Not one RB drafted or undrafted FA signed

[PrimeTime101]

On 4/27/2025 at 6:59 PM, HOUSE said:

You still ain't getting the BIG bag

 

 

[frostbitmic]

IMO when they drafted Davis last year the plan was that he'd be the starting RB in 2026 and 2027 and they'd draft his eventual replacement next year, to start in 2028-2029. Then Cook threw a monkey wrench into that plan by having a huge season last year. If Cook has another big season he'll get his $$$,  I'm just not sure it'll be from Buffalo.

 

We still have Frank Gore Jr and Darynton Evans for camp and the PS. They'd both be ok in a break glass in case of fire situation.

[ddaryl]

 The transition tag for 2026 is projected to be under $12 million. If Cook has another solid season and ends it healthy you transition tag him and reap the rewards if other teams line up to sign him, or we keep him for less than the $15 million he is asking for.

 

Makes little sense to let him just walk for a 3rd rd compensation pick. IMO. Unless we are hurting for cap space to absorb the tag cost.

 

https://overthecap.com/franchise-transition-and-rfa-tenders

[papazoid]

 let him walk in 2026......get a 3rd round compensatory pick for your troubles

[HomeskillitMoorman]

6 hours ago, frostbitmic said:

IMO when they drafted Davis last year the plan was that he'd be the starting RB in 2026 and 2027 and they'd draft his eventual replacement next year, to start in 2028-2029. Then Cook threw a monkey wrench into that plan by having a huge season last year. If Cook has another big season he'll get his $$$,  I'm just not sure it'll be from Buffalo.

 

We still have Frank Gore Jr and Darynton Evans for camp and the PS. They'd both be ok in a break glass in case of fire situation.

 

Yeah that's kind of what I think...although we definitely lose some explosiveness going from Cook to Davis if that's what happens

[BigDingus]

Good. They need to just resign Cook. It'll become even more apparent after this year, unless he decides to hold out.

[EasternOHBillsFan]

On 4/27/2025 at 7:15 PM, BruceVilanch said:

My theory is Cook will continue to want more money than Beane is willing to give, he will threaten a holdout, he might miss TC but he would be stupid to holdout through actual games, that would tank his FA value. I believe this will be his last season in Buffalo, which is fine. I'd like to keep him, but he's asking for waaaay too much, Dalvin is giving him stupid advice.

 

He would already be talking about holding out and Beane would have picked up a RB or two if he thought he was IMHO...

 

I saw you in the movie Mahogany last night...what's it like to work with Diana Ross?  

[klos63]

2 hours ago, papazoid said:

 let him walk in 2026......get a 3rd round compensatory pick for your troubles

I don't think Beane picks a guy in the 2nd round, not expecting to sign him to a 2nd contract if he produces, which Cook has done.  16 TD's, big plays and was huge in the playoffs.  

I hope they can figure this out peacefully. 

[Redblood]

Lots of good udfa rbs out there. I feel we will do something 

2 hours ago, papazoid said:

 let him walk in 2026......get a 3rd round compensatory pick for your troubles

Agreed

9 hours ago, frostbitmic said:

IMO when they drafted Davis last year the plan was that he'd be the starting RB in 2026 and 2027 and they'd draft his eventual replacement next year, to start in 2028-2029. Then Cook threw a monkey wrench into that plan by having a huge season last year. If Cook has another big season he'll get his $$$,  I'm just not sure it'll be from Buffalo.

 

We still have Frank Gore Jr and Darynton Evans for camp and the PS. They'd both be ok in a break glass in case of fire situation.

Gore may be the cook replacement plan

[Figster]

On 4/29/2025 at 8:54 PM, klos63 said:

I don't think Beane picks a guy in the 2nd round, not expecting to sign him to a 2nd contract if he produces, which Cook has done.  16 TD's, big plays and was huge in the playoffs.  

I hope they can figure this out peacefully. 

Agree, the Brady O needs more James Cook, not less or not at all.

 

You just don't let an athlete this good get away when you're trying to win a championship. It would be the equivalent of letting Thurman Thomas get away in the J K era IMO.  

[VW82]

On 4/27/2025 at 4:51 PM, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

I think the exact opposite. I think some posters are overly inflating the likelihood that will happen. He wants to be paid top dollar. Holding out isn't going to get that done. Whether that's here or somewhere else. He knows it. If he wants to get that money, he's going to have to earn that money. No one is paying close to what he's asking based on what he's done and then holding out any length of time in his contract year. Adam Schefter reported that he'd be playing for us this year. Which means to this point, he's been led to believe there will be no hold out. 

 

Beane himself talked about how people are getting carried away and that he has absolutely no concerns that Cook will hold out, just yesterday:

 

 

 

 

I'd say this is naive. Of course Beane is going to say that. It means nothing, and I promise you Cook isn't giving Beane a big hug after re-signing everyone but him. If anything, he probably took that personally. 

 

This situation is easily the biggest threat to the season, way bigger than whatever perceived weakness in the WR corps. If Cook holds out through TC and misses the first two games as an example - a very realistic possibility at this point - it undermines Sean and the culture of the team (i.e. sacrifice, teammwork, and committment). We can recover from that but it isn't nothing.   

