Brandin Cooks remains in contact with Bills and wants to come back

[NoSaint]

13 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

But you did say “Josh trusts him” in regards to Cooks, which you made up.  You claimed that from targets from a cherry picked 3 game sample- how Philly was part of the last three games, I’m not sure.

 

Anyway, the Bills lost 2 out of those 3 games!  That’s not good.  Cooks was acting as the WR1 in those games where the running game was being stopped.  So, yes he got targets.  The problem is he did diddly with them and the team lost.

 

So It’s a stretch IMO, to claim that Josh trusts Cooks.  The actions by the team seem to suggest the opposite, that Josh would prefer he develop chemistry with someone else (I’m hoping S Bell) - otherwise they could have Cooks here already, rather cheaply at that.

I mean, his last three games were Philly, Jax, Den…. So I think that’s how he had those listed. 
 

I think he cherry picked that the 1 target in his first 12 days living in Buffalo was probably not fully representative but that at some point he got acclimated and the consistent target share leveling was a spot to suspect that happened. 
 

as for whether Josh trusts him… I think the very low bar is that he trusts him more than Keon. And hardman and Samuel. Probably more than Davis. I doubt he’s tossing his newborn across the room to him though. Otherwise I think it’s very hard to make definitive statements about the we room solely based on its occupants today.

1 hour ago, Steptide said:

I think cooks would be good insurance if Palmer or Coleman are no shows again this season. I'd hope they'd have him for camp though. Would rather he builds chemistry with Josh throughout the season rather than sign him halfway through 

he’s exactly the type you like to have hanging around. Inevitably one of these guys will roll an ankle and miss some time. And then someone else will pull a muscle. 
 

even if you think our top five are written in blood, cooks in the periphery going into camp is a plus for us still.

Edited July 10 by NoSaint

[Kirby Jackson]

6 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

But you did say “Josh trusts him” in regards to Cooks, which you made up.  You claimed that from targets from a cherry picked 3 game sample- how Philly was part of the last three games, I’m not sure.

 

Anyway, the Bills lost 2 out of those 3 games!  That’s not good.  Cooks was acting as the WR1 in those games where the running game was being stopped.  So, yes he got targets.  The problem is he did diddly with them and the team lost.

 

So It’s a stretch IMO, to claim that Josh trusts Cooks.  The actions by the team seem to suggest the opposite, that Josh would prefer he develop chemistry with someone else (I’m hoping S Bell) - otherwise they could have Cooks here already, rather cheaply at that.

Yes. I said that. In the 3 most recent games that he played, once he was most familiar with the offense, Josh threw him the ball 6, 5 & 6 times. That includes the last throw of the season in overtime of a playoff game. To say he did “diddly” with them is pretty much wrong as well. He averaged 3 catches for 60 yards a game in those 3 games. 20 yards per catch. That’s not what “diddly” looks like. That’s reasonable production for a number 2 or number 3 WR.
 

There’s no cherry picking lol. It’s perfectly reasonable that it took time to get comfortable with each other. That’s why you’d use the most recent games. Josh threw him the ball in those 3 games at a rate no one saw but Shakir. I believe that Cooks would see the 4th most targets this year behind Moore, Shakir and Kincaid. 
 

The actions of the team don’t say much at all at this point. They have been in talks with each other since before the draft. They left his number 18 open. He’s been in the league since 2014. He didn’t need to be at OTAs and probably only needs a few weeks of camp. 3 or 4 weeks and he should be ready to go, especially after spending a few months in the offense last year. If they do not bring him in clearly they are ready to move on. It’s either that or his number is more than they want to spend. If they do bring him in, it’s to raise the floor of the weakest, or 2nd weakest, starting spot on the roster. 
 

To be clear, no one is claiming that Cooks is Jefferson. At the same time, it’s not reasonable to believe that he is a worse option than the guys that are currently there. It’s entirely possible that 1, 2 or even 3 of them pass him. On July 9, 2026 Brandin Cooks is a better NFL WR than Keon Coleman, Josh Palmer and Skyler Bell. If they advance by him, that is the best case scenario. That means they improved (or he regressed). 

