Is Cook worth it?

[Negan]

Cook's a pro's pro.  

[C.Biscuit97]

2 hours ago, MJS said:

That's good he showed up. But he still sent tweats and made his contract process a public thing. He didn't show up for OTA's. Some could look at that as not the right way to go about it. Ultimately, he saw the writing on the wall and showed up, though. That was smart of him. He has zero leverage.

Omg!!! He sent out tweets!!!!

 

dude wants to/ should get paid. He has been a home run pick and earned a nice raise. Bills fans were a million times more dramatic than Cook, who barely even speaks. But those tweets did hurt my feelings during the time no games were played. 😔

[BillMafia716ix]

He’s the only other playmaker on the offense besides Josh. He’s gotten better every season. Pay the man. 

[Victory Formation]

3 hours ago, Ya Digg? said:

I’m not upset at all, just pointing out how absurd your statements have been. Reading your stuff lately, you seem like it’s a personal attack on you that he wasn’t at OTAs or made some tweets. But that’s cool, deflect if you need to

No, sir. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to come off as inflammatory, I just think that Cook is asking for too much, which is why I referenced his tweets and his brother’s tweets. I think $10M-$11M/year is about right, but in the end I think he wants much more than that.

 

Anyways, sorry for the confusion..

[Victory Formation]

1 hour ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Your take was that he's "not doing the right things", "isn't a team player", and compared him to Diggs.

 

Now you're moving the goal posts to he won't be a Bill next season. I think even the ones (like myself) who are saying you're taking things too far see that as likely.

 

 

 

My dude - you're the one comparing him to Diggs, still holding a grudge and saying "let's see how this ages" even after he showed up to Mini Camp and didn't even "Hold In".

 

If anyone's (strangely) taking things too personally, it's you.

Sorry you see it that way. The way I see it is Buffalo and Cook are not quite seeing eye to eye as far as the bottom line is concerned..

 

And I do love Cook the player.. He was one of my favorite players the year he came out. I think he’s a great player but I think he may be asking for too much.. I would love him on a 2yr $20M deal or a 2yr $22M deal but in the end I think he’s really looking to cash in.

 

I see this as a business transaction whereas other fans see their favorite player that they want to see re-signed. I love the guy but at a price..

[BillsFanForever19]

30 minutes ago, Victory Formation said:

Sorry you see it that way. The way I see it is Buffalo and Cook are not quite seeing eye to eye as far as the bottom line is concerned..

 

And I do love Cook the player.. He was one of my favorite players the year he came out. I think he’s a great player but I think he may be asking for too much.. I would love him on a 2yr $20M deal or a 2yr $22M deal but in the end I think he’s really looking to cash in.

 

I see this as a business transaction whereas other fans see their favorite player that they want to see re-signed. I love the guy but at a price..

 

No... that's not what you said. That's what you're saying now. Before you were saying:

 

On 6/9/2025 at 7:59 PM, Victory Formation said:

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

 

On 6/9/2025 at 8:47 PM, Victory Formation said:

Cook did not go about it the right way. If you want a new contract, don’t take to Twitter and don’t get your brother involved either.. Get it done with Beane behind closed doors..

 

7 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

 

 

5 hours ago, Victory Formation said:

Let’s see how this ages. 

 

[wjag]

All the ridiculous angst over will he, wont he.  He will. He did. 

[Thurman#1]

2 hours ago, BillMafia716ix said:

He’s the only other playmaker on the offense besides Josh. He’s gotten better every season. Pay the man. 

 

 

You're right. $40, maybe $50M a year ... money is no object!!!

[Thurman#1]

5 hours ago, klos63 said:

How many RBs that did have 70% of the snaps get 16 TD'S.   So many dismiss that,  it's a big deal. 

Re-watch some games from last season,  if you do it's impossible to not see his impact and his value to the team.  

Then watch how he performed in the playoffs,  the guy is a stud, that's why Beane used a very valuable 2nd round pick on him.

 

 

Yes, he had 16 TDs. That's one year.

 

Over the last three years, he's managed 2, then 2, and then 16.

 

What's next year most likely to look like? Seven? Eight, maybe? Nine? That's my guess. Maybe it'll be 16 again, but he still has a lot to prove before that seems very likely.

 

Right now it looks like some kind of statistical anomaly. Not that that means Cook isn't good. He is. But for RBs, a high TD count has an awful lot to do with how many chances he gets and how good the OL is, of course. His long breakaways (and he has a few) are a different situation. His speed made a lot of difference on several of those plays, but overall you just see well-blocked, well-executed plays which did not require a sensational effort by the back.

