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The Bills offensive line was one of the best in the league last year. Brady would have known to get it out before any pressure was there if he read the play.

Allen should have taken $45M. Because everybody should take 2/3 value due to the salary cap.

I’m sure you’re a nice fellow but try and understand contracts have meant nothing in professional sports for years. It’s about leverage and a team’s evaluation of whether it’s in their best interests to sign a player to another contract and for how much. It’s a negotiation that starts the year before the rookie contract expires.Remember, a player averages 4 years in the NFL and if he gets injured they will dump him in a finger snap. Stop with the “real men” BS. These guys are just entertainers with a short window to earn and the negotiation starts the year before their rookie contract expires. Did you complain when Benford got extended or Bernard before their contract expired? You can’t compare a contract in business to the NFL. Don’t diminish great players who make our team SB contenders. Remember the mediocrity of bad personnel decisions over 2 decades when you couldn’t watch games after the middle of November.

It is what it is. I'm not going to act like I know what Beane has offered or anything like that. I'm sure it is a significant pay raise over the $5M he's about to make. But whatever it is, it's not enough for Cook to accept. If he doesn't play, it will have one of two effects. This could potentially be a distraction that derails our season. Or, it could be the distraction that lights a fire under the other guys and catapults them to the next level. Either way, our team is better with Cook on the field. We know Josh is gonna ball out regardless. You saw what happened last year when they shipped Diggs out. We've seen the type of player Ty is. Davis had some flashes. I think we would miss the explosive plays, but we would still manage to keep balance on O. Next man up.

Cam Lewis is a guy that is not a star but he plays multiple positions at an average level. Coaches love players that can play multiple positions. He isn't going anywhere. As a back up he is very good. I agree and thought this the whole time too. Yes, he has some turnovers. Its those same turnovers that are also the superstar plays that people cheer for. Not all the picks are his fault either. The only ones that bother me are the routine plays that he should have seen coming. Of course everyone would like to see turnovers toned down. I still want him making those superstar, only QB that can do it, type of plays and if it costs a turnover once in a while so be it.

If Cook makes $15 million, doesn't that leave less money under the cap for the rest of his teammates?

Mostly agree but would quibble on one small point - the owners don't keep the money. It goes to another player or players (including the OLine opening the holes and the backs making sure is running fresh after a rest) (Assuming spending to the cap, which the Bills I assume do) Don't disagree at all with you on this. I get that there is some NFLPA type do it for the others argument - but I really don't see why Allen or any of the others would take way over 50m. I really don't. They are making their own team worse and their own job harder. It completely confuses me. At the same time, the reason people don't crash out about it is of course it's (relatively) much easier to replace 4 than 17. Sucks for Cook maybe, but it's reality. So they are the players forced to compromise.

We’ll agree to disagree… cheers !!

I agree, Allen’s picks never bothered much at all. I know many disagree, but those same risks also produce incredible feats. Allen can recover from a pick. Scoring drives aren’t at a premium with Allen. You have a chance to score every time he has the ball. The average QB has a limited number of those opportunities, and picks are devastating.

I feel conflicted. I understand the player position, yet find it hard to feel any sort of sympathy for a millionaire. Sometimes I don't think they realize the privilege they have.

Pegula is paying the same revenue split either way. you are actually just quibbling over how many slices cook gets, not how much pizza to order

Just on Benford specifically I think if I was his agent I'd have been advising him to leave some money on the table for as much security as possible. He has not made a ton as a 6th round pick and the concussion history is a concern. That one was the rare case where as an agent you say "look you can hold out for your max value if you want to but the sensible play here is take the $37.5m guaranteed and if in two years you have stayed healthy and further proven yourself then I can always go back for more money." I don't think he is quite a top 5 corner by the way. But he isn't more than a place or two off... I just think the context on his means the Bills probably did get a small hometown discount there.

That's not how the players see it tho. GoBills808 had it right. There are tons of interviews of players confirming this. Of course it isnt absolute. I'm sure some do. But by and large, they all want guys to get as much as they can.

All said with a straight face whilst writing cheques based on multiple possible future all-pros. 😬

Who knows? We literally watched Edmund's play for 5 seasons and Bernard for 2. I don't know how anyone in their right mind wouldn't say Bernard is a better player. Dak signed for 4 years and Josh signed for 6. it's even better for Dak, since he will have another chance to cash in soon and it makes it less team friendly . Not a poor example at all and that even strengthens my point even more. We witnessed the drought years where bills would have to overpay for guys cause they were an organization with no success. Not the case anymore, which is why we get benford for 17 and a dysfunctional franchise like the jets had to pay 30 for Gardner

"because it's in their best interest that their fellow members receive the biggest contracts possible." Nope. Thats 100% incorrect. THink it through. There is a fixed salary cap of ~$250 milllion. Thats what the Bills pay. They can pay 5 players $45 million each , and then 48 players at rookie minimum if they want to. Its the same amount of money out of Pegulas bank account. Every extra dollar that Cook gets is a dollar that his teammate(s) DONT get. So its NOT in their best interest for Cook to get an exorbitant salary.

very few running back careers have ended at practice may he not look his best playing injured or missing time? Sure. But this isn’t his best either.

DO IT PAPA PRITZGER

"It's Bidness!!" -James Cook

Josh just got a new deal and huge raise when he had a number of years left on the contract he signed and was already paid hundreds of millions of dollars. Start there.

Ah, the old democrat strategy that goes "Yeah, sure, we did stuff like that, but when we did it it was way less done than what you did". The floodgates are open, Frank. Have been since Herr Mueller kicked in doors and busted heads, since 51 intelligence agents spread misinformation designed to impact an election, since one guy was targeted for life in prison while another guy was targeted for kindly old gent of the year for doing the same thing, and worse for a few decades. I can't applaud it, but pretending suddenly this is all a bridge too far is kinda silly.

Yes, Edmunds is more talented. Better? Who knows. Open market, Bernard would make a couple stones rubbed together. Taron is an excellent player and he signed that deal off his best season. QB's have a bit more luxury to take smaller salaries, so sort of a poor example on your part. You have no basis to form the conclusions you're outside of your feels. That's the point.

I accept the alternative for the player isn't poverty. But I will always be in favour of the players getting the money and not the owners. And for running backs in particular the market has been tough. I have no problem with Cook wanting top of the market value. If I was his agent that is what I'd be pitching for too.

Yeah- for the dynamics of THIS team. Having a back with the extra gear that can take it to the house on any play puts more strain on the defense and can help open things up for everyone else. yes, we can draft a guy with a day 1 pick next year. I’d rather draft a premium position. Maybe spend another day 2 pick on a RB Maybe they don’t out to be nearly as good. Maybe they do. There’s no maybe with James Cook. He’s a home run hitter and I hope we find a way to keep him for the 25, 27 and 27 seasons. Jmo