[Einstein's Dog]

4 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

I mean, his last three games were Philly, Jax, Den…. So I think that’s how he had those listed. 
 

I think he cherry picked that the 1 target in his first 12 days living in Buffalo was probably not fully representative but that at some point he got acclimated and the consistent target share leveling was a spot to suspect that happened. 
 

as for whether Josh trusts him… I think the very low bar is that he trusts him more than Keon. And hardman and Samuel. Probably more than Davis. I doubt he’s tossing his newborn across the room to him though. Otherwise I think it’s very hard to make definitive statements about the we room solely based on its occupants today.

he’s exactly the type you like to have hanging around. Inevitably one of these guys will roll an ankle and miss some time. And then someone else will pull a muscle. 
 

even if you think our top five are written in blood, cooks in the periphery going into camp is a plus for us still.

But Cooks is not a guy you want around if you want to have S Bell get PT.

 

Once Palmer goes down with injury (and he will), I want Bell going in and never relinquishing the spot.

[Simon]

20 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

But Cooks is not a guy you want around if you want to have S Bell get PT.

 

Once Palmer goes down with injury (and he will), I want Bell going in and never relinquishing the spot.

 

We're trying to win a SB, not develop 4th rnd draft picks.

If Cooks is a better player, which he likely is right now, wgad if some Day 3 pick spends the year on the practice squad while they chase a championship.

Just because you have an obsession with some guy you liked in the draft doesn't mean the Bills are also so obsessed that they're going to put a lesser player on the field for future developmental purposes instead of putting a better player out their when their singular goal is to win NOW.

[NoSaint]

26 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

But Cooks is not a guy you want around if you want to have S Bell get PT.

 

Once Palmer goes down with injury (and he will), I want Bell going in and never relinquishing the spot.

in a dream come true- of course. 
 

when the two injuries are Shakir and bell maybe you want cooks taking some reps 

[Shaw66]

4 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Eric Dickerson

Randy Moss

Brandon Marshall

And if you believe that Brandon Cooks name deserves to be on that list, well, there's not much to talk about. The bottom line is unquestionable: teams don't want Brandon Cooks, and that is why he is available this year and was available last year. If you're trying to improve the Buffalo Bills receiver, Cooks simply does not do much for you.

[Simon]

Just now, Shaw66 said:

The bottom line is unquestionable: teams don't want Brandon Cooks

 

It's clearly questionable since you seem to be the only one that believes that nonsense. 

[Shaw66]

Just now, Simon said:

 

It's clearly questionable since you seem to be the only one that believes that nonsense. 

I know what I see, and I don't want him.

[Simon]

11 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I know what I see, and I don't want him.

 

He's a gamer on the field and a hard-working, respected leader off of it.

Your odd dislike of him is nothing more than a personal obsession that is simply not shared by the rest of the NFL. 🤷‍♂️

[DCofNC]

I for one could not have less interest in bringing him back.  He hasn’t been worth a roster spot in a few years.  The fact he was in the position to lose the game for a should be Super Bowl team tells you everything you need to know about why Beane should also be unemployed right now. If he has a place on the roster, the season is already a waste.

22 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

He's a gamer on the field and a hard-working, respected leader off of it.

Your odd dislike of him is nothing more than a personal obsession that is simply not shared by the rest of the NFL. 🤷‍♂️

So Chris Kelsey of WRs?  Still, need better.

[Thrivefourfive]

He can take those little tiny arms and… 🤣 I’m fully aboard the drop the dead weight train. Although I think he’s actually useful, I don’t see how it’s a good thing if we need to rely on him at all. That money should to be spent elsewhere, not 30-40 catches over a full season. If he had anymore, hell even that, we’d call it a failure team wise. It doesn’t take too many receptions to lead this team. And we want Moore to have the most, or Kincaid, and Shakir to have the third most. Then Cook III. Then Coleman, then Skyler White Bell, we’d want Palmer to have the next most. Where does Cooks fit into this Plan for Success? If he outperforms any of those guys, I’d be bummed. 

