HappyDays

DeWayne Carter doesn't know how to use a key. Cut him.

Amazing show. I can't personally recommend it to anyone because it is for very specific tastes. The sequence of him trying to steal the security tape had me dying laughing, and yes the finale was incredible.

Chernobyl was unbelievably good. But I would only watch 1 episode a week, the way shows are intended to be watched. It's too grim to binge. Plus there's only 5 episodes so if you start this week you'll count down to the NFL season 😁 Another HBO show I'll mention that no one else brought up is Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal. I have no clue if anybody other than me has watched it and I don't even know how to explain what it is. Best description I can give is extreme social experiments conducted on real people by an evil genius. But that's underselling it. Your jaw will regularly be on the floor.

That's been my stance all along. In a vacuum I don't like the idea of giving a big multi-year extension to a RB. But the opportunity cost just isn't that bad for us. If for example we had traded for DK Metcalf and extended him I would have accepted losing Cook as a necessary consequence. Since this regime clearly just isn't going to go that route... I'm left wanting to make sure we at least have some manner of explosive offense and easy button TDs, because like last year I don't expect the on schedule passing game to be a consistent source of those plays. It's mostly going to be Allen improvisation and Cook explosive runs. I accept that Cook is not a down in down out back like Kyren Williams but I actually value his skill set more for this team the way it is currently constructed.

Here's my question - would the money used on Cook actually go towards upgrading the WRs? Or would it go towards more defensive depth, 30+ year old defensive linemen and the like? I think the history of this regime tells you which way that would go. That's why I've come to lean towards paying Cook, I don't think that money is going to be spent better so might as well lock up the one consistently explosive player we have around Josh.

So according to John it just comes down to annual guarantees. That would explain why national reporters are saying the sides aren't too far off. This makes me more optimistic an extension will happen without breaking the bank.

John wouldn't just throw this stuff out there unless he heard it from a source. So I wonder if the Bills just aren't all that interested in extending him under any circumstances... But that seems to conflict with some of the reports that say the two sides are not far apart on getting a deal done. Very strange situation.

There is practically a 0% chance Cook sits out regular season games so other than being an annoying news story this changes nothing about our season. The Bills hold all the power here, not saying that's how it should be but that's the reality of the situation. Cook is within his rights to try and force the issue. The Bills will wait it out because they already know the outcome.

That depends on if the passing game is efficient. There were a few games last year where the run game is what got out offense going, specifically with Cook getting some explosive runs that I don't expect Davis or Johnson to get. Oh well, this is a 2026 problem. Everything that happens between now and week 1 is just posturing from both sides. I hate to think what the Bills offense would look like without Cook in 2025. I would be very concerned about our ability to produce explosive offense and easy button TDs. As for 2026, we'll hopefully be able to make up for his inevitable exit in FA by investing resources into the passing game.

That's right, he's playing out the season no matter what. And the Bills know it. Teams hold all the power in these situations. It's why Trey Hendrickson just relented in a situation that was much much more toxic than what we have going on with Cook. Ultimately Cincy held his rights and he was giving up $50,000 per day to skip training camp, and missing regular season games is not remotely an option for any player thinking rationally. Hassan Reddick did it and just ended up screwing himself for no reason. Teams know 99% of players are not going to really follow through on their threats to skip regular season games, so they just wait it out. That's what will happen with Cook. I don't begrudge him for trying any tactic he has to get paid, but there's only one possible outcome and the Bills know it.

It wasn't an elite season but he did have some elite plays that you have to accept losing once he leaves. A lot of RBs don't get some of those long TD runs he had. Or a couple of the red zone TDs where he outran a defender to the pylon. Or the 4th down TD in the AFCCG that kept us in the game. I can't pretend those plays weren't important so if the idea is never pay RBs unless they're the elite of the elite, I get it, but those plays have to be replaced or else you are just choosing to take a step back on offense. I don't trust this regime to replace those plays because historically they have not put a lot of resources into explosive skill players.

No fans at today's practice, just beat reporters.