Bills halt contract negotiations with Cook

[SoTier]

2 hours ago, Rock-A-Bye Beasley said:

20 years? I remember a string of 1st round running backs, Lesean McCoy and Fred Jackson. 
maybe you’re thinking of Josh Allen?

 

Finding good RBs was never the Bills issue during the Drought Era.  Keeping the good ones was always the problem because the Bills, especially under Russ Brandon, never paid their best "home grown talent".   

• They drafted McGahee at #23 in 2003, and traded him for a 3rd and a 7th in 2007.  
• They used their #12 pick in 2007 on Marshawn Lynch to replace him.  Lynch ran for consecutive 1000+ until he fell out of favor with Jauron.  The Bills traded Lynch to Seattle for a 2011 4th round pick in October 2010.
• They used their #9 pick in 2010 on CJ Spiller whom they allowed to leave in free agency in 2015.

 

1 hour ago, Einstein's Dog said:

I suggest that the acquiring team would want him as a bellcow because that would be a team where Cook would have the greatest perceived value.  A team planning on using Cook in that manner would be willing to give up more to acquire him.  Also, I believe that would please and motivate Cook, you wouldn't be trading a disgruntled player.

 

Cook has improved each year - from a fumbler to great ball security, to getting tough yards.  For an ascending RB it is not a stretch to think that he could improve his pass blocking, especially since pass blocking is dependent a lot upon desire.  True, he is on the small size but he does appear to have gotten stronger each year.

 

$5M is an excellent deal for Cook for a year as it is, but it is a great deal for a team that wants a bellcow RB (which doesn't seem to be Buff).

 

Oh, it would undoubtedly be a great deal for whatever team that got him, just like trading for McGahee and Lynch worked out great for the Ravens and Seahawks.  It wouldn't be a good deal for the Bills.  The best deal for the Bills would be for the two sides to reach a compromise that keeps Cook on the team for several more seasons.  Keeping Cook for the 2025 season and allowing him to leave in FA in 2026 and getting a comp pick is the second best deal imo.

 

Edited Monday at 02:11 PM by SoTier

[Einstein's Dog]

12 minutes ago, SoTier said:

Oh, it would undoubtedly be a great deal for whatever team that got him, just like trading for McGahee and Lynch worked out great for the Ravens and Seahawks.  It wouldn't be a good deal for the Bills.  The best deal for the Bills would be for the two sides to reach a compromise that keeps Cook on the team for several more seasons.  Keeping Cook for the 2025 season and allowing him to leave in FA in 2026 and getting a comp pick is the second best deal imo.

 

I agree that if possible the best solution would be to extend Cook to a reasonable contract.  But that looks unlikely at this point IMO. 

 

And I agree that the second best option would be to use Cook in 2025 at the bargain price of $5M and then let him leave.  But if the FO has received threats of a "hold-in" of the first 11 games, along with a disgruntled player, then actively looking for a trading partner now makes sense.

[Brand J]

Maybe the Bills want him at $12M/yr and Cook is steadfast at that $15M/yr figure, especially after Barkley reset the market. If the two parties want to move on from one another, I hope it happens before or during the first two rounds of the draft so we can choose his replacement. 

[26TrapDraw]

32 minutes ago, Brand J said:

Maybe the Bills want him at $12M/yr and Cook is steadfast at that $15M/yr figure, especially after Barkley reset the market. If the two parties want to move on from one another, I hope it happens before or during the first two rounds of the draft so we can choose his replacement. 

I wouldn't do crap if I'm the Bills. he's under contract through next season. Beane has the luxury of watching what cook does and his attitude this season. Some advice James. Listening to your brother and being rigid on your demands is a good way NOT to get a deal done.

[Stenbar]

7 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Franchising him next year would be in the neighborhood of  $14.2M (Overthecap.com estimate). That's just too high, and if you were going to do that, why not just give him the $15M he wants?

