The Buffalo Bills got terrible news during Organized Team Activities this week.
Head coach Sean McDermott announced at the start of Tuesday's work that the team would be without new edge rusher Joey Bosa until the start of training camp.
Making matters worse is the fact that they still don't have their star running back at their disposal yet, either. And they are running out of answers on how to resolve the current situation.
James Cook, the former second-round pick out of Georgia, has not arrived at OTAs for Buffalo yet. And while the head coach has seemingly tried to diffuse the concern, the reality is that this is an important update in the never-ending saga that has been this contract holdout.
"We're staying in touch like you'd expect a player and a coach to do. James will be here when he's ready to be here and we move forward," said McDermott.
The details have not changed. Cook, after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, wants a new deal that will pay him over $15 million per year on average. The Bills have been reluctant to get a deal done with those parameters.
Buffalo originally pushed off those contract concerns before the draft. They had extended plenty of stars on their young core for both sides of the ball.
Cook was the lone exception.
And now he's done waiting for something to happen. The Pro Bowl-caliber running back is using what leverage he has left in a contract season. And amid promises from the team that it'll all work out - and maybe it will - he's ready to make things uncomfortable moving forward for the Bills.