James Cook: "Business" man

[Mat68]

15 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

 

I'm hoping that is the case, I think they probably got Cook into camp on a good faith promise to negotiate and maybe a backstop that if all things fail they won't tag him after the season. Russini is very tapped into the league so I'm hoping she is right on this one. 

That is now 2 national insiders NFL network Pelisero said the same thing Sunday.

[RoscoeParrish]

 

[The Frankish Reich]

18 hours ago, BVBILLS said:

At least he's not getting hurt

LOL, but true.

 

With veterans who are fully familiar with a system - particularly at "skill" positions - I wonder whether full participation in practice is self-defeating.

[WotAGuy]

Cook ripping up the speech about how he should be paid like Williams. 

[Mat68]

13 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

 

I dont think Parsons fits into what the Bills do on defense.   He's a freelancer who specializes in rushing the passer.    Parsons, and the Dallas defense in general is below average at setting the edge in the run game.   The Bills want to spend money on guys who can do both well.   I wouldnt hold your breath for a Parsons trade here, especially with him wanting 40 million a year. 

I completely disagree.  How excited is the staff about Heocht?  Parson is that type of player times 10.  Vs Baltimore.  Ok leave him un blocked and just have him key Lamar.  AFC championship game vs a banged up oline he is a guy who can take that over by running around the guard who is playing tackle.  Thats what he can bring. 

[BeastMaster]

Cook better hope that the Bills don't come back with a lower offer now that the Kyren Williams deal is out

 

I'd be willing to bet Cook has a better deal than that on the table

[Ga boy]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Cook was excellent in 2023 too, just without the use in the redzone. Once they started giving him the ball down there instead of always defaulting to rushing Josh, Cook showed he could be really productive. His first year less so, but he sat behind Singletary a ton, waste of time that was. I just don't think Davis has the vision of Cook (in fairness not many do) and he doesn't have the explosion either. He can be a serviceable starter in the way Singletary was for a few years but it is in that lower end, baseline starter territory IMO.

 

I'm with you that I'd much prefer to spend my dollars and have my explosive production at my premium positions and if that takes being a bit worse at running back to achieve that, who cares? To do that is likely going to take trading assets as well though because those explosive contributors at premium spots don't hit FA very often (if at all) and the Bills passed on the chance to swing those trades this past spring. I will say again if they don't extend Cook this summer and one of the pass catchers shows themselves to be that explosive playmaker this year then you absolutely let Cook walk and take the comp pick. But even in a world where Cook plays out his deal if you don't get explosive pass game plays from structure at a better clip than 2024 then I think you have to think very carefully before letting the explosive rusher you have in Cook leave the building. 

 

 

Cook increases our chances of a SB.  He gets more expensive next year.  A deal will be in place before game 1.

[Cray51]

Cook is worth 12-13M on a three year deal.

 

id offer cook 11.5 and see if he takes.  He wont get 15 on the open market.  No way

[TheFunPolice]

3 years @ 11.5 per year is good. Cook is a great player for us, and 3 years should be a productive term in his career.

 

Based on Cook's production you could guarantee it all, if that's what it took. 

[eball]

It's in another thread but Kyren Williams just got a 3 year, 33M extension.  That's a very good comp for Cook.

 

Edit:  just saw it above

 

I agree this is a big piece that may help Beane get it done.

 

 

Edited August 5 by eball

[Captain Hindsight]

9 minutes ago, Cray51 said:

Cook is worth 12-13M on a three year deal.

 

id offer cook 11.5 and see if he takes.  He wont get 15 on the open market.  No way

Why would you haggle on 500k on one of your best players?

[Augie]

8 minutes ago, Cray51 said:

Cook is worth 12-13M on a three year deal.

 

id offer cook 11.5 and see if he takes.  He wont get 15 on the open market.  No way

 

….and, he’s a year (or two with a Tag) away from the opportunity to see what the open market looks like. He doesn’t have the leverage to go into full bluster mode, IMO. Work lout a fair deal, stay healthy and win a ring. It’s really just as simple as that.  😊

[SoonerBillsFan]

8 minutes ago, TheFunPolice said:

3 years @ 11.5 per year is good. Cook is a great player for us, and 3 years should be a productive term in his career.

