The Buffalo Bills and James Cook have some talking to do. In a year of many extensions and some fresh salary cap space, James Cook should be near the bottom of their list.
The talk of the offseason for the Buffalo Bills right now surrounds RB James Cook, who recently indicated he wants $15m per season on a contract extension. Cook is a great athlete, a valuable part of this team, and has a skillset which helps elevate the Buffalo Bills offense. By the measure of the market, he’s worthy of a fat contract extension. Still, it’s not a deal that Buffalo should make.
The RB value debate
It seems every offseason, the Buffalo Bills fanbase debates the worth of giving up premium assets for a running back. It’s an exhausting conversation, but one we’re set to have again. Be it a particularly high draft pick with great potential, or a pricy free agent, the adage is the same: Don’t break the bank on a running back. In this day and age the running back position is like paying an elite safety, great to have, but hardly a necessity.
Every rule has exceptions. Saquon Barkley elevated the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs only a few short weeks ago. Derrick Henry evolved the Baltimore Ravens into the most fearsome offense in the NFL. From time to time, a running back comes along that makes us stray from our principles and take the swing.
So the question isn’t “Should we pay the elite running back?”, but rather “Is James Cook the elite running back worth paying?” – We know the answer.
Coming off the best year of his career, it still took some snaps in the final, meaningless game of the season for him to crack that 1000-yard mark. He tied the NFL’s lead in rushing touchdowns following a shift in their offensive line philosophy, but every rusher on the team was elevated. Missing receiving talent, the Bills forced the run game all year.
Certainly, one can have elite production and not rush for 1000 yards, but did he? He was efficient, and had some big plays, but ultimately wasn’t the game-breaker that he wishes to be paid as. If Cook was productive enough in other areas of the game, like some other dual-threat rushers, the value could be there. But he was not. He wasn’t even as productive in the passing game as the Bills’ RB2, Ty Johnson.
Johnson brought excellent pass blocking and blitz pickup, whilst still being an efficient rusher and capable receiver. Johnson contributes meaningfully without costing an arm and a leg. Now, James Cook is a better running back than Ty, but this is an example of the production available from late rookies, undrafted free agents, and role players. Buffalo doesn’t need Cook to have a solid run game, especially with the improved run blocking.
The answer isn’t kind, but necessary. James Cook is the best running back the Buffalo Bills have had since LeSean McCoy dismantled the NFL in 2016. James Cook does not offer the value of a $15m per year commitment. The two statements don’t have to live in conflict – both are true.
The cost of keeping Cook
Despite his personal evaluation of $15m a season, Spotrac has James Cook’s projected contract at four years, $40.8m- A $10.2m/year offer. Brandon Beane has already commented on the conversations between the team and Cook not being indicative of an impending move.
“”Just because we might not be on the same page now doesn’t mean we won’t be down the line.” – Brandon Beane at the NFL Combine”per Jon Scott
But the true cost is not simply financial. In a season following a dismantling of the roster, the Buffalo Bills are putting together another contending roster. The salary cap has bumped up significantly to $279.2m, a whopping $23.8m increase from last season.
The team no longer has the albatross of Stefon Diggs to deal with, and other contracts are clearing out over this season and the next. There is room to make significant moves. Putting a lump sum on James Cook hinders their ability to make more significant additions to the roster.
The Bills were confirmed to have contacted the Cleveland Browns about DE Myles Garrett, who requested a trade earlier this offseason. Buffalo needs to find a cornerback to pair with Christian Benford, and there are several hitting the market this offseason. Defensive tackles are abound in 2025’s Free Agency as well, and it’s a position of need for this team. Does a great-but-not-elite running back truly outweigh the Buffalo Bills’ opportunity to add other, more significant contributors?
The investment of cash into James Cook, in 2025 of all offseasons, isn’t the smart money. Bigger fish need frying, not just outside the roster, but on it.
Higher-priority players needing to be retained
We aren’t going to pretend that James Cook isn’t a very good running back. We have to be honest in his evaluation, and he’s certainly a player the Buffalo Bills would miss having. Buffalo knows they want him to stick around, but he shouldn’t be the priority right now. There are even other, more significant, contributors from his draft class that need their extensions immediately. They’ve already started with the extension of WR Khalil Shakir.
CB Christian Benford
The biggest elephant in the room in Christian Benford, one of the least-discussed cornerbacks in the NFL. Quiet and effective, he’s due for a massive pay-raise in the coming months. A contract extension worth close to $25m per season is on the docket. It’s a worthy cause. Few cornerbacks in the NFL have been as effective over the last two seasons as Benford- A player so good you rarely hear his name.
If Buffalo intends to add outside talent this offseason, and keep multiple members of this draft class, James Cook cannot be prioritized over Christian Benford, who plays one of the most critical positions of any NFL team today. Assuming Buffalo does as expected and retains Benford for the future, there’s another query.
LB Terrel Bernard
Is keeping James Cook worth losing Terrel Bernard? The Bills’ lone defensive captain for 2024, Bernard commanded the defense with remarkable chops for a player of his youth. Despite rotating players around him all season, and the overwhelming changes from 2023 to 2024, he continued to excel. A three-year extension for Bernard would run the team close to $21m over that span, and secure the middle of the field for four more years. Is that loss worth the retention of a running back?
The Buffalo Bills have a mountain of questions to ask of themselves this year, and the work has already begun. James Cook is but one of many items on the team’s plate. If Brandon Beane is being honest with us, as he sometimes is, Cook isn’t atop that list.