Bills halt contract negotiations with Cook

[CheshireCT]

14 hours ago, Draconator said:

 

This is a nothing burger. Some ESPN AI Bot took Beane's comments, and created a click-bait article that's sure to get TBD talking and up to 50 pages. 

It is actually what he said, the headline is just as dramatic as it can be. That’s the news… haha

I credit Beane’s honesty, while not throwing players under the bus, even when he doesn’t like their behavior.

[BuffaloBill]

The message all point to the fact that Cook has not been willing to do a fair but team friendly deal. Every extension announced so far has had these elements.  Additionally Cooke took his view public.  Sorry but you just do not overpay RB’s in today’s NFL. Cook is not stout enough in pass blocking to play all three downs. The Bills clearly know this. Some team out there will probably overpay him. This is Cook’s last season as a Bill.

[HerdMenatlity1]

13 hours ago, Billzgobowlin said:

He should not have gone public and shouldn't have set the bar that high.  I'm guessing Beane says prove you are worth 15 million a year next year.  He needs to be a difference maker on offense and he's not there yet.

Yeah, leading the league in rushing tds isn’t elite. If espn is right he was tied with Henry and Gibbs for the league lead with 16. More than Barkley, B. Robinson, D. Montgomery, etc. 

Step 1 in contract negotiations is start high, if you’re the player. 

[BuffaloRebound]

Bills hold most of the cards here.  I’m sure Beane is cool letting Cook play out this year then letting him hit free agency since paying RB’s is not a winning strategy.  And in a RB heavy draft, I’m sure Beane would also happily take a 2nd rounder this year and find his replacement in a good draft for RB’s.  

[ProcessTruster]

1 hour ago, SoCal Deek said:

One day Cook is going to figure out that foundering on a team with little to no chance of playing meaningful games in December and January isn’t worth the extra cash. You only get one career. In the end, your accomplishments mean way more to you than the pay check.

not to many, many, esp. young NFL guys from shi--ty backgrounds... the cash is king.  its all about the bag.   

 

Half the guys in the NFL are mercenaries first, goal seeking idealists second.. 

[BuffaloRebound]

6 minutes ago, ProcessTruster said:

not to many, many, esp. young NFL guys from shi--ty backgrounds... the cash is king.  its all about the bag.   

 

Half the guys in the NFL are mercenaries first, goal seeking idealists second.. 

I got no problems with Cook’s stance.  This is his one and only chance for a huge deal, but Beane still holds most of the cards.  Holding out will not help Cook get a bigger contract.  If I’m Beane, I agree to let Cook hit free agency next year if he’s a good soldier this year and doesn’t hold out.  

[Thrivefourfive]

13 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

In the Ja'marr Chase/CeeDee Lamb class? Absolutely.

 

He's our 2nd best player on Offense, behind only the league MVP. He has the ability to take it to the house on any play and had MULTIPLE 45+ yd TD runs last year.

I have dreams of watching him separate with 30 yards of daylight to paydirt and only a corner with speed+angle could catch him. 
 

If pass pro is the only thing keeping him form being a three down back for 2+ seasons (apparently this is my new window for his useable talents at a $12.5/yr contract 😂) then Cook and Brady need to figure that out, which THEY CAN.

 

Cook is ascending, and I’m in the camp of paying him as that threat on offensive / not losing our second best player in back to back seasons, this time because of money. 

[ddaryl]

12 minutes ago, BuffaloRebound said:

I got no problems with Cook’s stance.  This is his one and only chance for a huge deal, but Beane still holds most of the cards.  Holding out will not help Cook get a bigger contract.  If I’m Beane, I agree to let Cook hit free agency next year if he’s a good soldier this year and doesn’t hold out.  

I would do nothing he either plays the full season and we can try again next offseason, and if that doesn't work we can trasition tag him and try to trade him ourselves.

Bottom line is Cook is under contract and if he holds out he will only be hurting himself long term.... He deserves an extension but as a 2 down back and that comes in a lot less that $15 million per

[oldmanfan]

Both sides are correct here.  Cook has done a good job, wants more $$, and starts the bidding at a high number to give room to negotiate.  Beane is right to focus on the draft right now, and to let Cook sit for a while given RB is an easier position to replace if need be.  Both sides know he is under contract this upcoming year.  Cook knows he’ll have to play to showcase his talent and get the big deal he wants.  Beane knows he’ll play too.

 

So there is time to do a deal.  I’d say it’s 50/50 that Cook is here in 2026.

[Homey D. Clown]

How about an NFL rule change that states very clearly that if you hold out you get exactly $0.00 until you show up, and IF... you don't play 4 games or more, you're entire salary is suspended.  As a player you SIGNED the existing contract.  You AGREED to the terms.  The team should not have to be held hostage every time a player feels underpaid AS A MILLIONAIRE.

 

This ^^^^   is what's killing my love for the game today.

[Warcodered]

16 hours ago, Logic said:

It would be far more accurate to say "Bills GM says contract with Cook not likely before NFL draft", but where are the clicks in that?

This is a great lesson in how the way that you word a headline can make the news contained within seem much more loaded and nefarious sounding than it really was, even if it's technically accurate.

 

Yeah it's dumb, even if Beane said it there's no meaning to it at all, he said there wouldn't be splash signings the year we signed Von Miller. At best it indicates negotiations to get it done now aren't the focus and Beane is perfectly willing to roll through Cooks last year, probably means a RB in the draft is in the cards.