 

Doubt it?

 

 

Here's a video of all his TDs last season.

 

Do you look at this and say, "Wow, what a back!! Almost none of those get scored by another runner?" I don't. I see speed killing on three or so of those plays. And that beautiful five or six yard run up the gut where a guy hits him head on and his contact balance allows him to get right off it and score. Other than that, though, I see a lot of effective plays by a fine football team.

Edited yesterday at 05:45 AM by Thurman#1

[BillsFanForever19]

3 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Yes, he had 16 TDs. That's one year.

 

Over the last three years, he's managed 2, then 2, and then 16.

 

What's next year most likely to look like? Seven? Eight, maybe? Nine? That's my guess. Maybe it'll be 16 again, but he still has a lot to prove before that seems very likely.

 

Right now it looks like some kind of statistical anomaly. Not that that means Cook isn't good. He is. But for RBs, a high TD count has an awful lot to do with how many chances he gets and how good the OL is, of course. His long breakaways (and he has a few) are a different situation. His speed made a lot of difference on several of those plays, but overall you just see well-blocked, well-executed plays which did not require a sensational effort by the back.

 

Doubt it?

 

 

Here's a video of all his TDs last season.

 

Do you look at this and say, "Wow, what a back!! Almost none of those get scored by another runner?" I don't. I see speed killing on three or so of those plays. And that beautiful five or six yard run up the gut where a guy hits him head on and his contact balance allows him to get right off it and score. Other than that, though, I see a lot of effective plays by a fine football team.

 

If you reduce James Cook to just the Touchdowns, you're neglecting 228 of his 246 touches. Averaging 4.9 yards on the ground and 8.1 yards per reception. A whole lot of yardage that extended the sticks and gave good field position for others to score. That's just as important, if not more.

 

I think you're also downplaying some of those TD's as well. The league is full of athletic RB's that either lack the vision or the decisiveness to find and hit those holes as quick as he does. There's plenty of fast backs that don't get to the edge because they took the wrong angles.

 

You come across as if you're saying "any fast RB could do what he did". I don't think that's accurate. If you feel that some overestimate his value, that's fair. But I think this evaluation swings the pendulum too far to the other side.

[machine gun kelly]

It was a good sign he showed up for mandatory mini camp.  I still think we let him play out his contract then franchise tag him in 2026.  Get what we can out of him and allocate more $ to extending Torrence, McGovern, and Edwards.  A top 3 O line is far more important than a RB.  He’s no King Henry or Barkley.

[C.Biscuit97]

10 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Yes, he had 16 TDs. That's one year.

 

Over the last three years, he's managed 2, then 2, and then 16.

 

What's next year most likely to look like? Seven? Eight, maybe? Nine? That's my guess. Maybe it'll be 16 again, but he still has a lot to prove before that seems very likely.

 

Right now it looks like some kind of statistical anomaly. Not that that means Cook isn't good. He is. But for RBs, a high TD count has an awful lot to do with how many chances he gets and how good the OL is, of course. His long breakaways (and he has a few) are a different situation. His speed made a lot of difference on several of those plays, but overall you just see well-blocked, well-executed plays which did not require a sensational effort by the back.

 

Doubt it?

 

 

Here's a video of all his TDs last season.

 

Do you look at this and say, "Wow, what a back!! Almost none of those get scored by another runner?" I don't. I see speed killing on three or so of those plays. And that beautiful five or six yard run up the gut where a guy hits him head on and his contact balance allows him to get right off it and score. Other than that, though, I see a lot of effective plays by a fine football team.

Again, currently his 4.9 ypc would place him in the top 10 in nfl history. In 2023, he was 6th in total yards from scrimmage.  https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/nfl-yards-from-scrimmage-leaders-2023
 

is he Barkley or Henry? No. But he is only legit game breaker on this entire offense besides Allen. It is quite an assumption to assume Davis (who averaged a full yard less per carry when backups normally average more than the starters because they got against tired defenses) and Ty Johnson (there’s a reason he’s bounced around) can fill Cook’s shoes. He’s been a great draft pick no matter how some fans try to downplay his success. 

