Bills halt contract negotiations with Cook

[JP51]

12 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

Agree.  My point is after the posting none of us know what talks took place and what numbers were offered.

Beane could have offered $13.3M and/or Cook's agent could have come down to $13.5M.

WE don't know.

 

My hope has been a "reasonable" compromise could have been achieved.

I'm beginning to think that will not happen.

I am honestly starting to think this as well... we shall see... but I feel like its less than 50/50

[SoonerBillsFan]

28 minutes ago, JP51 said:

I am honestly starting to think this as well... we shall see... but I feel like its less than 50/50

We know this,Beane is fair with contracts.

[JP51]

Just now, SoonerBillsFan said:

We know this,Beane is fair with contracts.

I do think if there is a reasonable possibility Beane would love to have him back... but I am not sure he is prepared to pay 15mm if Cook sticks to his guns.

[Don Otreply]

I suspect that they are closer to 5mil, apart,  even with incentives to make more, I again suspect that Cooks team counter offered 15mill, and that is why Beane shut down negotiations, opinion/ speculation, call it what you want, but I’ll bet I’m not far off, 

 

Hopefully we can extend him, but I’m not going to hold my breath on it, 

[Matt_In_NH]

18 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

He listed it at $15m.

I would give him $9M

 

 

[C.Biscuit97]

On 4/1/2025 at 9:30 PM, SoCal Deek said:

I’m not sure how this discussion got to where it is. Cook was SIXTEENTH in the league last year in rushing and averaged just a little over 60 yards per game. What is that level of production (or lack there of) worth in 2025? I’m guessing it isn’t worth anywhere near what James Cook apparently thinks it is. 

He was also 3rd in runs over 40 yards (behind Barkley and Henry with over less carries) and 8th in runs over expected value ( https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/rushing#ryoeAtt )

 

I think sometimes fabs get too emotional about things that don’t really matter. All of those things happening now are negotiations. Cook has as much leverage as he will ever have and doesn’t want to go into the final year of his deal on this contract, after seeing all the other players from his draft class get paid. The Bills are hesitate to pay a rb big money. But I think Bills are selling Cook short on how explosive he was with no real explosive threats in the receiving group to make his job easier. 

1 hour ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

We know this,Beane is fair with contracts.

Obviously NFL contracts need to be take with a grain of salt but who is more deserving of 3 years for $36 million for what they have accomplished in the NFL - Josh Palmer or Cook?

 

also, that contract would be like 4% of the Bills salary cap. Cook isn’t worth 4%to a team trying to make the SB?  

[Returntoglory]

18 hours ago, BuffaloRebound said:

Cook and our 1st for Parsons.  

Now THAT would be a dream!

[SoonerBillsFan]

51 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

He was also 3rd in runs over 40 yards (behind Barkley and Henry with over less carries) and 8th in runs over expected value ( https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/rushing#ryoeAtt )

 

I think sometimes fabs get too emotional about things that don’t really matter. All of those things happening now are negotiations. Cook has as much leverage as he will ever have and doesn’t want to go into the final year of his deal on this contract, after seeing all the other players from his draft class get paid. The Bills are hesitate to pay a rb big money. But I think Bills are selling Cook short on how explosive he was with no real explosive threats in the receiving group to make his job easier. 

Obviously NFL contracts need to be take with a grain of salt but who is more deserving of 3 years for $36 million for what they have accomplished in the NFL - Josh Palmer or Cook?

 

also, that contract would be like 4% of the Bills salary cap. Cook isn’t worth 4%to a team trying to make the SB?  

No he isn't.  15 mill is not what you pay a 2 down back.

[biggerdaddynj]

2 hours ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

We know this,Beane is fair with contracts.

The fact that Beane was able to re-sign four out of the five players he targeted for extensions (two at the hottest markets this off-season) means something about the fairness of his contract negotiating. 
 

And, based on all the positive things he and McD have had to say about Cook and how they want him around (which literally began at the end of the season) makes it highly unlikely that Beane didn’t present Cook with a fair offer that took into consideration the current market (which is how he was able to re-sign the others).  

[Warriorspikes51]

 

[BillsFanForever19]

23 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 

 

Spoiler alert: it's not. And Hansen is being kind by saying he "thinks" it's too high of a valuation on Cook. It's way too high.