His last 1,000 season was 2021. I know we are not expecting anywhere near that. But he’s not Wilt Chamberlain.. 70% of his prime can’t possibly be roster spot worthy on this Super Bowl contending team that’s moving in a new direction. His receptions since that season have been 57, 54, 26, 24, and last season 19 with NO and 5 in five games with us… when we desperately, desperately! needed him. At 32 years old what are we doing here?

Why all the signings that other teams didn’t want—players past their prime or were never really headed towards one. I’ll let the Amari Cooper trade speak for itself, it’s actually the third best thing Beane has done at WR after Shakir and Diggs. It made a lot of sense at the time. But the Beane jinx.. jinxed it.
 

But Sherfield, Harty, Samuel, Palmer, Cooks.. none of them exceeded expectations. It’s nice that Cooks wants to come back to Buffalo. I’ll remember that. Seems like a very interesting person and I like that, but 32 yo and averages per reception since 2021 are: 12.3, 12.2, 10.0, 11.6 (w/ NO/BUF). Where’s  the deep threat? 
 

If he made all those catches last season instead of straight dropping what seemed like all the important ones, I’d feel the same way. I want our front office to be more creative with the money vs signing any of the old guys. 
 

Oh my god… just realized, we have one of him! — Skyler Bell. That’s why we drafted him, and that’s the way Beane sees it. Book it. 
 

I want Skyler Bell worked into every situation Cooks would be used in. Play the kid. They don’t get any better sitting the bench once they can handle it mentally, and all signs point towards Bell being capable. Bell needs to get up to speed asap. The time is now for these current players to reach their limits. 
 

Edited July 10 by Thrivefourfive
data

[NewEra]

2 hours ago, Einstein's Dog said:

But Cooks is not a guy you want around if you want to have S Bell get PT.

 

Once Palmer goes down with injury (and he will), I want Bell going in and never relinquishing the spot.

No, he’s a guy that you want to play over Skyler Bell to help us win games because there’s a good chance Bell isn’t as ready as people here hope

Edited July 10 by NewEra

[NewEra]

22 minutes ago, Thrivefourfive said:

He can take those little tiny arms and… 🤣 I’m fully aboard the drop the dead weight train. Although I think he’s actually useful, I don’t see how it’s a good thing if we need to rely on him at all. That money should to be spent elsewhere, not 30-40 catches over a full season. If he had anymore, hell even that, we’d call it a failure team wise. It doesn’t take too many receptions to lead this team. And we want Moore to have the most, or Kincaid, and Shakir to have the third most. Then Cook III. Then Coleman, then Skyler White Bell, we’d want Palmer to have the next most. Where does Cooks fit into this Plan for Success? If he outperforms any of those guys, I’d be bummed. 
 

Based on their play last year, you’d prefer to have Coleman and Palmer getting targets over Cooks?  Bell is a 5th rd draft pick. His value will come.  Counting on him to help carry the load in 2026 is wishful thinking imo.  
 

listen, I like Keon, Palmer and Bell as much as anyone here.  I see the talent in all of them.  But I’ve seen Cooks get open.  He’s better than all 3 in that respect and I don’t think it’s relatively close atm.  Getting Bell reps this season may be the best for him development….but I think Cooks is best for our super bowl

chances.

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, Simon said:

 

Your odd dislike of him is nothing more than a personal obsession that is simply not shared by the rest of the NFL. 🤷‍♂️

So, am I the only fan who can't dislike a player?

[Thrivefourfive]

24 minutes ago, NewEra said:

Based on their play last year, you’d prefer to have Coleman and Palmer getting targets over Cooks?  Bell is a 5th rd draft pick. His value will come.  Counting on him to help carry the load in 2026 is wishful thinking imo.  
 

listen, I like Keon, Palmer and Bell as much as anyone here.  I see the talent in all of them.  But I’ve seen Cooks get open.  He’s better than all 3 in that respect and I don’t think it’s relatively close atm.  Getting Bell reps this season may be the best for him development….but I think Cooks is best for our super bowl

chances.

I’m just coming from the perspective of how Cooks fits into where the team is currently at. I agree with you. On the next play, I’d rather it be Cooks over Palmer and Coleman. But it is fourth and fifth looks, so not high stakes. Cooks could be a primary target on a play, and Palmer and Coleman at this point should never be.
 

