Rd 2, Pick 63 (31): RB James Cook, Georgia

[Shaw66]

26 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

 

1) Motor has become an excellent pass protector.  Maybe Cook will get there, but for now he's gonna have a big adjustment there.

2) Motor was 15th in the league for YPC this season, with 4.6 - behind a poor run blocking OL that saw him tackled in the backfield a fair amount.

Cook says he can do it all, but he'll have to prove he can be productive running between the tackles.

I think you're correct.  I mean, it's always possible, but I think Cook's going to be worked in more gradually.  His role ultimately will be complex, so they'll give him spot assignments first and work him in.   I think your assessment of Motor is right.  He's very good at every aspect of his job, and McDermott values that kind of positional competence.  Cook is going to have to be very good to take the starting job this year.  2023 could be a different story.  

[Richard Noggin]

1 hour ago, mikemac2001 said:

about 7 Carrie’s and 5 Recs I could see that.

 

id rather keep him fresh he is a weapon that will make this offense extremely difficult to cover - don’t cover the flats he will chew up 7 a pop 

 

I dated a tall, blonde Carrie back when I lived in Dallas for a spell and let me tell you...7 of them is a LOT

[newcam2012]

3 hours ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

5 or 6 games into the season, Cook will take over as the starter.

 

He's so much better than Motor "Hands of Stone" Singletary 

Not so sure about that. Motor was pretty damn good the latter part of last season. 

[newcam2012]

1 hour ago, LEBills said:

Chris McCaffrey had just shy of 200 touches (117 rushes, 80 catches) his rookie year. I’d say that is probably what we could expect for Cook

I'd be shocked if he gets close to those stats. McCaffrey was the undisputed number 1 RB, high 1st round draft choice, and the focal point of their offense. No way Cook is any of these. 

[LEBills]

11 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

I'd be shocked if he gets close to those stats. McCaffrey was the undisputed number 1 RB, high 1st round draft choice, and the focal point of their offense. No way Cook is any of these. 

I mean John Stewart had 198 carries that year and Cam Newton had 139. Maybe it will be less but I think less than 12 touches a game is possible for Cook but we won’t know until the season

[mikemac2001]

1 hour ago, Richard Noggin said:

 

I dated a tall, blonde Carrie back when I lived in Dallas for a spell and let me tell you...7 of them is a LOT

Cool I was using my phone and not really paying attention - I’m happy for you 

[Richard Noggin]

18 minutes ago, mikemac2001 said:

Cool I was using my phone and not really paying attention - I’m happy for you 

 

Always appreciate a sense of humor online.

[mikemac2001]

19 minutes ago, Richard Noggin said:

 

Always appreciate a sense of humor online.

Me to - thanks for appreciating it friend

[DapperCam]

I don’t really understand seeing him as a third down back this year with an increased role as the season goes on “limiting his ceiling”. 
 

He’ll get his chance to prove it, and the Bills probably hope he’ll show he’s the guy for the following season when Singletary’s contract is up. Motor has already shown he’s a good every down back though. He will be tough to unseat by a rookie.

[LABILLBACKER]

9 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

I find it puzzling seeing so many people already trying to limit the ceiling of Cook.  This kid in our offense has a lot of upside and potential.

 

Labeling him just a 3rd down back is so short changing this kids potential.  He has a lot more potential than just that, and I think he will be used along side Devin a lot like how Kamara is used for the Saints when he was running with Ingram.  

Trust me, when all the dust settles James Cook will be alot more than a 3rd down back.

[JoshAllin]

9 hours ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

5 or 6 games into the season, Cook will take over as the starter.

 

He's so much better than Motor "Hands of Stone" Singletary 

Motor has actually improved in pass catching and led the team in catch% it looks like with 80%, Zack had 71.9% and love Knox but he gets that title with 69%

[Beerball]

13 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

I find it puzzling seeing so many people already trying to limit the ceiling of Cook.  This kid in our offense has a lot of upside and potential.

 

Labeling him just a 3rd down back is so short changing this kids potential.  He has a lot more potential than just that, and I think he will be used along side Devin a lot like how Kamara is used for the Saints when he was running with Ingram.  

I'd guess he'll be a 1st & 2nd down back more than third to start his career.

[Sierra Foothills]

9 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Trust me, when all the dust settles James Cook will be alot more than a 3rd down back.

 

4 hours ago, Beerball said:

I'd guess he'll be a 1st & 2nd down back more than third to start his career.