5 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

It was a good sign he showed up for mandatory mini camp.  I still think we let him play out his contract then franchise tag him in 2026.  Get what we can out of him and allocate more $ to extending Torrence, McGovern, and Edwards.  A top 3 O line is far more important than a RB.  He’s no King Henry or Barkley.

I don’t disagree but there’s some double standards. When we talked about Allen’s MVP case, everyone downplayed all the pieces around him. Now when it’s Cook, people love mentioning the o line. 
 

I would counter that Allen and Cook are helped a lot by the oline and each other. Additionally, I think our WRs hurt them both because teams don’t fear getting beat deep so they play the line closer than they should with a guy like Allen’s arm.

[C.Biscuit97]

10 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

You're right. $40, maybe $50M a year ... money is no object!!!

Not a single person has said that. Not sure what saying that accomplishes. 

[klos63]

10 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Yes, he had 16 TDs. That's one year.

 

Over the last three years, he's managed 2, then 2, and then 16.

 

What's next year most likely to look like? Seven? Eight, maybe? Nine? That's my guess. Maybe it'll be 16 again, but he still has a lot to prove before that seems very likely.

 

Right now it looks like some kind of statistical anomaly. Not that that means Cook isn't good. He is. But for RBs, a high TD count has an awful lot to do with how many chances he gets and how good the OL is, of course. His long breakaways (and he has a few) are a different situation. His speed made a lot of difference on several of those plays, but overall you just see well-blocked, well-executed plays which did not require a sensational effort by the back.

 

Doubt it?

 

 

Here's a video of all his TDs last season.

 

Do you look at this and say, "Wow, what a back!! Almost none of those get scored by another runner?" I don't. I see speed killing on three or so of those plays. And that beautiful five or six yard run up the gut where a guy hits him head on and his contact balance allows him to get right off it and score. Other than that, though, I see a lot of effective plays by a fine football team.

Sorry, i can't easily dismiss 16 TDs like others can. 

You may legitimately have concerns about his value,  that's fair,  but honestly,  i think from most fans the reason for much of the criticism is because he posted on twitter a few months ago and no fan base gets more offended than the Bills.

[oldmanfan]

13 hours ago, BillMafia716ix said:

He’s the only other playmaker on the offense besides Josh. He’s gotten better every season. Pay the man. 

Only playmaker.  Right.  I’m for figuring out a contract for the guy but the hyperbole around here boggles the mind.

Edited 19 hours ago by oldmanfan

[Buffalo Junction]

On 6/10/2025 at 9:35 PM, klos63 said:

True, but very few even get to 16 in the first place.  We have a tremendous offense, he's a key part,  we agree on that.  

I think he has the talent and the personnel around him to put up superstar numbers.

The personnel is a MVP QB, a top 5 offensive line, and an excellent OC…. which is exactly what Aaron Jones benefited in his 16 TD season. The part of Beane’s job that is difficult is deciding if it’s worth paying Cook if that means losing McGovern, Torrence, etc in the next few years. The way the league has turned it honestly seems to be easier to find a “starting caliber” rb than an above average lineman now, especially on a cost controlled rookie deal. Cook is a heck of a weapon, but the math might not math with Allen making $55 mil now. 

[klos63]

1 minute ago, Buffalo Junction said:

The personnel is a MVP QB, a top 5 offensive line, and an excellent OC…. which is exactly what Aaron Jones benefited in his 16 TD season. The part of Beane’s job that is difficult is deciding if it’s worth paying Cook if that means losing McGovern, Torrence, etc in the next few years. The way the league has turned it honestly seems to be easier to find a “starting caliber” rb than an above average lineman now, especially on a cost controlled rookie deal. Cook is a heck of a weapon, but the math might not math with Allen making $55 mil now. 

It definitely takes a full team to succeed, josh had a season with minimal sacks and INTS, in part because of the success of Cook.  We were more of a ball control team last season, much more balanced but still dangerous.  

I'm not worried about the cap.  We extended key players with good contracts,  the cap always goes up significantly, contracts fall off every year,  Daquan Jones, regretfully Milano, AJ, Bosa, all go away next season.  We drafted a lot of defense this year to replace veterans with rookie contracts. 

We can afford Cook if they want to. 

[Buffalo Junction]

4 minutes ago, klos63 said:

It definitely takes a full team to succeed, josh had a season with minimal sacks and INTS, in part because of the success of Cook.  We were more of a ball control team last season, much more balanced but still dangerous.  

