James Cook absent from OTA's

[Warriorspikes51]

The timing of the agent having Adam S put that out there + Dalvin mouthing off

 

Seems like a “pay me or trade me”  type move

[Kaenon]

4 hours ago, Einstein's Dog said:

Could be.   Would be nice if Jeanty goes in the top 10.

 

Cook and a 6th for the Cowboys 2nd.  Cowboys could get a top WR at 12, Cook with their 2nd - that should help Jerry with headlines and offensive potential.

It was reported Jerry is looking to make substantial trades. 

Cook not at VOLUNTARY OTAs (not a huge deal obviously).

Cook was unstoppable against the Cowboys this season, so embarrassing for them, so they want him on their team.

 

Cook for a 2nd. Haha, pipe dream. 

[FireChans]

5 hours ago, MrEpsYtown said:

 

Dalvin was cooked after two years of that extension and is out of the league at age 29. Buyer beware because there is literally a family history of this type of extension not working out. 

Seems like the strongest argument to get as much money as he can lol

[MrEpsYtown]

1 minute ago, FireChans said:

Seems like the strongest argument to get as much money as he can lol

100%

[RichRiderBills]

Listening to Ray Davis on on Bill's live today. What a breath of fresh air that guy is. Seems like another Fred Jackson. Just a heart and soul kind of guy. 

 

It really made me think it would be great if he can get a chance to be a number one back. I never thought I'd come around but I am not totally against trading. Cook just seems like a lot of trouble. I don't know what we would get for him. Maybe a fourth rounder. I honestly think you can replace the touchdown production. I think those were a byproduct of just the offense and working in the red zone. Another back can get some and then Ray Davis and ty Johnson can pick up the slack. In terms of the rushing and receiving yards. I think again the other two could pick up the slack with another back coming in. 

 

The big area cook produces is in yards per carry. So you look for a fast running back. Or you just get confident and go for a big muscle back is going to help you and go align. There are options in this draft for either position and behind our oline I think Chris Brown could run for 500 yds. 

 

Let's also add that in a couple years we are going to need to pay some of these Ol a bit more money and having a big o-line is a lot more important than running backs. Osiris Torrance is going to be a top guard in the NFL. 

[H2o]

6 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

 

 

Dalvin moments before making this tweet.

[Mister Defense]

8 hours ago, MrEpsYtown said:

 

Dalvin was cooked after two years of that extension and is out of the league at age 29. Buyer beware because there is literally a family history of this type of extension not working out. 

 

A perfect example of what so many of the Cook bashers are doing, and why those supporting a good extension, and soon, for Cook are so much more solid in their arguments. Almost across the board too, literally.

 

They ignore the objective data, and as in this case, could care less about it, as they don't seem to want to let facts get in the way of the over the top bashing. Hence, the facts are almost always missing or irrelevant ones are given.

 

Here. you speak of the family history as a a reason for the Bills to "beware"  of signing Cook to an extension.  Maybe you should have found something to support that, to help prove what I consider baseless, almost comically so, points? When one actually knows the facts.  Why are they irrelevant to you?

 

What about the details, facts of both men's careers, these two brothers? Do they actually provide a clear "cautionary tale" that should make the Bills 'beware of extending Cook as you say? Or, do they  show something extremely different, the opposite?

 

 

1. Rushing attempts in college and in the NFL:

 

Dalvin Cook rushed 687 times during his college career.  In the NFL? 1282 rushes in Minnesota. That is a total of 1969 rush attempts. Yup, then Dalvin started to slow down, break down, was no longer an elite back.  The vast majority of backs do so after that many rushing attempts.

 

James Cook rushed 230 times in college.  So far in the NFL? He has 533 rush attempts. That is 763 rushing attempts.

 

So, if your maybe he's just like his brother logic is correct, that would mean James Cook has a good 1200 rush attempts left in him at en elite level.

 

 

 

2.  How did the cautionary tale of 'beware he can be just like his brother' manifest itself in Dalvin Cook's 4th, 5th, and 6th years in the NFL? The cautuionary tale should really show itself here, right?  As that is what this is all about, is this guy worth it. (As Cook is about to enter his 4th year.)

 

4th year:  1557 yards rushing, 5 yards per attempt, and 44 receptions for 361 yards.  And 17 total touchdowns.  1918 total yards from scrimmage.