 

Edited 15 hours ago by BillsFanForever19

[FLFan]

2 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

He was also 3rd in runs over 40 yards (behind Barkley and Henry with over less carries) and 8th in runs over expected value ( https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/rushing#ryoeAtt )

 

I think sometimes fabs get too emotional about things that don’t really matter. All of those things happening now are negotiations. Cook has as much leverage as he will ever have and doesn’t want to go into the final year of his deal on this contract, after seeing all the other players from his draft class get paid. The Bills are hesitate to pay a rb big money. But I think Bills are selling Cook short on how explosive he was with no real explosive threats in the receiving group to make his job easier. 

Obviously NFL contracts need to be take with a grain of salt but who is more deserving of 3 years for $36 million for what they have accomplished in the NFL - Josh Palmer or Cook?

 

also, that contract would be like 4% of the Bills salary cap. Cook isn’t worth 4%to a team trying to make the SB?  

Lots of unfounded speculation here.  The fact is we have no idea what Cook was offered by the Bills, nor what his real number is, or what the nature of their discussions with his agent were.  We only know they are not close to a deal.  Would the Bills pay $12 m as you suggest? (Or even the Palmer contract which is reality is nothing like the $36m reported) Perhaps.  Will Cook settle for less than $15 m which is way over his real value? Who knows.  The bills did the right thing in putting this back on him it seems to me.  If he wants out, good riddance.  If he wants to play for the Bills, I am sure there is a deal to be made, but he is not getting $15m per year from them or anything close, nor should he.  
 

As for lack of explosive wide receivers to make his job easier as you suggest, he has one of the best Offensive Lines in the NFL to make his job easier.  He has Josh Allen whose presence on the field makes Cook’s job immeasurably easier.  

[SoonerBillsFan]

24 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 

Someone has been saying something like that for a few weeks now. Not sure who that was...

[3rdand12]

18 hours ago, JaCrispy said:

If Cook is elite then we should have no problem getting a 1st round pick for him…👍

 

On a side note…

 

If I were Beane, I would make it clear to Cook that we really want him in Buffalo, but that cap restrictions make it difficult paying him top dollar…

 

Therefore, as a show of good faith, if Cook doesn’t feel comfortable not getting what he wants, and can’t guarantee he won’t hold out, Beane should allow Cook to seek out a trade partner, who is willing (and able) to meet his financial requirements…

 

If Beane is comfortable with the compensation, he should allow Cook to move on, through a trade, so that he can make what he feels he deserves, and the Bills don’t have to live with the headache of not knowing if Cook will hold the team hostage or not…

 

No hard feelings, thank you for your service, and best of luck! 👍

 

 

Its been mentioned Beane is playing hardball.

 I think is more likely true Beanes is treating this as you described. I have always felt Beane is pretty straight up , and steady.

Yep he made his commentary because he mostly had to after Cook began to act out. And he has. Thats a fact after removing himself from Bills.

You phrased this so well Ja I had to respond. Sounds like Beane all day.

 But I might make is a slightly tougher trade arena. But Beanes is more mature then me .

 Obviously

 

[Warriorspikes51]

1 minute ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

Someone has been saying something like that for a few weeks now. Not sure who that was...

real question is who do we take at 12?

 

Barron?

Grant?

Golden? 

[BillsFanForever19]

7 hours ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

Someone has been saying something like that for a few weeks now. Not sure who that was...

 

Probably someone else who would (or should) add the question, just as they did, "is this a fair trade?" - to which they can find out, like they did ... it isn't.

 

It's fun to think about fleecing a team in a trade. But that's not something you ever really see in Draft Trades. As dumb as some posters think Jerry Jones is - its not like you seeing him doing dumb trades all over the place. And that's exactly what this would be.

Edited 7 hours ago by BillsFanForever19

[SoonerBillsFan]

1 minute ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

real question is who do we take at 12?

 

Barron?

Grant?

Golden? 

Depends on what the Board looks like.

[3rdand12]

7 hours ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

As of now, nobody knows.  Any "speculation" is just that.  Arguing about who is right or wrong, fair or unfair is futile.

I'm just going to sit back and watch.

 

I will say there may be some RB visits for the draft coming in.  That is something to watch for.

You remain quite Zen over this " situation " . Thanks for the good advice on both counts.

[3rdand12]

3 hours ago, Matt_In_NH said:

I would give him $9M

 

 

seem like that was what they offered him just before his social announcement lol

 

 

[3rdand12]

59 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 

woof