Nothing has changed between the Buffalo Bills and starting running back James Cook.
The league leader in rushing touchdowns last season wants a contract that pays him over $15 million a year. The Bills don't have that kind of money to give, but even if they did, they don't want to spend it on a player at a position of lesser value.
The "disconnect" that ESPN Insider Adam Schefter continues to report on, doesn't come as a surprise. This has gone on since the offseason began.
“You’ve got a guy who’s unhappy with his contractual situation," Schefter said during his podcast. "(He) has basically disconnected himself from the organization and the city, put his house up for sale...I don’t think we’ll be seeing him in Buffalo anytime soon.
Schefter later explained that while Cook isn't expected for mandatory minicamp next week, fans of the organization should turn their attention to what happens heading into training camp.
"Does he risk the penalties that come along in the collective bargaining agreement if he doesn’t show up?" Schefter questioned.
Buffalo does have a collection of running backs that they trust to carry the load if Cook refuses to show up to the start of training camp.
That is still a few months away, though. The Bills front office has all the time in the world to try and come to a conclusion on their star runner - whether it be by trading him to another team, or giving him the contract he wants.
The longer this holdout goes on, though, the more obvious it is that the two sides' disconnect is even greater than is actually being reported.