 

5th year:  1159 rushing yards, 4.7 yards per attempt, and 34 receptions for  244 yards.  6 total touchdowns.  1403 total yards from scrimmage.

 

6th year: 1173 rushing yards,  4.4 yards per attempt, and 39 receptions for 295 yards.  10 total touchdowns.  1458 yards from scrimmage.

 

 

I know I am being a homer,  and ignoring all of the superb arguments about moving on from Cook, such as your thoughtful points and facts above, the cautionary tale of of his brother Dalvin's career, but t I would take that kind of production from James the next three years.

 

And I, being a homer again, think James Cook is better than his brother. And with dramatically fewer carries in college and so far in the NFL it makes sense, based on those pesky facts you and so many others simply ignore completely, it likely means James will be good for at least several more years after his three year extension that I am hoping for.  All  Bills' fans should be hoping for that.

 

if you are right, and James Cook is like his brother, Dalvin, the Bills will be immensely pleased with his next three years, his 3889 rushing yards, his 900 receiving yards, his 33 touchdowns, and his 4,789 yards from scrimmage. If the defense is improved, that is the kind of running back production that will take the Bills to the next level.

 

I would sign up for that. I hope the Bills do a better job in their research than you and so many Cook bashers are doing..

 

 

 

Edited 11 hours ago by Mister Defense

[Doc Brown]

18 minutes ago, Mister Defense said:

 

A perfect example of what so many of the Cook bashers are doing, and why those supporting a good extension, and soon, for Cook are so much more solid in their arguments. Almost across the board too, literally.

 

They ignore the objective data, and as in this case, could care less about it, as they don't seem to want to let facts get in the way of the over the top bashing. Hence, the facts are almost always missing or irrelevant ones are given.

 

Here. you speak of the family history as a a reason for the Bills to "beware"  of signing Cook to an extension.  Maybe you should have found something to support that, to help prove what I consider baseless, almost comically so, points? When one actually knows the facts.  Why are they irrelevant to you?

 

What about the details, facts of both men's careers, these two brothers? Do they actually provide a clear "cautionary tale" that should make the Bills 'beware of extending Cook as you say? Or, do they  show something extremely different, the opposite?

 

 

1. Rushing attempts in college and in the NFL:

 

Dalvin Cook rushed 687 times during his college career.  In the NFL? 1282 rushes in Minnesota. That is a total of 1969 rush attempts. Yup, then Dalvin started to slow down, break down, was no longer an elite back.  The vast majority of backs do so after that many rushing attempts.

 

James Cook rushed 230 times in college.  So far in the NFL? He has 533 rush attempts. That is 763 rushing attempts.

 

So, if your maybe he's just like his brother logic is correct, that would mean James Cook has a good 1200 rush attempts left in him at en elite level.

 

 

 

2.  How did the cautionary tale of 'beware he can be just like his brother' manifest itself in Dalvin Cook's 4th, 5th, and 6th years in the NFL? The cautuionary tale should really show itself here, right?  As that is what this is all about, is this guy worth it. (As Cook is about to enter his 4th year.)

 

4th year:  1557 yards rushing, 5 yards per attempt, and 44 receptions for 361 yards.  And 17 total touchdowns.  1918 total yards from scrimmage.

 

5th year:  1159 rushing yards, 4.7 yards per attempt, and 34 receptions for  244 yards.  6 total touchdowns.  1403 total yards from scrimmage.

 

6th year: 1173 rushing yards,  4.4 yards per attempt, and 39 receptions for 295 yards.  10 total touchdowns.  1458 yards from scrimmage.

 

 

I know I am being a homer,  and ignoring all of the superb arguments about moving on from Cook, such as your thoughtful points and facts above, the cautionary tale of of his brother Dalvin's career, but t I would take that kind of production from James the next three years.

 

And I, being a homer again, think James Cook is better than his brother. And with dramatically fewer carries in college and so far in the NFL it makes sense, based on those pesky facts you and so many others simply ignore completely, it likely means James will be good for at least several more years after his three year extension that I am hoping for.  All  Bills' fans should be hoping for that.

 

if you are right, and James Cook is like his brother, Dalvin, the Bills will be immensely pleased with his next three years, his 3889 rushing yards, his 900 receiving yards, his 33 touchdowns, and his 4,789 yards from scrimmage. If the defense is improved, that is the kind of running back production that will take the Bills to the next level.

 

I would sign up for that. I hope the Bills do a better job in their research than you and so many Cook bashers are doing.

