where I just want him traded for a Day 2 pick and not pay him at all, tbh.  It's not about not paying Cook.. it's about using that money elsewhere.

 

I'd rather put 10-15M towards a DL piece or outside WR and roll with Davis, Johnson and a rookie RB.

 

Edited Tuesday at 06:00 PM by SCBills

[Mat68]

5 minutes ago, SCBills said:

 

I think I'm getting more to the place where I just want him traded for a Day 2 pick and not pay him at all, tbh.  It's not about not paying Cook.. it's about using that money elsewhere.

 

I'd rather put 10-15M towards a DL piece or outside WR and roll with Davis, Johnson and a rookie RB.

 

I put that the front office and Ownership.  With void years and an extra year with 25 included in an extension his cap hit would be small.  They have the ability to do both.  It does not have to be either or.  Both.  Keep Cook, bring in an impact Dlineman.  If a trade isnt workable bring in a Db and Wr.  Improve the roster.  

[BarleyNY]

14 minutes ago, Mat68 said:

The market dictates the price.  Rb is also a very depressed market.  With his age, injury history and career workload I think the next 3-4 years will be his best years.  Now as a fan.  Are the Bills better without Cook and a premium pick used for his replacement? Or are they better with Cook and a premium pick used to enhance the roster elsewhere?  I think thats an easy answer they are better with him.  Cheaper cap wise to do it now.  They have the money and ability to make it digestible in the short and long term.  If those 2 things are true why is Cook so bad for asking for it?  You dont think he is worth it ok.  The team isn't better without him and the they are just plugging holes on a boat my making new ones imo.

The current market is nowhere near what Cook is asking for. I outlined what I thought was fair market value for him earlier in this thread. Feel free to comment on that or be specific about what you think he’s worth. 

 

Conveniently you’ve left some important facts out of your comparison - the cash and cap space allocated to Cook in a new deal could be used elsewhere if the Bills went in another direction this offseason or next. Plus any pick they would receive from a trade partner or via the comp pick formula. 

 

Cheaper to do it now? Not if the price is $15M, it’s not. It’d be way cheaper to let him play out his $5.3M 2025 season and then franchise him for less than $15M in 2026 if you wanted to keep him for two seasons. 

[Mat68]

53 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

The current market is nowhere near what Cook is asking for. I outlined what I thought was fair market value for him earlier in this thread. Feel free to comment on that or be specific about what you think he’s worth. 

 

Conveniently you’ve left some important facts out of your comparison - the cash and cap space allocated to Cook in a new deal could be used elsewhere if the Bills went in another direction this offseason or next. Plus any pick they would receive from a trade partner or via the comp pick formula. 

 

Cheaper to do it now? Not if the price is $15M, it’s not. It’d be way cheaper to let him play out his $5.3M 2025 season and then franchise him for less than $15M in 2026 if you wanted to keep him for two seasons. 

Id assume 11-13 per.  I was going off 15 because that is apparently the sky is falling number.  Cap allocation comes down to how creative they want to be.  They could say they cant sign anyone because they are currently negative cap wise. They can create 10 mil 15 mil 50 mil.  With whatever they do they can use void years to minimize whatever cap hit they want for that cap.  Thats why im not looking at has a hard number because all the different variables are at the teams disposal to say and do what they want with them.  Again Philly has 359,000,000 in void years money and Buffalo has 35,000,000.  Start of camp I want a better team on paper than the one that played in January.  Starting by trading away a starter and a pick they hit on for another pick in the same rd or less doesn't help get us there.  Cook is included for Parsons or Garrett now Im listening.  Outside of that I see it as a net loss.

Edited Tuesday at 07:18 PM by Mat68

[billsfan714]

The bottom line...Cook can ask for what he wants....doesn't mean he is going to get it.  Nobody is going to pay him more than a guy who just put up 2000 yards.   Last I looked Barkley was at about 12.5M.   Cook isnt going to get more than Saquon.   Im not losing my mind because he posted some unrealistic number.

[TheBeaneBandit]

3 hours ago, SCBills said:

 

I think I'm getting more to the place where I just want him traded for a Day 2 pick and not pay him at all, tbh.  It's not about not paying Cook.. it's about using that money elsewhere.

 

I'd rather put 10-15M towards a DL piece or outside WR and roll with Davis, Johnson and a rookie RB.

 

I'm totally good with trading Cook for a low 2nd or high 3rd and drafting the Ohio State back Henderson.

[Kirby Jackson]

Not sure if this is in the thread or not. Full disclosure, I haven’t watched it but respect Cover 1:

 

 

[TheFunPolice]

Pay Cook.

 

He's one of our players who shows up and makes plays when the games are biggest (except when he's standing there on the freaking sideline holding his helmet when we need a drive in the AFC Title Game, but I digress...) 

 

That's a skill you can't put a price tag on. The guy is excellent at what he does and is one of our few reliable offensive weapons. 

 

Remember that Cook took a few seasons to really develop. We don't want to start over right now at RB. This team needs some urgency.