So how does this Cook's "hold-in" end gracefully (if there is no extension)?

[Matt_In_NH]

25 minutes ago, JP51 said:

down the speculation rabbit hole LOL...  I think if he is offering 9mm or less then why? Thats just never gonna happen and it isnt even market.. so he probably isnt going to even do that...  so maybe you are right and there is actually IS no offer and he is prepared to let him go...  I guess time will tell. 

Fair point and I agree......there is a number that is not productive to offer....I would love to know what Beane really thinks...personally I think the best thing for the Bills is to just let this year play out on the 5.2M

[billsfan89]

24 minutes ago, Since1981 said:

He’s top 8-12 RB today. He doesn’t change the team like a top 5 (aka Henry/Barkley). Bills OL, QB17 won’t be replicated. Should be a huge consideration. He’s probably demanding top 5 and Beane won’t play. Should be Williams like $11M range

 

If he gets paid in the Williams range (let's say 11-12 million) he's gonna be somewhere between the 6th to tied for 8th highest paid RB which is about in line with his talent level (top 10 back) and I think that's why the reports that both sides weren't that far apart are coming from. The Bills simply won't pay him 15 million but they probably are willing to pay him in the range of what Williams got which is probably in line with what his agent is willing to take plus or minus a bit. 

[Thurman#1]

3 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

You may or may not be correct about Cook.  You are incorrect about Price.  He never had a snowball’s chance of being a legit 1.  It was obvious.  

 

 

That was certainly a legitimate opinion at the time. Hell, it was my guess at the time that he wouldn't do well there.

 

But it could easily have gone the other way. 

 

 

Edited August 8 by Thurman#1

[Herc11]

10 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Yes, with hindsight we know that.

 

It wasn't a sure thing either way at the time.

 

Price was a starting WR as well. Just not one who lived up to his contract.

 

Cook is a starting RB on probably 24 teams around the league. That doesn't mean he'll be a success everywhere. For instance, one possible outcome would be that he signs with a team that plays him on 75% of snaps and his body can't hold up and he breaks down. You can't tell what'll happen.

 

IMO the Bills are handling him right by limiting his snaps. Could be he could stand up to 75%. But there's no way to know. Could be he has one and a half more years of good production and then regresses. Just no way to know for sure.

 

Hindsight has zero to do with the fact that Price was not any good as a WR1. The argument is that Cook would fail as a starting RB elsewhere similar to Price. 

 

I was simply point out the fact of WHY Price failed. He didn't fail because of hindsight. So why that word keeps being used I have no clue.

 

You can't argue injuries either. The best RB in history could suffer a career ending injury, it doesn't make their talent prior to injury any different.

 

 

 

[nuklz2594]

If ray Davis and ty become a duo, cook will gulp hard

[HappyDays]

1 hour ago, Matt_In_NH said:

I like Cook but I would rather have a bigger hammer type guy that I think can do for the Bills what Henry did for the Ravens and Barkley did for the Eagles.

 

I would of course take those players over Cook, but for this offense stylistically I actually prefer Cook's skill set over the grind it out power skill set. I think the hammer type of back is good for an offense that doesn't have a QB because their goal is to prolong drives and shorten the game. For our Josh Allen led offense I want a RB that can pick up explosive plays and score a TD from anywhere on the field.

[BUFFALOBART]

5 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

You may or may not be correct about Cook.  You are incorrect about Price.  He never had a snowball’s chance of being a legit 1.  It was obvious.  

Atlanta thought so. We got a #1 pick for Price. 

[Donuts and Doritos]

I think this is how it ends "gracefully":

 

[Paup 1995MVP]

2 hours ago, billsfan89 said:

 

If he gets paid in the Williams range (let's say 11-12 million) he's gonna be somewhere between the 6th to tied for 8th highest paid RB which is about in line with his talent level (top 10 back) and I think that's why the reports that both sides weren't that far apart are coming from. The Bills simply won't pay him 15 million but they probably are willing to pay him in the range of what Williams got which is probably in line with what his agent is willing to take plus or minus a bit. 

Then why hasn't a deal been made between Cook and the Bills?

 

I personally don't think the Bills look at Cook like the Rams look at Williams.  Williams got a ton of carries and snaps even with a good Blake Corum behind him last year.  The Bills like the committee approach.  And that works for us.  So the Bills maybe offering Cook less than $10 mill per year, and have probably told his agent, we are not paying a rotational back top 10 RB money regardless of how good 2024 was.  Because that is not how we use our RB's.  If so, Cook should get his butt on the practice field, and play out the final year of his contract.  Then he can become a free agent, if the Bills won't pay him in a range that he will accept after this year. 

