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

[billsfan89]

I would offer Cook a 2 year extension at 20 million (10 million a year from 2026-27) that also adds 3.5 million to this years salary. Tell Cook he's got two options play out your deal and hit the market or tell him he can take an extension that's gonna give him a raise this season and 15 million in guaranteed money the next two seasons. Then he can still hit the free agency market again at age 29 for one last bite at the apple. 23.5 million in new money with 18.5 guaranteed (3.5 in new money for 2025 and 15 million guaranteed for the next two). Bills get Cook for the short term locked up and happy Cook gets his money.

 

If Cook doesn't like it tell him then he can take a small raise to play this season (like 1.5 million) and then hit the market as a free agent and take his chances. If he balks at that then he can hold out and lose money. 

[Charles Romes]

Don’t let the door hit you when you Le’Veon. 

Edited Thursday at 08:42 PM by Charles Romes

[BarleyNY]

50 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

What do you feel this means, practically speaking?

That he’s inexperienced, which increases the likelihood that he’ll make a mistake in one direction or the other. Maybe he feels like he has to make a name for himself and overplays his hand. Or he feels like he’s gotta get a deal done and buckles when Beane pushes back. Could be anything in between. 

 

Looking at Dalvin’s deal, it got done after year 3 of his rookie deal (same as James now). It got signed just before week 1 of the season. Five year extension on top of his existing year. The AAV of the 5 extension years ranked 5th in the league in 2020 at $12.6M. He only played 3 of the 6 seasons and got about $27M total for the 3 seasons. That’s about one season at the rookie rate plus two at the AAV rate. 

 

I guess we just have to wait and see if he tries to reset the market or is good with a market value deal. Good chance that it drags on for a bit based on Dalvin’s timeline too. 

[Alphadawg7]

4 hours ago, Call_Of_Ktulu said:

If you can’t trade him that means nobody will pay a RB like him 15mil. He is a good RB but without the spy on Allen he would be getting stuffed. 8 to 10 mil is as high as I would go and I hate paying RB’s.

 

Good post and honestly, I don't know how more people don't see it this way either.  As much as I would like to see Cook stay, being honest about him, he is a 2 down back that is a liability in pass pro who benefits greatly from a great OL and a QB that defenses need to fear as a runner and as a QB with the best arm in the game.  

 

Cook reminds me a bit of guys like Deion Branch, Peerless Price, etc where they excelled in the specific environments they were in, but struggled after they got traded in other situations.  Is he really that good or is he really benefitting from being along side Allen and behind this OL to where he is over achieving?  

 

I mean Davis had a great game in the one game he started for Cook, and journeyman Ty has been the 3rd down RB over Cook with Allen even calling him the best 3rd down back in the league. 

 

I am with you and like the 8 to 10 million range myself, and if that cant get it done (which doesn't seem like it would) I would at least start gauging his trade value/interest around the league, especially heading into a strong draft to be looking for a RB replacement.

[Yard Monkey]

5 hours ago, Charles Romes said:

Don’t let the door hit you when you Le’Veon. 

Well Le’Veon

Le’Veon likes his money

Could have made a lot they say (if he wasn’t a jackass and force his way to the Jets). Cook should tread with care…his bro made his way to the Jets if I recall…that worked out well 😳

 

 

[ghostwriter]

I have 42 dislikes on my opening post, I will be reveling in all my glory when James Cook gets re-signed.

[QCity]

16 hours ago, HerdMenatlity1 said:

I just changed my screen name. Hope you don’t mind. 😂😂😂😂

 

Probably should have ran it through spellcheck first, Mr. Menatlity.

[BillsFanForever19]

3 hours ago, ghostwriter said:

I have 42 dislikes on my opening post, I will be reveling in all my glory when James Cook gets re-signed.

 

I don't think the 42 Dislikes are for re-signing James Cook.

 

The 42 Dislikes (or at least most of them) have to do with you saying he's worth 15m a year and they should pay him 15m a year.

 

If they do re-sign him, it won't be at 15m a year.

[ghostwriter]

34 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

I don't think the 42 Dislikes are for re-signing James Cook.

 

The 42 Dislikes (or at least most of them) have to do with you saying he's worth 15m a year and they should pay him 15m a year.

 

If they do re-sign him, it won't be at 15m a year.

So what if he gets a little less? It was more so an endorsement of the player.

[Dablitzkrieg]

 

 

[The Jokeman]

1 minute ago, Dablitzkrieg said:

 

 

As he should but the market shows that he might be more inline to get $9-10 million per season. Granted that could change after this offseason. 

[HappyDays]

3 minutes ago, Dablitzkrieg said:

 

 

 

This is looking more and more like a holdout situation.

 

Quote

Cook wrote that he’s looking for $15 million per season, which would be the second-highest average annual salary among running backs. Cook’s approach to coming contract negotiations was a topic of conversation during a Thursday appearance on Nightcap with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco.

 

Cook said he believes that running backs have proven themselves to be “valuable” and that their compensation should reflect the role they play on winning teams. When it came to his own demandes, Cook said “I just want to get what I deserve” and that he doesn’t want that desire to create any negative waves around the team.

