The Buffalo Bills have had a good offseason with some key pieces re-signing and some nice additions coming in, with Joshua Palmer and Joey Bosa the pick of the bunch.
However, despite all the good work that general manager Brandon Beane and the front office have done, a "storm cloud," as Adam Schefter calls it, hangs over the franchise.
James Cook and his contract status.
With the Bills and Cook still no closer to brokering a new deal with the franchise having just $1.6 million in cap space per Over The Cap, it feels like James won't be getting the desired $15 million APY that has been reported.
Cook hasn't been present at OTAs, and with mandatory minicamp just around the corner, it will be interesting to see how this whole saga plays out, as James can now be fined for not attending.
And for CBS Sports, what transpires over the next couple of days is going to be fascinating to watch.
"Sometimes the storylines surrounding minicamp don't have anything to do with play on the field, but rather simply if a player shows up," CBS Sports writes. "For Buffalo, the status of James Cook could take center stage next week as the veteran back seeks a contract extension. Cook, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, has not participated in OTAs thus far.
"If he skips out on minicamp, that'll add even more fuel to the fire and put him in the crosshairs of a fine. If he shows up, it could be an opportunity for the two sides to hammer out the parameters of a deal."
Exactly where the Bills would even find the funds to sign Cook to a new deal is going to be tough, because with just $1.6 million available, Beane would have to do some serious cap massaging to create the required space.
And it isn't even known if he and the front office want to do that.
Having been a key part of the offense for the past three seasons, how this contract saga plays out with Buffalo and Cook could impact the Bills' chances of claiming the Super Bowl in 2025.
Back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and a franchise-record-tieing 16 rushing touchdowns in the regular season last year point to a player who wants and deserves to be paid like a top back.
But we are unsure if that will happen in Buffalo.