[VW82]

 

[HappyDays]

42 minutes ago, VW82 said:

 

 

I don't remember what interview or press conference it was, but Beane recently said they got no trade calls for Cook during the draft. So what does that tell you? Teams know what Cook is asking for and not a single one is willing to pay it. You'd think Cook and his brother would get the message. I can respect what they're trying to do but eventually you have to accept the value the NFL places on you. His only option is ball out this year and hope that next offseason some team is willing to pay him what he wants.

 

EDIT - I found the interview snippet:

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by HappyDays

[VW82]

42 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

I don't remember what interview or press conference it was, but Beane recently said they got no trade calls for Cook during the draft. So what does that tell you? Teams know what Cook is asking for and not a single one is willing to pay it. You'd think Cook and his brother would get the message. I can respect what they're trying to do but eventually you have to accept the value the NFL places on you. His only option is ball out this year and hope that next offseason some team is willing to pay him what he wants.

 

 

Yes, one would hope they'd get the message. Love James, but him and his brother don't strike me as the brightest bulbs. 

 

Purely speculative, but I think his feelings are probably hurt (as he was basically the only team leader not extended), and so the probability of him holding out is greater than most Bills fans are giving credence to and are using Beane's comments to justify a "nothing to see here" stance. Expecting a logical response here might be expecting too much. At the very least, it's a situation worth monitoring imo. 

Edited 3 hours ago by VW82

[BigDingus]

According to this random article, it's because Josh Allen's contract is causing problems between him & Brandon Beane 🤣

 

I can't tell if this is writer is serious or not, but they bring up how in the past, we had a great WR corps consisting of "Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis & Deonte Hardy." 

 

Oh, and that we brought in Joshua Palmer & Curtis Palmer.

 

See, it's all Josh Allen's fault!

 

https://amp.marca.com/en/nfl/buffalo-bills/2025/04/29/68113d97ca47419a0d8b45c4.html

[Figster]

1 hour ago, VW82 said:

 

I take this as meaning James Cook has already proven himself worthy of a new contract,

 

and just continue doing what you're doing...

[Einstein's Dog]

1 hour ago, HappyDays said:

 

I don't remember what interview or press conference it was, but Beane recently said they got no trade calls for Cook during the draft. So what does that tell you? Teams know what Cook is asking for and not a single one is willing to pay it. You'd think Cook and his brother would get the message. I can respect what they're trying to do but eventually you have to accept the value the NFL places on you. His only option is ball out this year and hope that next offseason some team is willing to pay him what he wants.

 

I think the non-drafting of an RB is a good sign. 

 

If Cook (agent/team) had told Beane trade him or Cook will hold out to week 11, then I think the Bills would have been looking at drafting an RB.  And it wouldn't have been just the other teams calling, it would have also been the Bills on the phone to move Cook.

 

Cook is an excellent, exciting RB that is a bargain at $5M.  Great sign that he is going to be here playing on a contract year.

[Watkins101]

3 hours ago, Figster said:

Agree, the Brady O needs more James Cook, not less or not at all.

 

You just don't let an athlete this good get away when you're trying to win a championship. It would be the equivalent of letting Thurman Thomas get away in the J K era IMO.  

That’s a pretty wild take honestly, Thurman Thomas won league MVP while Cook is not even a top 3 Rb IMO.

[BillsFanForever19]

2 hours ago, VW82 said:

 

I'd say this is naive. Of course Beane is going to say that. It means nothing, and I promise you Cook isn't giving Beane a big hug after re-signing everyone but him. If anything, he probably took that personally. 

 

This situation is easily the biggest threat to the season, way bigger than whatever perceived weakness in the WR corps. If Cook holds out through TC and misses the first two games as an example - a very realistic possibility at this point - it undermines Sean and the culture of the team (i.e. sacrifice, teammwork, and committment). We can recover from that but it isn't nothing.   

 

And i'd say this is paranoia.

 

Adam Schefter reported he's playing for us. Brandon Beane says he's playing for us. He didn't make any calls and no one called to so much as check in on a possible trade. If Beane were truly worried, he'd have been more proactive in Drafting a RB and/or possibly looking to move him. He says people are making it a bigger thing than it really is. He would know more than you and I and his words and actions back that up.

 

2 hours ago, VW82 said:

 

 

And? That's Dalvin, not James. He feels he's already earned it. Doesn't mean he's going to hold out.

 

And even if we were to take this as Dalvin speaking for James, an implication of a hold out coming, or Dalvin influencing James - Dalvin outright threatened a hold out in 2020 (James hasn't done that)... and he still knew it was a bad idea and didn't miss so much as the first practice of Training Camp that year:

 

https://nypost.com/2020/06/08/vikings-rb-dalvin-cook-threatens-holdout-for-contract-extension/

 

https://www.nfl.com/news/vikings-rb-dalvin-cook-minnesota-is-where-i-want-to-be-at

[Figster]

48 minutes ago, Watkins101 said:

That’s a pretty wild take honestly, Thurman Thomas won league MVP while Cook is not even a top 3 Rb IMO.

Look at Thurmans stats and see If he scored 16 TD's in any season, Albeit longer seasons now, but Thomas also made it to the Superbowl 4 times. 

 

Cook career average per carry 4.9 yards ,Thomas 4.2 

 

Fair enough...

Edited 1 hour ago by Figster