For years, the Buffalo Bills had been searching for their franchise quarterback.
It didn’t matter how many times the Bills would take a quarterback in the first round; the player would never work out. The day Buffalo’s quarterback troubles changed was Thursday, April 26th, 2018.
Buffalo selected quarterback Josh Allen in the first round that night, and the rest has been history.
Allen has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL since 2018, and last year took home his first NFL Most Valuable Player Award.
Everyone knows Allen is the best player on the Bills, but there is also a significant amount of talent surrounding him.
James Cook Named Bills’ No. 2 Player
One of the best players on Buffalo is running back James Cook, and Brandon Ray from Fansided thinks Cook is the No. 1 player on the Bills who isn’t Allen.
“I understand that the contract drama was and is ridiculous with James Cook, but he’s literally the second best player on offense behind Allen and it’s not close. He’s rushed for back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons and was tied for the most rushing touchdowns in the league last season. Say what you want about him not being a third-down back. He’s putting up impressive numbers in a running back committee,” Ray wrote. “Who knows if he will be with Buffalo after 2025. However, we know that he will be taking the field with the Bills this coming season.”
The 25-year-old running back has been a star the last two years and has reached the Pro Bowl twice in that span.
Last season, Cook had 16 rushing touchdowns, which tied for a league-high.
The only issue with Cook at the moment is he is not signed for next season, which means this could be the last year he plays in Buffalo.
James Cook Could Be Gone Next Season
Right now, it doesn’t seem like the Bills and Cook are ready to agree on any long-term contract, and in early May, Bills general manager Brandon Beane spoke to Adam Schein of Mad Sports Radio about the star running back.
“I know we’ve had people in the building that he’s been talking with, and I have no doubt when it’s time to play football, he’ll be ready to roll,” Beane said. “Sometimes, business gets in the way, we understand that,” Beane told Schein of Cook’s absence from workouts.
“Jimbo, he is a competitive dude. He loves playing for this team. Loves being a part of it. He loves his role here. And he fits this offense really well. I think it’s been a great fit for him and it’s been fun to watch him the first three years. Every year, he’s taken a step, and to see him get the accolades he got last season was cool. Where he’s come from, he was looked at as kind of maybe a third-down back or a change-of-pace back, and he proved he could play on all downs. And he’ll continue to work on that.”
The Bills’ concern this season should be getting the best out of Cook and then waiting until the offseason to decide whether they want to bring him back.
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