 

Based on Cook's production you could guarantee it all, if that's what it took. 

You dont fully guarantee a RB contract.

[GunnerBill]

4 minutes ago, eball said:

It's in another thread but Kyren Williams just got a 3 year, 33M extension.  That's a very good comp for Cook.

 

Edit:  just saw it above

 

I agree this is a big piece that may help Beane get it done.

 

 

 

I think Cook is better than Kyren. But $11m AAV could definitely help Beane persuade Cook's side that $12.5m AAV is more of the landing zone than $14m. 

 

Tom Pelissaro said he understands the parties are not far apart which makes me suspect that Cook and his agents have already come down a little from $15m. I think the conversations at this stage are likely in the spirit of where within that $10-15m range is the fair landing spot and then what level of guarantees are associated with it and how many years is it for. 

[TheFunPolice]

2 minutes ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

You dont fully guarantee a RB contract.

 

I mean, I get it to some degree but if that's what it takes to get it done.

4 minutes ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

You dont fully guarantee a RB contract.

 

You do if they're a second round pick 

[SoonerBillsFan]

2 minutes ago, TheFunPolice said:

 

I mean, I get it to some degree but if that's what it takes to get it done.

 

You do if they're a second round pick 

I disagree.  Being a Bills fan I want what's best for the Bills. Guaranteed contracts for a position that takes the most damage is not in the Bills best interest.

[TheFunPolice]

1 minute ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

I disagree.  Being a Bills fan I want what's best for the Bills. Guaranteed contracts for a position that takes the most damage is not in the Bills best interest.

 

I mean second round picks have basically been getting guaranteed rookie deals. 

 

Different money, of course. 

 

But to the point, the Rams guaranteed about 2/3 of Williams' deal. So if Cook gets close to what he wants, say 3 years, 42 million and 2/3 is guaranteed, that's around 30 million in guaranteed money.

 

Or maybe Cook would go for 3 years at a lower base with a bit more guaranteed: 3 years, 34.5, fully guaranteed. That's 4.5 million more in guaranteed money, but a better cap number for the Bills. Everyone wins. 

 

 

[dave mcbride]

10 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I think Cook is better than Kyren. But $11m AAV could definitely help Beane persuade Cook's side that $12.5m AAV is more of the landing zone than $14m. 

 

Tom Pelissaro said he understands the parties are not far apart which makes me suspect that Cook and his agents have already come down a little from $15m. I think the conversations at this stage are likely in the spirit of where within that $10-15m range is the fair landing spot and then what level of guarantees are associated with it and how many years is it for. 

Production-wise, they're almost the same player, but Cook's explosiveness shows up in the ypc and ypr numbers, which are both higher than Williams's. Williams scores a lot of TDs, although that can be a deceiving stat.

[SoonerBillsFan]

3 minutes ago, TheFunPolice said:

 

I mean second round picks have basically been getting guaranteed rookie deals. 

 

Different money, of course. 

 

But to the point, the Rams guaranteed about 2/3 of Williams' deal. So if Cook gets close to what he wants, say 3 years, 42 million and 2/3 is guaranteed, that's around 30 million in guaranteed money.

 

Or maybe Cook would go for 3 years at a lower base with a bit more guaranteed: 3 years, 34.5, fully guaranteed. That's 4.5 million more in guaranteed money, but a better cap number for the Bills. Everyone wins. 

 

 

He shouldn't get 14 mil per year average.  He should get what Williams got.

 

 

[TheFunPolice]

3 minutes ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

He shouldn't get 14 mil per year average.  He should get what Williams got.

 

 

 

I could see him getting a bit more, because that's how these things so often work. 

 

So 3 years, 34 million. Maybe 25 guaranteed. That might do it. 

 

I get what you're saying about the risk of guaranteed money for a RB, but you're going to guarantee a big chunk anyway. If you could get Cook to take a touch less overall if it was mostly or all guaranteed that might help with the cap number. 

 

But I would be terrible at this. I would have 3 375 pound DT on the team cost be damned! And I would pay all the guys to keep them, so I don't pretend to be an expert.