The status of Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is up in the air as the former second-round pick looks for a contract extension before entering his fourth season in the NFL.
As Cook continues to hope for a new deal from Buffalo, he is not in attendance at voluntary workouts and there is now a concern that he could hold out until he gets the deal he's seeking.
"I can't tell you when he's definitely coming or not, but, yeah, not yet," general manager Brandon Beane said of Cook. "I mean, it's voluntary. Guys come and go. Guys have things going on. You try not to look too far into it. We can all assume he's not here because he's unhappy with his contract, or whatever, but that's not fair. He hasn't told me that."
Considering how important Cook is to the offense, the Bills can ill-afford to not have him at the start of the season. Ray Davis and Ty Johnson are nice backs, but neither one is guaranteed to be an adequate starter in place of Cook.
That's why For The Win's Cory Woodroof believes the team should sign former Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins in free agency
"With running back James Cook's future in Buffalo uncertain over contract issues, Dobbins would be an excellent depth piece for the Bills running game after his resurgent 2024 season with the Los Angeles Chargers," Woodroof wrote. "If Cook holds out for any time, Dobbins could honestly start for Buffalo if need be. At worst case, he fills a valuable role as a rotational running back for a Super Bowl contender."
After battling injuries over the last few years, Dobbins was finally able to stay healthy for the majority of a season in 2024 and went on to have a standout showing, rushing for 905 yards and nine scores while adding another 153 yards through the air.
While he isn't a better running back than Cook and still has injury concerns, Dobbins does offer a far better option than the aforementioned rushers.
According to Spotrac, Dobbins is projected to land a two-year, $8.1 million deal, but he'll be hard-pressed to garner that much and anything more than a one-year pact with how late it is in free agency.
But that's just perfect for the Bills, who can't afford to spend a lot of money on anyone, especially a running back who may not play much if Cook doesn't hold out. If they can get Dobbins for well below that projection, it makes sense to add him.