 

But a second year would be $17.07M. That's nuts. No way they do that.

 

Bottom line is he's very good but at 190 pounds, you can't make him a bell-cow back without greatly increasing his injury potential or just wearing him down. And you don't want him at 3rd down back because he can't block. 

 

$15M, as he's asking for, is nuts unless you're a bell-cow and a game-wrecker. The franchise number is virtually as high.

 

 

 

 

They're trying to put some weight on Cook and buy him a house here.

 

 

There have been many great rb's that are in his weight class, Dorsett, Payton,Sanders just to name a few. The Bills choose to make him a 2 down back. He has less drops than any other rb on the roster and almost as many if not more yards receiving. Less fumbles and way more tds. If you want a blocker in the backfield line up an o lineman.  Nobody picked up the blitz when Allen takes off running to his right and hits Kincaid in the hands. But maybe if they had put in Cook in that last series he might have taken a swing pass the distance or for at least a first down. Why you keep your best players on the sideline is beyond me. 

I wish Andy Reid had taken Tyreek Hill off the field with 13 seconds left cuz he cant block. You can do so many different things with a talent like Cook, it is insanity to keep him off the field.

Its not my money paying him I coukd care less how you do it, all I know is we are a better offensive team with him on the field than anyone else on this team. 

[Einstein's Dog]

2 hours ago, Brand J said:

Maybe the Bills want him at $12M/yr and Cook is steadfast at that $15M/yr figure, especially after Barkley reset the market. If the two parties want to move on from one another, I hope it happens before or during the first two rounds of the draft so we can choose his replacement. 

It's posts like these where I think the FO might consider Cook's social media $15M declaration as a blessing in disguise.  I suspect the FO is nowhere near $12M (Barclay money) and was more in the $8M (D Henry money) range.  Cook's post has made him the scapegoat in the negotiations.

[RochesterLifer]

19 minutes ago, Stenbar said:

There have been many great rb's that are in his weight class, Dorsett, Payton,Sanders just to name a few. The Bills choose to make him a 2 down back. He has less drops than any other rb on the roster and almost as many if not more yards receiving. Less fumbles and way more tds. If you want a blocker in the backfield line up an o lineman.  Nobody picked up the blitz when Allen takes off running to his right and hits Kincaid in the hands. But maybe if they had put in Cook in that last series he might have taken a swing pass the distance or for at least a first down. Why you keep your best players on the sideline is beyond me. 

I wish Andy Reid had taken Tyreek Hill off the field with 13 seconds left cuz he cant block. You can do so many different things with a talent like Cook, it is insanity to keep him off the field.

Its not my money paying him I coukd care less how you do it, all I know is we are a better offensive team with him on the field than anyone else on this team. 

This is such a lazy and dishonest take.

• "If you want a blocker in the backfield line up an o lineman." OK, then pay Cook like an offensive lineman...say $5 million per year?
• "if they had put in Cook in that last series..." I'll play the "if" game with you. If Cook hadn't whiffed on a previous protection assignment (putting Josh in harm's way), he might have earned the right to be in the game.
• "I wish Andy Reid had taken Tyreek Hill off the field with 13 seconds left cuz he cant block." You seem to not know what position (WR) Hill plays and that protecting the QB is how the ball gets to Hill. Cook cannot do the full job of a full-time running back. 

I hope we keep Cook. He's a very good and dangerous running back. But, he overvalues his worth. Personally, I want him signed at $8 million per year for three years with 16 mil guaranteed.

 

[GaryPinC]

On 4/6/2025 at 10:19 AM, yall said:

Way overpriced. $340 square foot?

 

I don't think it's actually for sale.

Well, at least he's consistent with his valuations.

[3rdand12]

12 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

When did this thread turn into pizza and real estate?

I found it a nice turn of events.

Nothing going to happen before Training Camp with Cook so... Was just the logical and obvious path for the discussion.

