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The Buffalo Bills braced themselves for trouble.
And trouble recent arrived. ...
Because running back James Cook didn't.
Cook has been one of the better running backs in the sport over the last few seasons. He's coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns and even led the league in rushing touchdowns last season.
Yet with all his success over the last few years as a former second-round pick, Cook has struggled to do the one thing that most top runners have struggled with over the years: Receive a second contract with the team that drafted him.
Last week, the Bills worked through the NFL Draft at a time also marked by the opening of the offseason program featuring voluntary workouts.
And as a sign that reinforces the fact that they are not close on a deal with Cook - who has suggested he'd like to make $15 million per year in a new extension - he opted to begin his holdout by staying away from the facility.
Said GM Brandon Beane then, trying to downplay the move: "I mean, it's voluntary.''
This comes on the heels of the Bills recently shutting down talks with the standout piece of the Josh Allen-led offense.
But this week comes an update from the GM.
"He will be here this year, and hopefully beyond. We're focused on this season but yes, for 2025 we'll have all three backs," Beane said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. "And again, we love James. We would love nothing more than to keep him here longer term. The immediate point right now is we got all three guys including him back for this season."
Do Beane's comments signal a commitment to Cook? That's an optimistic read, especially if we go back a couple of weeks before.
"I would say, his reps and him put it out there that we did talk, so I'm not sharing anything new. It didn't lead to anything as far as closing in on a deal, and, so we moved onto the guys we were more on the same page with," said Beane while addressing reporters the NFL owners' meetings in West Palm Beach recently.
While Bills fans may be getting concerned over the lack of a deal at this point with the star running back - and while this thing could turn bitter and biting - the team continues to run a glass half-full approach to negotiations, even falling short of confirming that this is a holdout.
Beane has consistently insisted the team is confident that Cook will be "ready to go.''
And now he's saying it again.
Continue reading...
And trouble recent arrived. ...
Because running back James Cook didn't.
Cook has been one of the better running backs in the sport over the last few seasons. He's coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns and even led the league in rushing touchdowns last season.
Yet with all his success over the last few years as a former second-round pick, Cook has struggled to do the one thing that most top runners have struggled with over the years: Receive a second contract with the team that drafted him.
Last week, the Bills worked through the NFL Draft at a time also marked by the opening of the offseason program featuring voluntary workouts.
And as a sign that reinforces the fact that they are not close on a deal with Cook - who has suggested he'd like to make $15 million per year in a new extension - he opted to begin his holdout by staying away from the facility.
Said GM Brandon Beane then, trying to downplay the move: "I mean, it's voluntary.''
This comes on the heels of the Bills recently shutting down talks with the standout piece of the Josh Allen-led offense.
But this week comes an update from the GM.
"He will be here this year, and hopefully beyond. We're focused on this season but yes, for 2025 we'll have all three backs," Beane said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. "And again, we love James. We would love nothing more than to keep him here longer term. The immediate point right now is we got all three guys including him back for this season."
Do Beane's comments signal a commitment to Cook? That's an optimistic read, especially if we go back a couple of weeks before.
"I would say, his reps and him put it out there that we did talk, so I'm not sharing anything new. It didn't lead to anything as far as closing in on a deal, and, so we moved onto the guys we were more on the same page with," said Beane while addressing reporters the NFL owners' meetings in West Palm Beach recently.
While Bills fans may be getting concerned over the lack of a deal at this point with the star running back - and while this thing could turn bitter and biting - the team continues to run a glass half-full approach to negotiations, even falling short of confirming that this is a holdout.
Beane has consistently insisted the team is confident that Cook will be "ready to go.''
And now he's saying it again.
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Related: James Cook And Josh Allen Among 'Winners and Losers' From Bills Draft
Related: James Cook And Josh Allen Among 'Winners and Losers' From Bills Draft
Continue reading...
