James Cook: "Business" man

[Billzgobowlin]

17 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Neither has Cook. But they said a lot more on social media.

 

I'm sorry but this hold in garbage needs to be squashed.  They do it not to lose money.  I think it's more harmful than a holdout.  Hyde was never like this.

[SCBills]

15 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

I hear Bills fans say "We need to get Josh more weapons! He cant do it all himself!" but then want to let our one actual weapon walk. And what better way to support your QB than with a running game that is an actual threat to take it to the house each and every play, so Safeties CANT cheat up?

It’s more an issue of what I’d rather spend 11-12M per year on. 
 

If we can pay Cook and keep McGovern/Torrence.  Ok, I can get on board. 
 

If it means we lose one of them next year to keep Cook.. I’d rather pay the above average Center or potentially elite RG over him and then draft a home run hitter in Round 2 or 3.  
 

Based on how Milano has looked in camp, if he stays healthy this year, the Bills will definitely want to bring him back.   What if Bosa stays healthy all year and has a huge impact?  AJ & Bosa will be FA’s after the year so the Bills will likely be in the Draft/FA Market for an EDGE.  Thats not a cheap position to fill, even if they believe in Jackson & Solomon. 
 

IF we use Cook more in the passing game, then like I’ve said before, I do see Alvin Kamara in his prime potential, but if we pay him.. he better be more than a sub 50% snaps player and he better not wear down with more usage. 
 

 

Edited Wednesday at 04:08 PM by SCBills

[DrDawkinstein]

Just now, Billzgobowlin said:

I'm sorry but this hold in garbage needs to be squashed.  They do it not to lose money.  I think it's more harmful than a holdout.  Hyde was never like this.

 

Nothing more American than "squashing" your workforce. The owners are more than welcome to try to add rules/verbiage in the next CBA, as long as they are willing to give something in return like more % of revenue.

 

Just now, SCBills said:

It’s more an issue of what I’d rather spend 11-12M per year on. 
 

If we can pay Cook and keep McGovern/Torrence.  Ok, I can get on board. 
 

If it means we lose one of them next year to keep Cook.. I’d rather pay the above average Center or potentially elite RG over him and then draft a home run hitter in Round 2 or 3.  
 

Based on how Milano has looked in camp, if he stays healthy this year, the Bills will definitely want to bring him back.   What if Bosa stays healthy all year and has a huge impact?  AJ & Bosa will be FA’s after the year so the Bills will likely be in the Draft/FA Market for an EDGE.  Thats not a cheap position to fill, even if they believe in Jackson & Solomon. 
 

IF we use Cook more in the passing game, then like I’ve said before, I do see Alvin Kamara in his prime potential, but if we pay him.. he better be more than a sub 50% snaps player and he better not wear down with more usage. 
 

 

 

I hear what youre saying, but I'm not worried about it.

 

We should be able to keep all of them. We have Josh and our OTs locked up. We arent paying anyone else on Offense, except our backup TE. I'd look to take some money out of Knox's $17M next year for McGovern/Torrence rather than quibble with Cook over $11M vs $13M.

 

Look how many guys other tops teams are paying. Big QB contracts AND a top WR contract or TWO AND their OL AND Defensive stars... And the cap is jumping up $25M/yr with streaming money.

[Returntoglory]

He's giving us the " Busines". 

[RunTheBall]

Cook is going to sign. The Williams contract just set the market for non-Henry/Barkley/Early CMC running back contracts. It’s 11 mil/yr AAV. I’d guess Beane will accept a little more than that to get the deal signed and continue to send the message that Buffalo drafts and retains it’s own (unless you suck like Edmunds, ha!). It won’t be more than 12 mil/yr. 

[RyanC883]

4 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Nothing more American than "squashing" your workforce. The owners are more than welcome to try to add rules/verbiage in the next CBA, as long as they are willing to give something in return like more % of revenue.

 

 

I hear what youre saying, but I'm not worried about it.

 

We should be able to keep all of them. We have Josh and our OTs locked up. We arent paying anyone else on Offense, except our backup TE. I'd look to take some money out of Knox's $17M next year for McGovern/Torrence rather than quibble with Cook over $11M vs $13M.

 

Look how many guys other tops teams are paying. Big QB contracts AND a top WR contract or TWO AND their OL AND Defensive stars... And the cap is jumping up $25M/yr with streaming money.

yeah, most teams are not paying a top RB.  I’d rather pay OL, DL, and WR.  The asset allocation and Cook’s usage does not warrant more than 11/year 

[SCBills]

 

[BillsClinton]

4 minutes ago, SCBills said:

 

 

 

Well that's not Cook according to most posters here...