 

It's funny how the game has changed.

 

I believe the Bills threw the ball more (over 60% of the time) on all 3 downs.

 

I think probably Cook will alternate series more than he alternates plays.

[Warcodered]

 

[Augie]

11 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

 

 

Well, that was painful. 

 

I’m guessing he would have rather been anywhere else! 

[Warcodered]

7 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Well, that was painful. 

 

I’m guessing he would have rather been anywhere else! 

Is starting to look like he isn't a fan of the media part of the job.

[RocCityRoller]

25 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Well, that was painful. 

 

I’m guessing he would have rather been anywhere else! 

 

I feel like Aaron Schobel is not a big fan favorite because he was quiet and reserved. Never a rah-rah type of guy or very vocal, but boy did he do his talking on the field. I'm hoping that is the vibe I am picking up.

 

If not look at Aaron Williams. Dude was not all that thrilled to be here early, was kind of a prick actually. He grew to love Buffalo, the team and the fan base. He wrote one of the all time farewell letters to a fan base, team and city.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/aaron-williams-bills-retirement

 

Hoping this is more of an Aaron Schobel/ Aaron Williams story than a Gilmore/ Watkins one.

For now I'll sit on the sideline of judgement and see what he says on the field.

[Shaw66]

36 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

Is starting to look like he isn't a fan of the media part of the job.

I'll say.   He must be more animated hanging with his friends.   

 

A lot of guys are like that, especially coming out of college.   Sure, he had a big fan base and big crowds at Georgia, but he those college guys aren't exposed to the media like they are in the pros.   They're more protected.  

 

Without much experience dealing with the press, he's clearly uncomfortable saying much.   He knows that the last thing he needs in his first year is a big flap with the media. 

 

And coming from the Miami environment he came from, don't underestimate his discomfort being on the air with a blonde white woman.   He's been told his whole life that he can get in trouble fast messing with white women.  

 

Guy needs some success and some experience.  Even then, he may not open up much.  

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

1 minute ago, Shaw66 said:

I'll say.   He must be more animated hanging with his friends.   

 

A lot of guys are like that, especially coming out of college.   Sure, he had a big fan base and big crowds at Georgia, but he those college guys aren't exposed to the media like they are in the pros.   They're more protected.  

 

Without much experience dealing with the press, he's clearly uncomfortable saying much.   He knows that the last thing he needs in his first year is a big flap with the media. 

 

And coming from the Miami environment he came from, don't underestimate his discomfort being on the air with a blonde white woman.   He's been told his whole life that he can get in trouble fast messing with white women.  

 

Guy needs some success and some experience.  Even then, he may not open up much.  

This is probably true.  Wants to be careful not to say the wrong thing and have the press blow it out of proportion.

 

Its better to say too little and do his talking on the field with his play.

[hemma]

Wonder why they pushed him into that interview.

Give him a little more time to settle.

[MrEpsYtown]

He literally said that he is a laid back, quiet guy who likes to play football. Everybody has their own personality and style. He also grew up with a brother who is a huge star, so he's probably used to hanging in the background. I thought he did a good job with all of those corny questions about chains and sneakers. I think he's just a laid back dude and I'm cool with it. Just score touchdowns. Let Josh and those guys do all the interviews. 

 

Here he is after winning the national championship. Slightly more animated and excited: 

 

 

Another Post game: 

 

 

Combine interview: 

 

His Rich Eisen interview: 

 

 

It's his style and personality. Everyone is entitled to be themselves. 

[John from Riverside]

10 hours ago, motorj said:

Motor has actually improved in pass catching and led the team in catch% it looks like with 80%, Zack had 71.9% and love Knox but he gets that title with 69%

Yeah our current running backs really dont hold a candle to Cook in this area....they might catch passes but Cool catches passes like a wide receiver......he is looking to get north/south immediately or catching the ball on the move.

[Shaw66]

48 minutes ago, MrEpsYtown said:

He literally said that he is a laid back, quiet guy who likes to play football. Everybody has their own personality and style. He also grew up with a brother who is a huge star, so he's probably used to hanging in the background. I thought he did a good job with all of those corny questions about chains and sneakers. I think he's just a laid back dude and I'm cool with it. Just score touchdowns. Let Josh and those guys do all the interviews. 

 

Here he is after winning the national championship. Slightly more animated and excited: 

 

 

Another Post game: 

 

 

Combine interview: 

 

His Rich Eisen interview: 

 

 

It's his style and personality. Everyone is entitled to be themselves. 