 

“I’m gonna stand on what I stand on,” Cook said. “I don’t want to feel like a cancer at all ‘cause I don’t like that attention. That’s not me, honestly. I’m just standing on business, man, and what I deserve.”

 

[Royale with Cheese]

Cook, our 1st rounder and Rousseau for Garrett.  Is that enough?

[The Jokeman]

2 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

Cook, our 1st rounder and Rousseau for Garrett.  Is that enough?

Too much IMO. 

[Kirby Jackson]

7 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

Cook, our 1st rounder and Rousseau for Garrett.  Is that enough?

 

4 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

Too much IMO. 

 That won’t get it done (or be close to getting it done IMO). Both Cook and Rousseau are up for raises. As soon as Rousseau signs his deal, he will be overpaid. He’s a quality starter. He isn’t a $20M a year guy. I think Cook will end up at $12.5M AAV. That’s a pretty big number but not way out of whack. That’s just okay value for Cleveland when coupled with the 30th pick. As this  process has played out, it’s feels to me like the Bills will need 2 1sts + to have a shot. The fact that they will be projected to pick later in the round hurts them. I’m thinking now something like Cook or Rousseau, 2 firsts & a 3rd or something like that (if they like Rousseau). 

[Warriorspikes51]

20 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

Too much IMO. 

 

The Browns IMO aren't going to want to take on a 15 mil RB and 18 mil DE.  They have lots of cap issues 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m gonna stand on what I stand on,” Cook said. “I don’t want to feel like a cancer at all ‘cause I don’t like that attention. That’s not me, honestly. I’m just standing on business, man, and what I deserve.”

Well then, why not just have your agent handle this??   Unless he advised Cook to put public pressure on the Bills based on how conversations went 

Edited 17 hours ago by Warriorspikes51

[Nephilim17]

5 hours ago, ghostwriter said:

So what if he gets a little less? It was more so an endorsement of the player.

It wasn't simply "an endorsement of the player." It was explicitly an endorsement to sign him at $15 million per. Here's your quote.
 

"He’s worth it. He should be a priority. He’s worth every penny. If Allen is having a bad game Cook can carry the team." 

No one doesn't want to endorse Cook as a player. But every player (even Josh) has a value and with a salary cap hard decisions have to be made on when to let a player go if he's asking for more than the value the front office ascribes to him.

If Josh demanded $100 million per year (not that he ever would), people would say No. If Benford demanded $35 million per year, people would say no. That's what people are reacting to, not an overall barometer of "is Cook good?".

[Mat68]

36 minutes ago, Nephilim17 said:

It wasn't simply "an endorsement of the player." It was explicitly an endorsement to sign him at $15 million per. Here's your quote.
 

"He’s worth it. He should be a priority. He’s worth every penny. If Allen is having a bad game Cook can carry the team." 

No one doesn't want to endorse Cook as a player. But every player (even Josh) has a value and with a salary cap hard decisions have to be made on when to let a player go if he's asking for more than the value the front office ascribes to him.

If Josh demanded $100 million per year (not that he ever would), people would say No. If Benford demanded $35 million per year, people would say no. That's what people are reacting to, not an overall barometer of "is Cook good?".

True.  But that would be Allen asking for 45% over the top of the market.  Cook isn't doing anything but asking for top of the market.  With front loaded deals, rosters bonus, and other incentives with escalators.  A 15 mil a year deal on paper could look like 11-12 mil per year against the cap.  
 

I have said multiple times Buffalo has the ability to make all these maneuvers without playing an either or game.  If Cook is traded or not extended it better be with a major addition made to the offense.  Simply replacing him with another day 2 rookie doesn’t work for me.   

[Nephilim17]

15 minutes ago, Mat68 said:

Cook isn't doing anything but asking for top of the market.

Sorry, but I and a lot of people don't think a two-down back like Cook is worth top of the market. Given a lot of folks think 10 million is his worth, my Josh example isn't that crazy far off as an analogue. 

If we had the cap space, most of us wouldn't care that much. But we don't. And we may need to sign difference makers in more important positions (DE, DT, boundary WR, CB2) etc. if we don't draft them.

I guess I'm wasting my time when I type that, historically, it's far easier to get good running back production with a lower draft pick or FA than it is to find difference-makers in the positions I listed. 

[Einstein's Dog]

1 hour ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 

The Browns IMO aren't going to want to take on a 15 mil RB and 18 mil DE.  They have lots of cap issues 

 

“I’m gonna stand on what I stand on,” Cook said. “I don’t want to feel like a cancer at all ‘cause I don’t like that attention. That’s not me, honestly. I’m just standing on business, man, and what I deserve.”

Well then, why not just have your agent handle this??   Unless he advised Cook to put public pressure on the Bills based on how conversations went 

I'm thinking more along the lines of a 1st, a 2nd, J Cook and Elam for Garrett and Newsome.   

 

Cook's salary is just $5M this year but of course they inherit the whole problem that is brewing.  We in turn get the problem that Newsome has salary wise.