Is Cook worth it?

[Stenbar]

2 hours ago, Virgil said:

 

I have no issue paying Cook, but the price tag matters.  If I were the Bills, I would allow Cook to seek a trade and negotiate with other teams so he can see what his real value is.  Comparing himself to Henry and Barkley is insane, and I don't think any team would give him that type of contract.  I'm okay with up to 12 mil per, if it's front loaded, for cap flexibility while we have it.

It does not matter, unless you are the one paying him. The goal should be to have as many players that produce more than the average player in the position that he is. You find a way to pay him. That argument "the pay matters" is for the unimaginative weak. I'm not saying pay him 50 mil a year, just pay him to keep him working hard and in a Bills uniform. Negotiating is part of the deal both ways, but if your gonna lose him cuz you wont pay him 15 mil then that's just insanity. He is not injury prone, doesn't fumble hardly, catches pretty much every throw at him. Not to mention he is pretty much the only player on the roster besides Allen that can score from anywhere on the field. You lose him you lose more games. Simple

[FireChans]

11 minutes ago, Stenbar said:

It does not matter, unless you are the one paying him.

 

11 minutes ago, Stenbar said:

I'm not saying pay him 50 mil a year

Sigh

Edited Tuesday at 05:41 PM by FireChans

[Virgil]

2 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

No one is Barkley, and he isnt asking for Barkley money. Folks need to stop bringing his name up.

 

The better comparison, and in range with his ask, is Henry and Jonathan Taylor. Both are in that $14-15M range. Henry is old and Taylor is often injured. Cook is absolutely in their range. Bills fans are just devaluing their own, and not remembering his play last year.

 

The only reason I mentioned Barkley and Henry is because of James and his brother commenting on X about their contracts, inferring they want a new deal and like those numbers.  Based on their posts, I think it's reasonable to reference them.

17 minutes ago, Stenbar said:

It does not matter, unless you are the one paying him. 

 

I knew I'd get this response from someone, yet didn't think I needed to point out the obvious that I'm not personally paying them 🤦‍♂️.

 

It matters to the team, because there's only so much money to go around.  You can't pay everyone top dollar and expect to keep everyone together.  Beane has done a great job of getting player's buy-in and gotten people paid.  If Cook is about getting top dollar, and that's his right to, then his demands will probably not fit within the team plan.  Hence, the money matters.  

[Don Otreply]

I just saw on Reddit D&C that Cook will be practicing with the team, any one else see this ??

[turbo044]

Yep - that's what he said in his news conference and he'll be a full participant in TC and the regular season too; "business is business, I want to be here for my team and win a Superbowl" was his basic message

[mjt328]

On 6/9/2025 at 11:46 AM, MikePJ76 said:

You want James Cook to take less than Josh Jacobs took in march of 2024?  The NFL is a production business.  James Cook has produced in his two seasons starting.

 

Compare Cook and Jacobs 2023 and 2024, Cook became a starter in 2023 its the fair place to start.

 

 

Cook has 3 rushed for 3 yards less than Jacobs in 90 less carries.  Cook has accounted for for 2 more TD's total in the regular season than Jacobs and in the postseason he has 2 more TD's then him.

 

 

 

So again, The NFL is a production business.  There is no way in which the Bills can offer James Cook less money than Josh Jacobs received 15 months ago.  Throw in the fact that Cook is younger and has less wear and tear plus he is a perfect fit in the offense.  The Bills are in a tough spot here.  They decided to pay under performing Defensive players and WR's who produce less than cook does.  

 

Cook deserves a raise and I hope he stands his ground.  I guarantee you every player in that locker room does too.  Letting Cook walk over money when a lot of under performing Defensive players were resigned irregardless if they took less or set the market will draw some double takes from players in the locker room.

 

and yes I understand RB has been deemed the position you don't pay because so many teams have used RB by Committee the last 20 years or so but that should not supercede The Bills as an organization doing what is best for the team to win in the near future.  This type of thing is not one size fits all unless you are a backwards hat wearing youtube scout who obsesses over groupthink.