I just think if Palmer and Coleman have good seasons, the team will be better off. If Cooks has a good season, I feel that is spinning wheels.
 

Is there any way out of Palmer’s deal before week 1? I’m guessing not. Coleman is just cheap at this point. But both guys are under contract. Additional monies have to go to Cooks. That’s not nothing. That’s something. Cooks surviving the entire season isn’t something that’s a lock either. It could end up being money spent on another injured guy. I think it’s smarter to soend it in a younger injured guy ☺️

[transplantbillsfan]

I wanted him back already anyway, this makes me eager to see it in the next 2 weeks considering he said essentially he's going to be on a team during Training Camp.

 

If that means cut Josh Palmer instead of trade him, so be it.

[Buffalo ill]

I thought he did well for joining the team late last season.  His chemistry with Josh seemed to progress quickly.

 

I don't like how he tended to bobble passes that sometimes were not under control before he stepped out of bounds, but nobody else was even getting open to catch them anyway.

 

 

Yeah it would have won the game if he outmuscled the db in the interception vs the Broncos.  I also think that 9 out of 10 times that is called a complete pass and down by contact. 

 

The contrarians, Broncos fans, and Bills haters love to dig deep to interpret it as an interception.  I guarantee you the majority of nfl fandom would not have batted an eye if the ruling on the field was a complete pass.  Literally every defensive player runs towards their endzone with a dead ball  trying to sell it as a turnover. Hell, I doubt Sean Payton would have even thrown a challenge flag.

[Simon]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

So, am I the only fan who can't dislike a player?

 

You can dislike him all you want; just don't fool yourself into believing that your personal bias (no teams want him, he's got bad hands, he's soft, etc etc etc) has any basis in reality, because it clearly does not.

[Rochesterfan]

11 hours ago, NoSaint said:

Ultimately it’s not that complex 

 

cooks was able to generate space downfield - something everyone else struggled mightily with 

 

cooks missed a few catches that he should have had and had the unfortunate Denver play 

 

cooks has never had a hands problem, so unless you think something happened that will continue to effect his hands- odds are he returns towards his good catch rate 

 

frankly the conversation should be whether he has his legs still in 2026 not his hands but we can’t know that. Debating if he can catch just feels like a roundabout way of saying ive never watched him 

 

I don’t think the issue was Cooks - he had the same issue as several other Bills WRs downfield in previous years.
 

The issue is how Josh makes those throws and that is the impact on the catch %.  Everywhere Cooks has had a guy that gives him space to adjust to throws - he is fine.  A rocket on a line and all WRs downfield struggle.  We saw the same issues with Cooks, Diggs, Cooper, MVS, etc. - his throws are hard to track and there is no time to adjust to make the catches.  
 

This change came about when he reinvented his throwing motion to be more accurate in the shorter areas.  Josh also holds the ball too long on deep throws and then has to rely on his arm strength to get the throw there.  The throws are on target, but are not very catchable - which is why the WRs struggle.  It was never a Cooks issue or him coming in late - it is where he gets open that causes the issue.

 

 

[Rochesterfan]

7 hours ago, Buffalo ill said:

I thought he did well for joining the team late last season.  His chemistry with Josh seemed to progress quickly.

 

I don't like how he tended to bobble passes that sometimes were not under control before he stepped out of bounds, but nobody else was even getting open to catch them anyway.

 

 

Yeah it would have won the game if he outmuscled the db in the interception vs the Broncos.  I also think that 9 out of 10 times that is called a complete pass and down by contact. 

 

The contrarians, Broncos fans, and Bills haters love to dig deep to interpret it as an interception.  I guarantee you the majority of nfl fandom would not have batted an eye if the ruling on the field was a complete pass.  Literally every defensive player runs towards their endzone with a dead ball  trying to sell it as a turnover. Hell, I doubt Sean Payton would have even thrown a challenge flag.

 

I 100% know Payton would not have thrown a challenge flag because it was OT and there are no challenges.  It would of had nothing to do with the play.