 TKs Pizza in Fairport was my favorite and only when was living in town proper. Might be the oldest one in Fpt

 Guidas on Empire Blvd is quite good all around , a bit pricey. But great wings cuz sauce.

J&L's in Fairport/Perinton/ Egypt was really awesome all around as well.

 I rent in Rochester and it's a monopoly.

Still a no from me for Jack traumatizing that kid.

 But Bills do need to  make a move or two upward at  CB #2. No one can argue that.

 

11 hours ago, yall said:

It's ok. Not anything I'd go out of my way to get, but it's certainly passable. Like someone else said, there are plenty of worse pizza joints in WNY with sickly sweet sauce and way too thick, undercooked, doughy crust.

 

 

Fine place to bring the kids or takeout for same honestly. I can bet they sell to younger Families. Less expensive and kids probably prefer it anyway.

[alg]

On 4/6/2025 at 2:17 PM, 3rdand12 said:

as mentioned, it really is in his best interest to ball out this season. And expect they All know that

 But i can see him doing a " hey, I am not getting the ball enough or the play calls are not in my best interest " lol

Actually it's not IMO.

The most important thing for Cook, if he's on the Bills without a new contract, is to stay healthy.

 

That may not mean he literally sits for a hangnail, but it does mean he will not sell out for performance at the expense of damage.

[Stenbar]

9 hours ago, RochesterLifer said:

This is such a lazy and dishonest take.

• "If you want a blocker in the backfield line up an o lineman." OK, then pay Cook like an offensive lineman...say $5 million per year?
• "if they had put in Cook in that last series..." I'll play the "if" game with you. If Cook hadn't whiffed on a previous protection assignment (putting Josh in harm's way), he might have earned the right to be in the game.
• "I wish Andy Reid had taken Tyreek Hill off the field with 13 seconds left cuz he cant block." You seem to not know what position (WR) Hill plays and that protecting the QB is how the ball gets to Hill. Cook cannot do the full job of a full-time running back. 

I hope we keep Cook. He's a very good and dangerous running back. But, he overvalues his worth. Personally, I want him signed at $8 million per year for three years with 16 mil guaranteed.

 

Lazy and dishonest. Sorry but its a fact so stop with the uncreative lines you spew. Unreal,who do you think you are?

 

[Richard Noggin]

10 hours ago, Stenbar said:

There have been many great rb's that are in his weight class, Dorsett, Payton,Sanders just to name a few. The Bills choose to make him a 2 down back. He has less drops than any other rb on the roster and almost as many if not more yards receiving. Less fumbles and way more tds. If you want a blocker in the backfield line up an o lineman.  Nobody picked up the blitz when Allen takes off running to his right and hits Kincaid in the hands. But maybe if they had put in Cook in that last series he might have taken a swing pass the distance or for at least a first down. Why you keep your best players on the sideline is beyond me. 

I wish Andy Reid had taken Tyreek Hill off the field with 13 seconds left cuz he cant block. You can do so many different things with a talent like Cook, it is insanity to keep him off the field.

Its not my money paying him I coukd care less how you do it, all I know is we are a better offensive team with him on the field than anyone else on this team. 

 

Both Payton and Sanders were AT LEAST 10lb heavier than Cook. Dorsett is a decent size comp. But all three were bona fide HOFers. So...kinda silly comp overall, innit.

 

Lining up an o-lineman in the backfield as a solution to 3rd down pocket pass pro is just silly. Come on. It could work in a vacuum, of course, but would dramatically change the D, and the options available to the O. 

 

I don't hate the idea of Cook just being used on some 3rd downs in spite of his blocking limitations, with the intention/threat of him almost always running a route (maybe a chip on a DE on the way? that should be something any willing NFL athlete can be coached to do well). Could change the defensive posture or at least delay what they're hoping to do. 

 

How do the Bills advanced offensive analytics compare based on which RB is on the field? That's an interesting question.

