The Bills have extended several players this offseason, getting cornerback Christian Benford, defensive end Greg Rousseau, linebacker Terrel Bernard and wide receiver Khalil Shakir on long-term deals.
The Bills also want to re-sign James Cook but apparently not at the running back’s current asking price.
General Manager Brandon Beane said Sunday the Bills are done with contract talks until at least after the draft.
“I love Jimbo. Proud of his success just like these other guys that we got extended,” Beane said, via video from Matthew Bove of WKBW. “I don’t talk about negotiations. I would say his reps and him did 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, so we moved onto the guys that we were on the same page with. At this points, we’re onto the draft. . . . I don’t see us doing any deals anytime soon.”
Cook said on social media last month that he is looking for $15 million. That would be third behind Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey in average annual pay.
Cook has made $4.256 million in three seasons and has outplayed his contract, which is scheduled to pay him a $5.271 million base salary in 2025. He has two 1,000-yard seasons, two Pro Bowls and, in 2024, he scored 16 rushing touchdowns.
He is scheduled to become a free agent in 2026, but the Bills do have the franchise tag or the transition tag they could use to keep him.
The Bills, though, want a long-term deal as badly as Cook does, just maybe not for the same price.
“Just because we don’t have James signed today doesn’t mean next year we still can’t get him done before he gets to free agency,” Beane said.
Read the full article here