I'm not worried about the cap.  We extended key players with good contracts,  the cap always goes up significantly, contracts fall off every year,  Daquan Jones, regretfully Milano, AJ, Bosa, all go away next season.  We drafted a lot of defense this year to replace veterans with rookie contracts. 

We can afford Cook if they want to. 

My point was that it’s easier to find a rookie running back that can be a top ten performer than an offensive lineman that can play that well as a rookie. Offensive linemen usually don’t hit their stride till year three or four unless they’re a top ten pick. Generally it makes more sense to keep a high performing veteran o-line together if you can. 
 

We will see what happens. Beane could let Cook hit FA after the season or sign him before training camp. 🤷‍♂️. I’m not going to be upset either way, as the business is the business and a healthy upright JA17 is what matters most. 

[Richard Noggin]

On 6/10/2025 at 10:25 PM, BillMafia716ix said:

He’s the only other playmaker on the offense besides Josh. He’s gotten better every season. Pay the man. 

 

Cook is very dynamic with the ball in his hands, and has consistently improved in his career. That being said, you can't just say "Pay the man" without acknowledging that "the man's" publicly stated AAV expectations ($15-20M) are unrealistic and would be unwise for the Bills to agree to. 

 

22 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Yes, he had 16 TDs. That's one year.

 

Over the last three years, he's managed 2, then 2, and then 16.

 

What's next year most likely to look like? Seven? Eight, maybe? Nine? That's my guess. Maybe it'll be 16 again, but he still has a lot to prove before that seems very likely.

 

Right now it looks like some kind of statistical anomaly. Not that that means Cook isn't good. He is. But for RBs, a high TD count has an awful lot to do with how many chances he gets and how good the OL is, of course. His long breakaways (and he has a few) are a different situation. His speed made a lot of difference on several of those plays, but overall you just see well-blocked, well-executed plays which did not require a sensational effort by the back.

 

Doubt it?

 

 

Here's a video of all his TDs last season.

 

Do you look at this and say, "Wow, what a back!! Almost none of those get scored by another runner?" I don't. I see speed killing on three or so of those plays. And that beautiful five or six yard run up the gut where a guy hits him head on and his contact balance allows him to get right off it and score. Other than that, though, I see a lot of effective plays by a fine football team.

 

I think Cook's running style mirrors his public personality in that it looks too relaxed and loose to be taken seriously by many observers. That dude is so much faster than he looks, in part because of how loose, and low, and forward-leaning his stride and posture are. He destroys angles and makes the field look a lot bigger than it is at times. All while seeming to glide about. 

 

Compare it to Pacheco, who is a tight, explosive spaz as soon as he gets the ball. High knees and chugging arms and head. That dude looks like he's doing more than he is, whereas Cook looks like he's doing a LOT less than he is. 

 

[Thurman#1]

21 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

If you reduce James Cook to just the Touchdowns, you're neglecting 228 of his 246 touches. Averaging 4.9 yards on the ground and 8.1 yards per reception. A whole lot of yardage that extended the sticks and gave good field position for others to score. That's just as important, if not more.

 

I think you're also downplaying some of those TD's as well. The league is full of athletic RB's that either lack the vision or the decisiveness to find and hit those holes as quick as he does. There's plenty of fast backs that don't get to the edge because they took the wrong angles.

 

You come across as if you're saying "any fast RB could do what he did". I don't think that's accurate. If you feel that some overestimate his value, that's fair. But I think this evaluation swings the pendulum too far to the other side.

 

 

I'm not reducing James Cook to just the touchdowns.

 

Answering every single argument made in one post isn't practical. So I'm responding to one that is constently made, that we can't live without him because he had 16 TDs, which shows he's one of the absolute best in the league, and that we can't just throw away those 16 TDs next year.

 

4.9 YPC is darn good, 7th best among RBs with 100 carries or more, and 8.1 YPR is 17th among RBs. Both good. Neither worth $15M or particularly close.

 

You're putting words into my mouth. I didn't say any fast RB could do what he did. Speed is a lot of his value, but certainly not all.

 

But in those 16 TDs, other than the three or four long ones where his speed was mostly what resulted in those TDs, and the short one that I mentioned where he just beautifully bounced off a head-on hit, I do in fact think most of the rest were TDs even if the RB were a JAG. None of them required brilliant work. They required work at the level that most NFL starters are at. Disagree if you like, but that's what that video showed, in my opinion. Really well-executed NFL plays. Three or so where nobody was there on defense and the rest requiring workmanlike performance by the back.