Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane had a decision to make when the team began their offseason plans.
The organization knew they had many key players that were in need of contract extensions this offseason. Stars like cornerback Christian Benford, edge rusher Greg Rousseau, and running back James Cook all needed new deals with the team.
Beane worked diligently to sign many of those players to extensions. Most of the players who got new deals were defensive standouts.
Of the players to not be re-signed, Cook is the only one that remains.
"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," Beane said. "At this point, we're onto the draft. Once we got Benford done, and I don't see us doing any deals anytime soon. We're gonna focus on the draft, and getting our cap in order."
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While there is always concern when a team is unable to come to terms right away with one of their stars, the Bills are making the right plan with their star runner.
As good a player as Cook has been, his reported asking price of $15 million per year is difficult for any team to take on - let alone a team that is strapped for cap space like the Bills.
A deal could get done in the end, but Buffalo was right to keep Cook as the last player unsigned. And they are right to not overpay for him either.
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This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 1:00 PM.