[HOUSE]

15 hours ago, Joe Marino said:

Kid was so stupid. And don’t pretend the Bills won’t curtail his reps. It only makes sense to get Davis and Johnson more involved! Not gonna be a fun season for Jimbo…

But the Bills no longer have a Jimbo?

[DrDawkinstein]

55 minutes ago, Thrivefourfive said:

I have dreams of watching him separate with 30 yards of daylight to paydirt and only a corner with speed+angle could catch him. 
 

If pass pro is the only thing keeping him form being a three down back for 2+ seasons (apparently this is my new window for his useable talents at a $12.5/yr contract 😂) then Cook and Brady need to figure that out, which THEY CAN.

 

Cook is ascending, and I’m in the camp of paying him as that threat on offensive / not losing our second best player in back to back seasons, this time because of money. 

 

I'll never forget the moment in the first Miami game where he burst through the line, hit the second level, and only #21 on Miami was left to stop him. #21 being Poyer I jumped up knowing Cook was taking that to the house. He toasted Poyer and cruised in.

 

We were up 24-7 by halftime, and all 3 of our TDs were scored by Cook. A 20yd pass reception TD, a short yardage 1st and Goal 1yd power run, and a 49yd take it to the house run on the first play of the possession.

 

Who needs him to pass block when he's so busy scoring TDs?

[Einstein's Dog]

25 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

Both sides are correct here.  Cook has done a good job, wants more $$, and starts the bidding at a high number to give room to negotiate.  Beane is right to focus on the draft right now, and to let Cook sit for a while given RB is an easier position to replace if need be.  Both sides know he is under contract this upcoming year.  Cook knows he’ll have to play to showcase his talent and get the big deal he wants.  Beane knows he’ll play too.

 

So there is time to do a deal.  I’d say it’s 50/50 that Cook is here in 2026.

No, Cook's team (with the amateur agent and devious Dalvin) have not done a good job.  The idea of starting with a high number on social media may backfire big time.  If that figure was never released there would be much more support for Cook.

 

This may be a blessing for the FO.  What if the FO never wanted to pay an RB big money?  Cook's team has given the FO an out -the fanbase is clearly on the side of Beane.  The trick now is for Beane to get Cook to play on his current contract this season.

 

As for Cook knowing he has to play - I'm not so sure about that.  Seems like most think Cook could get $12M if he were on the open market now.  Playing as a 2 down back again in 2025 doesn't change that figure, so Cook may not want to risk it.  

 

As for the "given RB is an easier position to replace if need be", it's the "need be" part of the equation that is tricky.  The RB room is kind of full for 2025 right now if you include Cook.  But if Cook is going to sit out 11 games you may want to draft another RB in the upcoming draft.

[oldmanfan]

7 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

No, Cook's team (with the amateur agent and devious Dalvin) have not done a good job.  The idea of starting with a high number on social media may backfire big time.  If that figure was never released there would be much more support for Cook.

 

This may be a blessing for the FO.  What if the FO never wanted to pay an RB big money?  Cook's team has given the FO an out -the fanbase is clearly on the side of Beane.  The trick now is for Beane to get Cook to play on his current contract this season.

 

As for Cook knowing he has to play - I'm not so sure about that.  Seems like most think Cook could get $12M if he were on the open market now.  Playing as a 2 down back again in 2025 doesn't change that figure, so Cook may not want to risk it.  

 

As for the "given RB is an easier position to replace if need be", it's the "need be" part of the equation that is tricky.  The RB room is kind of full for 2025 right now if you include Cook.  But if Cook is going to sit out 11 games you may want to draft another RB in the upcoming draft.

Starting out at a high number is a common negotiation tactic.  And it doesn’t matter a bill of beans what people think on social media.  This is a negotiation between Cook and Beane, and both sides are doing what is expected.

[Royale with Cheese]

Last year with the Bills and he's motivated.  Expect him to have another great year and then we can trade him.

[Einstein's Dog]

2 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

Starting out at a high number is a common negotiation tactic.  And it doesn’t matter a bill of beans what people think on social media.  This is a negotiation between Cook and Beane, and both sides are doing what is expected.

Putting out a high number on social media is not a common tactic.  Why do that? 

 

What do you think of that?  While the negotiation is between Cook and Beane the public has received some information - and so far, IMO, Beane is the clear leader.

[oldmanfan]

15 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

Putting out a high number on social media is not a common tactic.  Why do that? 

 

What do you think of that?  While the negotiation is between Cook and Beane the public has received some information - and so far, IMO, Beane is the clear leader.

You’re stuck on this social

media thing.  It means nothing in the negotiation.  Cook and Beane could care less what you or I think.

[Einstein's Dog]

11 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

You’re stuck on this social

media thing.  It means nothing in the negotiation.  Cook and Beane could care less what you or I think.

For me, it's not the social media post as much as it is the substance of the post, the $15M.  It gave a clue into difficult negotiations and not surprisingly Cook is the last to be extended.  You can keep claiming it means nothing (just as many dismissed Diggs social media as "kids will be kids").

[HappyDays]

1 hour ago, Homey D. Clown said:

How about an NFL rule change that states very clearly that if you hold out you get exactly $0.00 until you show up, and IF... you don't play 4 games or more, you're entire salary is suspended.  As a player you SIGNED the existing contract.  You AGREED to the terms.  The team should not have to be held hostage every time a player feels underpaid AS A MILLIONAIRE.

 

This ^^^^   is what's killing my love for the game today.

 

So you agree teams should not be able to cut a player before their contract runs out? Since the team signed the contract and agreed to those terms?