 

The Bills need to get this done ASAP.  I love Ray Davis.  I think he will be even better this year but Cook put the work in and his skillset is unique.  He should be just viewed as an offensive skill player the way they turned OLB into "Edge" etc.   

 

 

I said that if Cook wants to get paid early (meaning before the expiration of his current contract), then he needs to give the Bills some kind of incentive to do so.  

 

The cap on his open-market value right now is between $12-13 million per season, at the absolute maximum.  That is when Cook is an unrestricted free agent, and there are bottom-feeder teams with $80 million in cap space bidding for his services.  Considering that he's not even a 3-down player, I'm not completely sure he could even fetch that amount.

 

Why would the Bills tear-up his rookie contract - where he's set to receive about $5.7 million, and then extend him for almost three times that amount... when they aren't even competing with another team?  Because he's threatening to sit-out the offseason?  The only reason Brandon Beane should even consider an extension at this point of the year, is if Cook is willing to give them a hometown discount to stay here.

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 06:58 PM by mjt328

[Stenbar]

1 hour ago, Virgil said:

 

The only reason I mentioned Barkley and Henry is because of James and his brother commenting on X about their contracts, inferring they want a new deal and like those numbers.  Based on their posts, I think it's reasonable to reference them.

 

I knew I'd get this response from someone, yet didn't think I needed to point out the obvious that I'm not personally paying them 🤦‍♂️.

 

It matters to the team, because there's only so much money to go around.  You can't pay everyone top dollar and expect to keep everyone together.  Beane has done a great job of getting player's buy-in and gotten people paid.  If Cook is about getting top dollar, and that's his right to, then his demands will probably not fit within the team plan.  Hence, the money matters.  

No it does not

[klos63]

12 minutes ago, mjt328 said:

 

I said that if Cook wants to get paid early (meaning before the expiration of his current contract), then he needs to give the Bills some kind of incentive to do so.  

 

The cap on his open-market value right now is between $12-13 million per season, at the absolute maximum.  That is when Cook is an unrestricted free agent, and there are bottom-feeder teams with $80 million in cap space bidding for his services.  Considering that he's not even a 3-down player, I'm not completely sure he could even fetch that amount.

 

Why would the Bills tear-up his rookie contract - where he's set to receive about $5.7 million, and then extend him for almost three times that amount... when they aren't even competing with another team?  Because he's threatening to sit-out the offseason?  The only reason Brandon Beane should even consider an extension at this point of the year, is if Cook is willing to give them a hometown discount to stay here.

 

 

They're not going to tear up his contract, they'll extend it(if they reach agreement) and structure so his cap hit is minimal this year and next... and maybe a 3rd year.  I don't get that nobody hear seems to discuss the actual structure of the deal.  People just seem to assume that it would have to be 15mm a year cap hit,  which it won't. If Beane wants to extend him,  they will. 

[Chicken Boo]

Cook is a much needed weapon.  It's as simple as that.  

 

Who else on this offense, not named Allen, is a threat to do anything significant on a weekly basis?  

 

Pay your talent.  F***!

[BillsFanForever19]

19 hours ago, Victory Formation said:

He’s not a team player, we’ve already been over this with Diggs, this never ends well..

 

 

[MJS]

2 hours ago, Stenbar said:

It does not matter, unless you are the one paying him. The goal should be to have as many players that produce more than the average player in the position that he is. You find a way to pay him. That argument "the pay matters" is for the unimaginative weak. I'm not saying pay him 50 mil a year, just pay him to keep him working hard and in a Bills uniform. Negotiating is part of the deal both ways, but if your gonna lose him cuz you wont pay him 15 mil then that's just insanity. He is not injury prone, doesn't fumble hardly, catches pretty much every throw at him. Not to mention he is pretty much the only player on the roster besides Allen that can score from anywhere on the field. You lose him you lose more games. Simple

Couldn't disagree more. Cook isn't worth $15 million a season, so you don't pay him that. Period. He is a running back who doesn't even play 70% of snaps. Move on and find his replacement. The offense won't skip a beat.

