Over the last week or so, it has become abundantly clear that the time for Brandon Beane to make a decision on the future of James Cook is a horizon that's approaching quickly. After turning in a sensational breakout season, Cook wants to get paid — a lot.
With Cook opening the negotiations asking for $15 million per season, it doesn't seem like he's eager to take a hometown discount to stay with the team that drafted him and helped him develop into one of the best running backs in the league. While much of the debate has circled around whether or not Buffalo should extend him, there's an "option C" that hasn't been talked about much.
What if Beane elects to trade Cook?
Don't get me wrong, Cook absolutely deserves to get paid. This is where the age-old debate between a player's worth and a roster's construction collides head-to-head. On the heels of a 16 rushing touchdown season on a relatively light workload, Cook has demonstrated that he's one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL. He has breakaway speed and ran with more strength and conviction in 2024 than ever before.
If Beane wanted to trade him, now would be the time. I know this option might upset some Bills fans, especially with how beloved Cook has been in his time in Buffalo, but the stars might just align.
I still think the best option would be to pay Cook in the $12 million per year range if that were something that both sides could agree on. That's still a large number, but it would have him just behind Saquon Barkley, which would undoubtedly be the argument coming from Beane's side of things.
But if the two sides are too far apart and it doesn't look like a deal is going to get done, then trading Cook and looking to this year's loaded running back draft class while already holding two second-round draft picks to form a one-two punch with Ray Davis is certainly an intriguing option.
It's not hyperbole to say that this year's running back class might be more loaded than any class in the last decade. It's right up there with the 2017 class that featured Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, and Joe Mixon. You never know how it pans out at the next level, but this class has the potential to reshape the NFL. If Beane is firmly not willing to meet Cook's price, then this is the year to get an explosive playmaker, resetting the rookie contract clock for the backfield behind MVP-winner Josh Allen.