In his best year PFF gave him a 82.3 grade which was 12th among 47 qualifying RB's.  He wants to be paid like a top three back despite only playing 46% of the snaps last year.  What would make more sense to you?  Giving him a four year $60m contract for a part time RB or let him play out the last year of his contract at $5.7m to see if he can repeat what he did last year? 

 

Then you have the option of re-signing him, applying the non-exclusive franchise tag (around $13m which still would be less than he'd get on a four year $60m) on him, and if some team offers him a contract you can either match it or get two first round picks.  Or you let him walk and get a 3rd or 4th round comp pick (which I would do).  The point is you still have a lot of options by letting him play out the last year of his contract.  What's the rush?

[Richard Noggin]

Just starting this thread now, and hoping I will be encountering a general consensus of "yawn" and "wake me up when he skips camp"...but we know from the Sabres that "hope" is not a strategy

 

Post-script: would be FINE with trading Cook if someone offers a 3rd tbh

 

 

Edited 11 hours ago by Richard Noggin

[Warriorspikes51]

40% he’s traded in the next 48 hours

[Breakout Squad]

I love Cook. I hope he doesn’t go full T.O. on the Bills and become a distraction and malcontent. 

[Bullfrog]

I love having James cook on this team. I love how patient he runs and ability to expose small lanes while showing speed. It's like he makes cuts but never slows down. 

What is problematic was his timing to ask for 15 mill with a year left. I don't mind that he asked for it and he values himself highly. Then Barkley gets a contract out of the blue and he now wants 20. 

If he truly wants 15-20 then he should play out his last year and prove he can be a 3 down back. But then the problem will be that his brother and agent with probably want 30.

All the while bean is looking at his available roster of Ray Davis, Ty Johnson and Frank Gore jr.

I truly believe these guys could replace cooks production. 

Cook deserves to get paid. I just don't know if the Bills can meet his growing demands as long as we have to pay Allen elite money.

 

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Bullfrog

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

On 4/22/2025 at 2:52 PM, Draconator said:

Two-time Pro Bowl running back James Cook did not join the rest of his teammates when the Buffalo Bills gathered for their first voluntary workouts, general manager Brandon Beane confirmed in a news conference Tuesday.

 

Cook, in the final year of his rookie contract, is seeking a contract extension. But Beane stated three weeks ago at the NFL owners’ meetings that the sides are significantly far apart and that an extension wasn’t likely before the upcoming season.

 

“I just try to focus on what I can control and making sure that the guys that are here are getting the work done,” quarterback Josh Allen said of Cook’s absence. “I know that James is working out and getting the work done there, too. I’m hoping that gets figured out, but it’ll get figured out when it gets figured out. We understand the business side of it.”

 

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6299460/2025/04/22/bills-james-cook-ota-contract-extension/

Why is Josh being asked about COOK's situation? This is a Beane question. 

 

I get that players especially RBs want to get paid, but Cook isn't worth the bread he's demanding. I'll beat this horse to death, roll with Ray Davis/TJ/Rookie and let Cook go the Leveon Bell route. 

3 hours ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

40% he’s traded in the next 48 hours

I pray this happens. A 3rd rounder would be sufficient.

[ndirish1978]

Distractions are things like mouthing off in the locker room and refusing to play. Cook isn't being a distraction, his brother is but he is not. He will play on his rookie contract this year and then leave next year and we will draft his replacement. Dalvin tweeting 20M on the eve of the draft is kindergarten negotiating tactics that he somehow thinks will encourage a trade. No one cares. We made an offer, it was not to Cook's liking. He tried to ask for an exorbitant amount and Beane walked away from the table and announced negotiations are over. There is no negotiation, these ridiculous Dalvin tweets accomplish nothing but alienating James from the fans. What is Cook going to do, sulk and give poor effort in his contract year? He'll never see the bag he wants that way. He has no choice but to show up, play as well as he can and then leave and hand us a comp pick on his way out of the door. I very much doubt he's getting traded, this should be another solid year of production for us for cheap. 

[Mister Defense]

11 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

In his best year PFF gave him a 82.3 grade which was 12th among 47 qualifying RB's.  He wants to be paid like a top three back despite only playing 46% of the snaps last year.  What would make more sense to you?  Giving him a four year $60m contract for a part time RB or let him play out the last year of his contract at $5.7m to see if he can repeat what he did last year? 