[Goin Breakdown]

2 minutes ago, BillsClinton said:

 

 

Well that's not Cook according to most posters here...

Soon as he said "all world". Cook is good but......

[SCBills]

Just now, Goin Breakdown said:

Soon as he said "all world". Cook is good but......

There’s only a few RB’s I’d consider to make sense saying “all world”

 

Henry and Saquon aren’t getting traded.

 

CMC and Kamara.. maybe?
 

Lots of mentions of Cook and Hall in the replies. 

[Goin Breakdown]

39 minutes ago, SCBills said:

There’s only a few RB’s I’d consider to make sense saying “all world”

 

Henry and Saquon aren’t getting traded.

 

CMC and Kamara.. maybe?
 

Lots of mentions of Cook and Hall in the replies. 

We shall see. 

[Brand J]

43 minutes ago, SCBills said:

There’s only a few RB’s I’d consider to make sense saying “all world”

 

Henry and Saquon aren’t getting traded.

 

CMC and Kamara.. maybe?
 

Lots of mentions of Cook and Hall in the replies. 

Kamara used to be Marshall Faulk-lite, but I think he’s in that 10-15 range nowadays. Cook is top 10, but not all world. Saquon, (a healthy CMC), and King Henry are the only three I’d consider all world, the next tier would be Bijan, Jahmyr, Cook, Taylor, Jacobs, etc.

[Ya Digg?]

1 hour ago, BillsClinton said:

 

 

Well that's not Cook according to most posters here...

Well he was, until he (god forbid) did something as awful as…asking to be paid 

[Scott7975]

2 hours ago, Goin Breakdown said:

Soon as he said "all world". Cook is good but......

 

I wouldn't consider Cook all world. Top 10 for sure. Maybe even top 5. Not all world though. I don't think he is going to break any records or anything like that. I don't think Dallas actually meant all world or they don't have the same definition of it as I do though.

[Buffalo Ballin]

Get James Cook back on the field playing the game with the team. We need all the ammo we can get especially with all these injuries.

[FLFan]

The Bills need Cook. Everyone knows that and I am sure Beane knows that as well. If negotiations are really close as some reports indicate, I would advise Cook if he was my client to cease poking Beane in the eye and demonstrate his value to the team. He is not gaining ground with this tantrum. If these reports are not true, then it does not matter anyway.

[dave mcbride]

On 8/5/2025 at 5:26 PM, Billzgobowlin said:

Yet those guys never held out too.

At best Josh Jacobs is comparable and I bet the Bills might even do that.  Pretty sure Cook isn't settling for less than 15 million.  He thinks he is better than Kamara and Taylor lol

According to John Wawrow (AP), who is in the know, he’d take the deal that Kyren Williams got (3 years/$33 million with $23 million guaranteed).

2 hours ago, Scott7975 said:

 

I wouldn't consider Cook all world. Top 10 for sure. Maybe even top 5. Not all world though. I don't think he is going to break any records or anything like that. I don't think Dallas actually meant all world or they don't have the same definition of it as I do though.

He’s eighth best according to a survey of nfl scouts and execs: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45589580/ranking-nfl-top-10-running-backs-2025-execs-coaches-scouts-make-their-picks-best-rushers

 

"Dangerous and explosive," an NFL personnel executive said.
 

Added an AFC exec: "He's perfect for that offense, with a quarterback that spreads things out. He's good in the passing game, catches the ball really well, good in open space. Not sure he's elite yet, but he's really, really good."

He's averaging 222 carries per season as the starter, and some teams are curious about how he would hold up as a 300-carry No. 1 back at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds. But either way, he has earned leaguewide respect at a time when he's seeking a contract extension from Buffalo.

[Sojourner]

2 hours ago, Ya Digg? said:

Well he was, until he (god forbid) did something as awful as…asking to be paid 

It’s not the getting paid part that’s the problem. It’s the amount. Pay him Aaron Jones/Joe Mixon money; $10m p/y. At a push, maybe Josh Jacobs @ 12m
 

Saquon, CMC and Taylor money? No thanks. Even though he is easily on Taylor’s level.  
 

 

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

On 8/4/2025 at 6:24 PM, SCBills said:

I enjoy the fans who go so over the top in defending the player.

 

Yall are right, Cook has every right to do what he’s doing.  I agree. 
 

Why do other fans have to like it?  I don’t root for the Buffalo Cooks.  

 

[Peace Frog]

Forget everything you know so far about this entire situation.  The bottom line, to me, is that Cook is acting like a little b**** about the whole thing.  The second he posted on social media about it, I lost all respect for him. I hope he gets paid and he's playing for us, but be a grownup about it and not a petulant teenager holding his breath.  Very bad look.