 

16 hours ago, yall said:

It's ok. Not anything I'd go out of my way to get, but it's certainly passable. Like someone else said, there are plenty of worse pizza joints in WNY with sickly sweet sauce and way too thick, undercooked, doughy crust.

 

 

The WNY pizza scene has seriously evolved. There are so many newer spots offering more elevated, even world class, pizza (Jay's, Pizzeria Florian--who is the original Jay, Candyman, Extra Extra, Buffalo Deep Dish, and many more). And there are still many classic Buffalo brands who are pumping out quality WNY comfort pies. 

 

Sure, there are countless little local spots who don't feature proper dough or consistent execution. I can think of many. But come on, WNY has AMAZING pizza options. (And yes, I've tried pizza in many other places.)

[Doc Brown]

19 hours ago, SoTier said:

 

Finding good RBs was never the Bills issue during the Drought Era.  Keeping the good ones was always the problem because the Bills, especially under Russ Brandon, never paid their best "home grown talent".   

• They drafted McGahee at #23 in 2003, and traded him for a 3rd and a 7th in 2007.  
• They used their #12 pick in 2007 on Marshawn Lynch to replace him.  Lynch ran for consecutive 1000+ until he fell out of favor with Jauron.  The Bills traded Lynch to Seattle for a 2011 4th round pick in October 2010.
• They used their #9 pick in 2010 on CJ Spiller whom they allowed to leave in free agency in 2015.

Only team to draft three RB's in the first round during the drought span.  Those picks could've went to more premium positions.  Glad those days are over.

[yall]

6 hours ago, Richard Noggin said:

 

Both Payton and Sanders were AT LEAST 10lb heavier than Cook. Dorsett is a decent size comp. But all three were bona fide HOFers. So...kinda silly comp overall, innit.

 

Lining up an o-lineman in the backfield as a solution to 3rd down pocket pass pro is just silly. Come on. It could work in a vacuum, of course, but would dramatically change the D, and the options available to the O. 

 

I don't hate the idea of Cook just being used on some 3rd downs in spite of his blocking limitations, with the intention/threat of him almost always running a route (maybe a chip on a DE on the way? that should be something any willing NFL athlete can be coached to do well). Could change the defensive posture or at least delay what they're hoping to do. 

 

How do the Bills advanced offensive analytics compare based on which RB is on the field? That's an interesting question.

 

 

The WNY pizza scene has seriously evolved. There are so many newer spots offering more elevated, even world class, pizza (Jay's, Pizzeria Florian--who is the original Jay, Candyman, Extra Extra, Buffalo Deep Dish, and many more). And there are still many classic Buffalo brands who are pumping out quality WNY comfort pies. 

 

Sure, there are countless little local spots who don't feature proper dough or consistent execution. I can think of many. But come on, WNY has AMAZING pizza options. (And yes, I've tried pizza in many other places.)

Never said there weren't plenty of great options. I love Ferros and some of the places doing wood fired,  Macy's is awesome, etc.

 

Just plenty of places with trash pizza that WNY's consider "Buffalo style". 

 

 

[Beck Water]

21 hours ago, Stenbar said:

There have been many great rb's that are in his weight class, Dorsett, Payton,Sanders just to name a few. The Bills choose to make him a 2 down back. He has less drops than any other rb on the roster and almost as many if not more yards receiving. Less fumbles and way more tds. If you want a blocker in the backfield line up an o lineman.  Nobody picked up the blitz when Allen takes off running to his right and hits Kincaid in the hands. But maybe if they had put in Cook in that last series he might have taken a swing pass the distance or for at least a first down. Why you keep your best players on the sideline is beyond me. 

I wish Andy Reid had taken Tyreek Hill off the field with 13 seconds left cuz he cant block. You can do so many different things with a talent like Cook, it is insanity to keep him off the field.

Its not my money paying him I could care less how you do it, all I know is we are a better offensive team with him on the field than anyone else on this team. 

