James Cook Contract Saga Leads Bills To Draft Replacement?

The Buffalo Bills and James Cook are looming as one of the biggest headlines this offseason. Cook wants a new contract so that he won't have to play in the final year of his rookie deal.

With the Bills already extending a host of players, including Josh Allen, Greg Rousseau, Khalil Shakir, and Terrel Bernard, Cook, despite publicly stating he wanted a new deal, hasn't gotten one yet.

Thought to want to be one of the highest-paid backs in football at roughly $15 million APY, given the Bills' salary cap situation (just $2.2 million available per Over The Cap), a new deal might not be forthcoming.

So, in Ian Valentino's latest mock draft for AtoZsports, Buffalo selects TreVeyon Henderson in the first round, which likely signals the end of Cook's time with the Bills.

"Does Buffalo want to pay James Cook $15 million a year? While he's a good back, they'd be better off trading him for a pick and replacing him with a rookie who will earn as much over the duration of his first deal," Valentino writes. "TreVeyon Henderson is an elite pass-blocker and explosive playmaker. There's a decent shot he'll be the best back in this class if he goes to the right situation, which Buffalo is."

Coming off a superb year with the Buckeyes, Henderson posted 1,116 yards and 10 touchdowns to end his college career on a high with a championship. 

Labeled by many as one of the best pass-protecting backs in the class, that would surely appeal to Brandon Beane and Josh Allen for the offense. Seen as a genuine third-down back, Henderson could slot straight into the starting role for Buffalo as Cook's replacement.

A shifty back with good acceleration, Henderson could be used is a variety of ways by Brady to help complement the "everybody eats" offense.

While it isn't ideal to see Cook's time in Buffalo end like this in this hypothetical, the speedy Henderson is younger and cheaper for the Bills and would come to the AFC East ready to wreak havoc behind Allen and the offensive line.