I'll say.   Nothing wrong with that.   He's so laid back, it's amazing.   Rich Eisen finally said, "Hey, James, I'm going to ask you something I've never asked anyone else.  Did you just wake up?"   Eisen was looking for some conversational energy, and Cooke just doesn't swing that way.   You could tell that Eisen was thinking a couple of things.   One, that this wasn't very interesting television, and he was trying to find a way to get it juiced up.  Two, this is is the most chill guy I've ever met. 

[CapeBreton]

Hope this wasn’t already posted but thought it was pretty entertaining. I’m impressed by the disrespect, these guys have families Jimmy! 

Edited May 4, 2022 by CapeBreton

[947]

4 hours ago, Warcodered said:

 

Not gonna lie, I had to turn subtitles on to understand some of what of he's saying.

 

Mumble-speak is pretty common nowadays in teens/young adults. Every word is the same pitch from start to finish. I catch my teen son son doing it at times, and have to make him repeat it normally.

[BillsFanForever19]

7 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Well, that was painful. 

 

I’m guessing he would have rather been anywhere else! 

 

He's a painfully shy and quiet person that obviously doesn't feel comfortable having a microphone and camera in front of him. He said it himself when he was asked the kind of person he was. "Quiet" was one of the first words out of his mouth.

 

And that's okay. Not everyone is an extrovert who revels in being in the media and is a good public speaker. All that matter is how he performs. Ever seen interviews with Larry Bird early on? It was painful. One word answers and making sure everyone knew he didn't want to be there. But come game time, it didn't matter. I expect much the same with Cook. 

 

I think people (and I'm not implying you bc I think you're just talking about being in the interview room) need to lay off this "I don't think he wanted to be a Bill" narrative.

 

Not everyone is overly emotional and jovial. It's getting real tiresome seeing posts from Bills fans who jump to that conclusion everytime we take a player that doesn't immediately burst into tears and jump up and down. He made posts from the facility on his IG during his Pre-Draft visit. He wouldn't have done that if he didn't want to be here. He's talked about how he fell in love with the Bills during his visit. If he didn't want to be here, he wouldn't have said that.

 

And ultimately, if he didn't want to be here - Beane and McDermott would have picked up on that during his visit and they wouldn't have picked him.

Edited May 5, 2022 by BillsFanForever19

[JoshAllin]

6 hours ago, John from Riverside said:

Yeah our current running backs really dont hold a candle to Cook in this area....they might catch passes but Cool catches passes like a wide receiver......he is looking to get north/south immediately or catching the ball on the move.

I know just saying. I think cook can pan out to be Mccafery like in the receiving game someone earlier made some nice comparisons

[Motor26]

I have a hard time seeing a guy being super unhappy with being drafted to a Super Bowl contender with a chance of playing early and often, maybe a little bit because of location, but, I think he’s just not the type of guy who likes talking to the media. 

[LABILLBACKER]

Little bit of a sleepy interview but he'll excite the brethren. Not worried. 

[realtruelove]

Seems to be a lot like Barry Sanders from a personality standpoint.  Low key but the fire inside burns bright.

[Dopey]

8 hours ago, Warcodered said:

Is starting to look like he isn't a fan of the media part of the job.

I wouldn't be either. You get no time to think the question through, but the media gets plenty of time to disect every word and put their spin on it. I think NY media(Yankees or Mets) really suck. Look for a negative spin on a 9 game winning streak. Marshawn Lynch had it right. Only do what you're contractually obligated to. And only answer football questions.

[Buffalo716]

7 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I'll say.   He must be more animated hanging with his friends.   

 

A lot of guys are like that, especially coming out of college.   Sure, he had a big fan base and big crowds at Georgia, but he those college guys aren't exposed to the media like they are in the pros.   They're more protected.  

 

Without much experience dealing with the press, he's clearly uncomfortable saying much.   He knows that the last thing he needs in his first year is a big flap with the media. 

 

And coming from the Miami environment he came from, don't underestimate his discomfort being on the air with a blonde white woman.   He's been told his whole life that he can get in trouble fast messing with white women.  

 

Guy needs some success and some experience.  Even then, he may not open up much.  