 

You're funny, especially comparing a WR's blocking role to an RB's blocking role and saying "we are a better offensive team with him on the field than anyone else on this team".  Oh, I dunno, maybe the league MVP of 2024?  

 

Fact 1:

Nobody picked up the blitz when Allen took off running to his right and hit Kincaid in the hands because the Bills got fooled by Spagnuolo and the Chiefs - they expected them to blitz from the L based on film/previous plays so that's where they slid the protections.  

 

Fact 2:

Cook had 38 targets in 2025.  Yes, he had a low drop rate, but that's because the Bills cut his targets by ~1/3 from 54 to 38 and used him in a limited way in the passing game - subbing in Davis or Johnson when they wanted.  In 2024 with higher targets, Cook had 11% drops and 9% in 2022 which is the rational, performance based reason his route tree got cut.

 

 

Fact 3:

If we just look at Y/A (to account for him coming off the field) he was 6 for RBs (behind Henry, Barkley, Gibbs, Irving, and Mason.

 

[Ga boy]

21 hours ago, Stenbar said:

There have been many great rb's that are in his weight class, Dorsett, Payton,Sanders just to name a few. The Bills choose to make him a 2 down back. He has less drops than any other rb on the roster and almost as many if not more yards receiving. Less fumbles and way more tds. If you want a blocker in the backfield line up an o lineman.  Nobody picked up the blitz when Allen takes off running to his right and hits Kincaid in the hands. But maybe if they had put in Cook in that last series he might have taken a swing pass the distance or for at least a first down. Why you keep your best players on the sideline is beyond me. 

I wish Andy Reid had taken Tyreek Hill off the field with 13 seconds left cuz he cant block. You can do so many different things with a talent like Cook, it is insanity to keep him off the field.

Its not my money paying him I coukd care less how you do it, all I know is we are a better offensive team with him on the field than anyone else on this team. 

Absolutely 2nd best player we’ve got.  Let’s not quibble over 2-3 million.  If he leaves, our team is not as good.

[SoTier]

8 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

Only team to draft three RB's in the first round during the drought span.  Those picks could've went to more premium positions.  Glad those days are over.

 

Exactly -- and this was back in the days when teams frequently re-signed their best RBs because they valued them more than they do today.   The only sorta "dud" in the trio was Spiller.  McGahey was a pro-bowler, maybe an All Pro, for Baltimore before going on to Denver and rushing for nearly 1200 yards and another Pro Bowl season.  Lynch was an All Pro and multiple Pro Bowler for the Seahawks and led them to a SB.  He might become a HOFer, too.  

[Sierra Foothills]

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that things are “not great” between Cook and the Bills, which seems obvious given the for sale sign in Cook’s yard. But Rapoport adds that Cook “will play for the Bills next [season].”
 

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/report-james-cook-will-play-for-bills-in-2025-despite-contract-impasse

 

 

[BuffaloBillyG]

8 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that things are “not great” between Cook and the Bills, which seems obvious given the for sale sign in Cook’s yard. But Rapoport adds that Cook “will play for the Bills next [season].”
 

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/report-james-cook-will-play-for-bills-in-2025-despite-contract-impasse

 

 

Just read this on another site.

 

It sounds agent driven, so there's a lot to take with a grain of salt here, but my gut is telling me Cook is going to end up seeing his usage scaled back even more as Buffalo can (especially early in the year) see what a backfield of Ray Davis/Ty Johnson looks like. This would potentially make Cook tradable at the deadline if the Davis led backfield doesn't have a significant drop off. 

[BuffaloBillyG]

On 4/7/2025 at 12:47 PM, Stenbar said:

There have been many great rb's that are in his weight class, Dorsett, Payton,Sanders just to name a few.

Problem with this comparison is those guys you mentioned all played..what...30-40 years ago? Defensive players are soooo much bigger, stronger and faster now. Much more violent of a collision.