[billsfan89]

10 minutes ago, Paup 1995MVP said:

Then why hasn't a deal been made between Cook and the Bills?

 

I personally don't think the Bills look at Cook like the Rams look at Williams.  Williams got a ton of carries and snaps even with a good Blake Corum behind him last year.  The Bills like the committee approach.  And that works for us.  So the Bills maybe offering Cook less than $10 mill per year, and have probably told his agent, we are not paying a rotational back top 10 RB money regardless of how good 2024 was.  Because that is not how we use our RB's.  If so, Cook should get his butt on the practice field, and play out the final year of his contract.  Then he can become a free agent, if the Bills won't pay him in a range that he will accept after this year. 

 

Supposedly the Bills and Cook's agent were going to use the Williams deal as a guide for the Cook Deal. I also think the haggling now isn't about AAV as much as it is about guaranteed money. 

[LABILLBACKER]

This is no longer a hold-in.  It's a hold out. James wants 15/yr and he's not worth that, nor is he getting that. If he rejects 11-12/yr, I let him walk.

[Mister Defense]

5 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

This is no longer a hold-in.  It's a hold out. James wants 15/yr and he's not worth that, nor is he getting that. If he rejects 11-12/yr, I let him walk.

 

By next off season 15 million a year will likely be considered a bargain for an elite back like Cook.  If the Bills can lock him up for something like 12-13, 14 and 15 for a three year deal it will go down as one of the best moves Beane had made, securing the services of a game changing back, the fastest, most elusive weapon on the best offense in the NFL last year. And by anyone's standards, a seminal reason they were that good.

 

On the other hand, letting Cook walk, as if it is a fantasy football game, eliminating the best offensive weapon Josh Allen has at his disposal, would go down as maybe the worst move Beane has ever made, making the Von Miller signing look like child's play.

 

Andy Reid and others would be foaming at the mouth to get a player like Cook, someone who runs with speed and power and who can take it to the house on any play.

 

 

[Dillenger4]

15 minutes ago, Mister Defense said:

 

By next off season 15 million a year will likely be considered a bargain for an elite back like Cook.  If the Bills can lock him up for something like 12-13, 14 and 15 for a three year deal it will go down as one of the best moves Beane had made, securing the services of a game changing back, the fastest, most elusive weapon on the best offense in the NFL last year. And by anyone's standards, a seminal reason they were that good.

 

On the other hand, letting Cook walk, as if it is a fantasy football game, eliminating the best offensive weapon Josh Allen has at his disposal, would go down as maybe the worst move Beane has ever made, making the Von Miller signing look like child's play.

 

Andy Reid and others would be foaming at the mouth to get a player like Cook, someone who runs with speed and power and who can take it to the house on any play.

 

 

Ditto 100%

But watch out... a lot of people on here (ahem, Thurman) try to tell you Cook is not that valuable to us. They think Benford is better and more value LOL. Without Cook, we will struggle to make the playoffs. He is that important. Just wait and see.

[DaVinci]

He plays out the year,has a great season,then moves on

[nuklz2594]

Really wanted Derrick henry before Ravens got him. Henry and Allen dang....Cook contract demand would've been non-existent.

[Ya Digg?]

3 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

This is no longer a hold-in.  It's a hold out. James wants 15/yr and he's not worth that, nor is he getting that. If he rejects 11-12/yr, I let him walk.

Well, no, it’s still a hold in…he’s in meetings, he’s watching film, he’s not getting fined for not being there…still a hold in 

[4merper4mer]

7 hours ago, BUFFALOBART said:

Atlanta thought so. We got a #1 pick for Price. 

This just in: Atlanta was stupid.

[BUFFALOBART]

14 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

This just in: Atlanta was stupid.

That is not our fault. Getting Price back, was a bit of a laugh!

[noacls17]

It doesn't. If I were the Bills I would send him home and not want him around the team. Then trade him for whatever they can get. At best he is in  the 10 to 15 range for rb rankings . 15 mill is a ridiculous ask. Don't think he scores a combined 16 rushing td the rest of his career. 

[nuklz2594]

Hold in is just stupid. He signed a contract. I signed a contract in military. I'd get a rifle butt upside my head if I did a hold in Army.