It's not 1960 anymore though Shaw 

 

There are plenty of interracial relationships in Miami and around the country .. actually getting pretty normal

 

There might be some crazy people who object, but I don't think your average everyday person cares if two adults are in love 

 

There's one race.. the human race

 

 

Edited May 5, 2022 by Buffalo716

[Shaw66]

6 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

It's not 1960 anymore though Shaw 

 

There are plenty of interracial relationships in Miami and around the country 

 

There might be some crazy people who object, but I don't think your average everyday person cares if two adults are in love

Don't kid yourself.  Ahmaud Arbery thought he was okay just jogging through a white neighborhood.  

 

Yeah, it's not 1960.  It's 2022, and Black people are still worried about those things, with good reason.  

[gobills404]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

Yeah, it's not 1960.  It's 2022, and Black people are still worried about those things, with good reason.  

Really debating whether or not to post some interesting statistics right now

Edited May 5, 2022 by gobills404

[Southern_Bills]

1 hour ago, Buffalo716 said:

It's not 1960 anymore though Shaw 

 

There are plenty of interracial relationships in Miami and around the country .. actually getting pretty normal

 

There might be some crazy people who object, but I don't think your average everyday person cares if two adults are in love 

 

There's one race.. the human race

 

 

 

I wouldn't go as far as to say it doesn't exist.

 

Cook was a star athlete on the Georgia Bulldogs and before that some high school. I don't think he's only been around small minded people where he's uncomfortable around people of another race like Shaw suggested.

 

Probably just an introvert until he gets to know you.

[Southern_Bills]

11 minutes ago, gobills404 said:

Really debating whether or not to post some interesting statistics right now

 

I wouldn't bother, just get the thread closed. It's readily available information if he looks.

[gobills404]

2 minutes ago, Southern_Bills said:

 

I wouldn't bother, just get the thread closed. It's readily available information if he looks.

He would just say the data is fake or misleading anyways

[Buffalo716]

14 minutes ago, Southern_Bills said:

 

I wouldn't go as far as to say it doesn't exist.

 

Cook was a star athlete on the Georgia Bulldogs and before that some high school. I don't think he's only been around small minded people where he's uncomfortable around people of another race like Shaw suggested.

 

Probably just an introvert until he gets to know you.

Oh I know it does exist

 

I'm not so sheltered to think that there's not terrible human beings who are racist 

 

I just also think there's a lot of good people and we can overcome it

[YoloinOhio]

8 hours ago, MrEpsYtown said:

He literally said that he is a laid back, quiet guy who likes to play football. Everybody has their own personality and style. He also grew up with a brother who is a huge star, so he's probably used to hanging in the background. I thought he did a good job with all of those corny questions about chains and sneakers. I think he's just a laid back dude and I'm cool with it. Just score touchdowns. Let Josh and those guys do all the interviews. 

 

Here he is after winning the national championship. Slightly more animated and excited: 

 

 

Another Post game: 

 

 

Combine interview: 

 

His Rich Eisen interview: 

 

 

It's his style and personality. Everyone is entitled to be themselves. 

Interestingly - 

 

[BurpleBull]

On 5/1/2022 at 4:53 PM, John from Riverside said:

Looks like one of those reads that scouts will want to forget they wrote in a couple of years.   Often times players going into the league is all about the fit and how they are used in the league.   Word is he has blitz pickup chops.....he has pedigree.....and his strengths are obvious on tape.   Why in the world would we take a bellcow back that takes the ball OUT of Josh Allen's hands?   We are a passing team.   And I also dont buy that he cant carry the ball.   He fit into a nitch with his college team and they had someone else run the ball between the tackles.  As an outside zone runner?  I think he fits it perfectly.

You are making things up.  He is not a 4.8 guy.....Where in the F do you get that from.

 

James Cook runs a 4.42. I eluded to him being fast, just not an elite burner that defenses will lose sleep over.

 

The 4.8 mention was me using an RB to beg the question regarding "blazing acceleration", a term that another poster used to describe a Cook attribute that I don't see him as having.; would a 4.8 speed RB be tagged as having "blazing acceleration" regardless of how much more quickly he hit top speed than a 4.40 speed RB? 

 

Probably not.

 

Speed and acceleration are two separate attributes, but I'm guessing elite-level acceleration paired with 4.42 speed would allow Cook to beat defenders to angles and pull away from them regularly with ease, I don't see that happening in the clips I watch of him (this and his inability to break tackles is why I don't care for where he was selected) and believe he was assigned an attribute solely based off his 40 time, and perhaps because we've been in need of a faster RB and the poster wants to believe we have that home-run hitter in Cook.

 

I don't believe we do.