Bills halt contract negotiations with Cook

[Virgil]

With the rising cap, Cook's age, and production, I would be fine giving him 12 mil per year, but that's my absolute cap.  If Beane feels that can't happen, then I would rather trade him before the draft, since the draft is so RB heavy.  

[vtnatefootball11]

15 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Ty is our best pass protector. That is the main reason he is out there in 3rd down. Cook isn't a great pass blocker but he isn't a total liability either. 

 

What Cook has that is elite is his vision. and I mean ELITE vision. He sees creases 80% of NFL backs don't see. I am not here pounding the table for the Bills to extend James Cook. He is a running back. I don't love paying running backs. But if we end up starting Ray Davis next year or in 2026 make no mistake that is a downgrade at the position and it will be a noticeable one.

 

I generally agree with all of this. The biggest leverage Cook has is hurting the Bills this upcoming season by sitting out. Davis would be a huge drop-off, his ceiling is very limited, and frankly we should never go into a season with Davis as the RB1 or even the RB1b. Ty Johnson has produced at every opportunity though and I would be curious to see his numbers if he got every opportunity Cook got last year (plus still remaining the third down back). Johnson as the primary, with Davis and an explosive mid round rookie as depth would be very intriguing to me, and I would guess the combined production would look similar to Cook last year.  My biggest concern though, despite not wanting to pay Cook $15m+,  is the he is our biggest weapon outside of Allen. Cook is not elite but he's the only guy on our offense that even remotely scare you. Shakir is very solid but nobody is having to gameplan for him. This is where Beane has failed in not brining in an explosive top end receiver, year after year after year. Even with diggs we constantly should have been searching for an explosive high end #2 project at WR in the draft. That's on Beane for discounting the position. 

Edited April 4 by vtnatefootball11

[Slippery Rubber Mats]

1 hour ago, Virgil said:

With the rising cap, Cook's age, and production, I would be fine giving him 12 mil per year, but that's my absolute cap.  If Beane feels that can't happen, then I would rather trade him before the draft, since the draft is so RB heavy.  

 

15 short term would be fine with me too, like 2 years

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

19 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Ty is our best pass protector. That is the main reason he is out there in 3rd down. Cook isn't a great pass blocker but he isn't a total liability either. 

 

What Cook has that is elite is his vision. and I mean ELITE vision. He sees creases 80% of NFL backs don't see. I am not here pounding the table for the Bills to extend James Cook. He is a running back. I don't love paying running backs. But if we end up starting Ray Davis next year or in 2026 make no mistake that is a downgrade at the position and it will be a noticeable one.

Yes Mr. @GunnerBill i could not agree more. Elite vision and Elite Speed !

 

he's explosive and your not catching him from behind !

 

He has it in his genes, even back to his early days at Georgia. 

 

You just don't let these players walk

 

Here is Cook against Alabama in the National Championship game. It was Cook that led the comeback !

 

 

 

Edited April 4 by JakeFrommStateFarm

[noacls]

In the most important drive of the year in the most important game of the year Cook was on the bench. You don't pay that guy 15 mil per season. 8 or 9 I  could see.  He is not Saquon, healthy  CMC. HE is not even Henry, Taylor,  Kamara, or Jacobs. Hell, if Mixon were not a POS, he is not that guy either. I would say he is not a top 15 back in the league. 

[Saint Doug]

$15M per year is top 3 RB money. I like cook, and he was up there in terms of TDs scored, but the rest (yards, yards per carry) was about average. Maybe he is a top 10 RB, so would compromise and give him top 8 money. That’s Montgomery making $9.1M. Maybe I could be convinced to give him $12M (top 5 money), but only for 1-2 years. 

[SoCal Deek]

12 minutes ago, Saint Doug said:

$15M per year is top 3 RB money. I like cook, and he was up there in terms of TDs scored, but the rest (yards, yards per carry) was about average. Maybe he is a top 10 RB, so would compromise and give him top 8 money. That’s Montgomery making $9.1M. Maybe I could be convinced to give him $12M (top 5 money), but only for 1-2 years. 

This! All that matters is production for the team you’re on. Cook is simply average playing for the Bills. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be great elsewhere…but the Bills simply don’t use him that way. 

[LLCoolCy]

Uncomfortable but workable.

 

[Saint Doug]

1 hour ago, LLCoolCy said:

Uncomfortable but workable.

 

This is fine. The biggest value that the Bills have right now is a RB at a controlled price who is going to play hard to earn his bag next year. After that, I don’t care if it’s for another team. I just want the Bills in the Super Bowl next season. If we win it, Cook can then go wherever he wants.

 

Bottom line, we have him for another year and his performance during this year is more valuable than any draft pick we would get in a trade. 

[MrEpsYtown]

At worst you bring him back a year, he crushes it and you franchise him. 

[Warriorspikes51]

3 hours ago, LLCoolCy said:

Uncomfortable but workable.

 

 

I could see a trade happening during the draft if someone offers a top 50 pick…even if we include a later pick

[Returntoglory]

Does this seem feasible?

 

Cook is without a doubt an established top 10 running back and could provide immediate offensive upside to a team.

 

What say ye?

[BillsFanForever19]

Cook isn't getting you very far. He's a Running Back. In the last year of his deal. Who's publicly angling for a top dollar contract. Being traded in a year of a very good Running Back class. All of those things make his value take a hit.

 

And trades have been lower than expected this year. Even DK Metcalf went for just a low 2nd. Joe Milton who was expected to yield something more was traded with a 7th for a 5th. The same exact trade (with a 7th for a 5th) was done for Deebo Samuel.

 

Cook's actual value (as opposed to some of the ridiculous valuations he's been given on this board) probably has a ceiling of a high 4th. Package a high 4th with Pick 30, you're not going up the board more than a pick or two.

Edited April 5 by BillsFanForever19

[947]

Yeah, Cook & #30 might get you to #25. Keeping Cook another year is worth far more than that.

Edited April 5 by 947

[<bills4life>]

57 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 

I could see a trade happening during the draft if someone offers a top 50 pick…even if we include a later pick

The problem is I don’t see any team giving that much capital. And if that’s the case, then that should be your sign that he is not a top three rb worth 15 million a year. 

[BillsFanForever19]

2 minutes ago, 947 said:

Yeah, Cook & #30 might get you to #25. Keeping Cook another year is worth far more than that.

 

I'd doubt it would get you even that high. I agree that trading him is not worth the return. Have him playing his hardest in a push for the Super Bowl this year. And if you can't get him back, the comp pick that will eventually come will be the same or potentially more than you'd get not having him this year anyways.

[TheBeaneBandit]

Maybe two spots if you're lucky 

[SoonerBillsFan]

16 minutes ago, Returntoglory said:

Does this seem feasible?

 

Cook is without a doubt an established top 10 running back and could provide immediate offensive upside to a team.

 

What say ye?

Yes.

[NewEra]

No.

[SoonerBillsFan]

8 minutes ago, 947 said:

Yeah, Cook & #30 might get you to #25. Keeping Cook another year is worth far more than that.

Unless he holds out the maximum amount of games needed to get a full season toward FA.