 

Then you have the option of re-signing him, applying the non-exclusive franchise tag (around $13m which still would be less than he'd get on a four year $60m) on him, and if some team offers him a contract you can either match it or get two first round picks.  Or you let him walk and get a 3rd or 4th round comp pick (which I would do).  The point is you still have a lot of options by letting him play out the last year of his contract.  What's the rush?

 

Well, I too use PFF,  and often,  but only because It seems to be the only rate every NFL player site there is, though that may be because I am being lazy.  But James Cook sure seems to be one of the best backs in the NFL, has elite speed, vision, ability to use his blocks, made a surprising turn to successful power running each of the last two years, as he transformed himself physically to become that, and is one of the best pass catching backs in the league (though not used nearly enough in that respect).

 

I think one of the missing elements in all of these Cook debates is the stance of the posters on the importance of the running game. On a scale of 1-10, for example, how important do we believe it to be in the Bills' success, in them taking the next, championship step?  I believe that may be a tell tale sign of why there is such dichotomy in the views on Cook.  For example, I believe the importance of a high quality running game is close to a 10 for the Bills right now.  Over the last four years each time they have started to commit to the run they have become almost unbeatable on offense. This has been true, such as  last year, from beginning to end (and it may not have ended if they remembered this...) and mid season, such as post Dorsey and under Daboll, when McD seemed to force Daboll's hand, and they did not lose again. On the other hand, some think the running game is not very important at all with a guy like Josh, and others are somewhere in the middle. I think people's views on this are likely playing a very important role in their views on Cook, as it greatly influences my own.

 

For me, the Bills' elite running game, added to a team led by one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, seem to make the Bills almost unstoppable. The combo of those two elements, this aspect of complimentary football, is the thing, if fostered, developed, that will give the Bills its first NFL championship.

 

And with James Cook we finally have the kind of elite--and very rare, despite the nonsense from so many that he is not--running back capable of taking the Bills to that next level. And, if the Bills know what they are doing, keeping us there for years.

 

The Bills do not use the franchise tag, have not since 2006 with Nate Clements. I think the current leadership also finds it distasteful, almost a violation of the culture and trust they have established.  They almost always treat their players like men, who have free will, and have never used that tag.  I cannot imagine them using it on Cook if he does not want them to next year. 

 

When you say that you would welcome a 3rd or 4th round comp pick next year for Cook, you completely lose me.  It is the same type of compensation the Bills got for their last great running back, Marshawn Lynch,  the best player on the Bills at the time and one of the best running backs in the game, a true beast.  Teams that give up their best players for peanuts are bad teams, ones not likely to contend for championships. You cannot give up elite players, they are so rare, and somehow hope to replace them with mid round draft picks.  The Bills would just be spinning their wheels, year after year if they engage in such nonsense.

 

 

 

Edited 23 minutes ago by Mister Defense

[CincyBillsFan]

6 hours ago, ndirish1978 said:

Distractions are things like mouthing off in the locker room and refusing to play. Cook isn't being a distraction, his brother is but he is not. He will play on his rookie contract this year and then leave next year and we will draft his replacement. Dalvin tweeting 20M on the eve of the draft is kindergarten negotiating tactics that he somehow thinks will encourage a trade. No one cares. We made an offer, it was not to Cook's liking. He tried to ask for an exorbitant amount and Beane walked away from the table and announced negotiations are over. There is no negotiation, these ridiculous Dalvin tweets accomplish nothing but alienating James from the fans. What is Cook going to do, sulk and give poor effort in his contract year? He'll never see the bag he wants that way. He has no choice but to show up, play as well as he can and then leave and hand us a comp pick on his way out of the door. I very much doubt he's getting traded, this should be another solid year of production for us for cheap. 

Agree.  The players know this is a business and Cook is doing what he thinks he has to do.  Missing a few OTA's is a non-issue.  And as you say if he wants the big dollars he has to have a great season in 2025. 

[Low Positive]

Bills fans seem strangely concerned about how much cash players get. I don't care if they pay Cook 15 million, just as long as they keep the cap hit at around 12. But everyone here is obsessed with how much he's "worth" or what players have "earned." You sound like my Kodak-working aunts gossiping about the neighbors, who they insisted were "loaded" because they drove an Oldsmobile instead of a Chevy and went to Florida once a year. I do gotta admit, that Cutty was sweet.