 

How many GMs have this mentality of yours? Basically none. They have to consider their market value and weigh it against the opportunity cost. That's how it works.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

3 hours ago, Stenbar said:

It does not matter, unless you are the one paying him. The goal should be to have as many players that produce more than the average player in the position that he is. You find a way to pay him. That argument "the pay matters" is for the unimaginative weak. I'm not saying pay him 50 mil a year, just pay him to keep him working hard and in a Bills uniform. Negotiating is part of the deal both ways, but if your gonna lose him cuz you wont pay him 15 mil then that's just insanity. He is not injury prone, doesn't fumble hardly, catches pretty much every throw at him. Not to mention he is pretty much the only player on the roster besides Allen that can score from anywhere on the field. You lose him you lose more games. Simple

Second best player on the team and its not close. He's a superstar. Pay him. 

[Doc Brown]

3 hours ago, Stenbar said:

It does not matter, unless you are the one paying him. The goal should be to have as many players that produce more than the average player in the position that he is. You find a way to pay him. That argument "the pay matters" is for the unimaginative weak. I'm not saying pay him 50 mil a year, just pay him to keep him working hard and in a Bills uniform. Negotiating is part of the deal both ways, but if your gonna lose him cuz you wont pay him 15 mil then that's just insanity. He is not injury prone, doesn't fumble hardly, catches pretty much every throw at him. Not to mention he is pretty much the only player on the roster besides Allen that can score from anywhere on the field. You lose him you lose more games. Simple

So, he fumbles a lot then?  I kid.  The pay matters isn't for the unimaginative weak.  I'm not going to pay Bass $6m a year like he's Harrison Butker.

46 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

 

Geez.  As far as mini camp drama sequels go this is like Speed 2 compared to Diggs two years ago.

Edited Tuesday at 08:43 PM by Doc Brown

[Ethan in Cleveland]

5 minutes ago, MJS said:

Couldn't disagree more. Cook isn't worth $15 million a season, so you don't pay him that. Period. He is a running back who doesn't even play 70% of snaps. Move on and find his replacement. The offense won't skip a beat.

 

How many GMs have this mentality of yours? Basically none. They have to consider their market value and weigh it against the opportunity cost. That's how it works.

Let's see, who just one the SuperBowl?  Howie Roseman who just paid huge money for a RB. 

Oh and how many SuperBowls has Beane won to say he is all knowing???

Oh so did the the GMs for the Ravens and 49ers who have multiple SuperBowl appearances. But yiu are correct no GMs would pay a RB.

[MJS]

1 minute ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Let's see, who just one the SuperBowl?  Howie Roseman who just paid huge money for a RB. 

Oh and how many SuperBowls has Beane won to say he is all knowing???

Oh so did the the GMs for the Ravens and 49ers who have multiple SuperBowl appearances. But yiu are correct no GMs would pay a RB.

He didn't pay huge money for a RB. He paid huge money for the RIGHT RB. Cook isn't even in the same category as him.

 

I didn't say you never pay a RB. What did I say? You might need to read again.

[Aussie Joe]

Mike Schoup just said he was devastated that some easy off season content for him is now over and he might have to use his brain to think up what he is going to say now the next couple of months 

[MJS]

6 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Second best player on the team and its not close. He's a superstar. Pay him. 

He is nothing close to a superstar. You are seriously overrating him.

[BillsFanForever19]

20 minutes ago, MJS said:

He is nothing close to a superstar. You are seriously overrating him.

 

I would say that calling him "nothing close to a Superstar" is underrating him more than calling him a "Superstar" is overrating him. I think you'd be hard pressed to find an NFL fan, of any team, that doesn't know who James Cook is.

Edited Tuesday at 09:07 PM by BillsFanForever19

[Victory Formation]

2 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

 

Let’s see how this ages. 

[Ya Digg?]

20 minutes ago, Victory Formation said:

Let’s see how this ages. 

Wait hold on-you are the same exact dude saying he didn’t handle things the right way. He shows up, which is doing things the right way, and you’re still crapping on him. Come on man, your fight is getting weaker by the second