Buffalo Rumblings
The 25-year-old has been rather vocal this offseason about his desire for a new deal
Unsurprisingly, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has failed to report to voluntary OTAs, per head coach Sean McDermott. He is the only player missing from spring workouts.
OTAs are voluntary, so Cook doesn’t have to be there. Bills fans have been well aware of Cook’s social media antics this offseason and desire to make $15 to 20 million a year, too. However, the fact that Cook is the ONLY Bills player not in attendance is certainly a statement.
Cook will 26 in September and is coming off the best season of his career in which he posted over 1,000 yards rushing to go along with 16 rushing touchdowns, tied for most in the league.
Keep in mind that he posted these stats while logging just 48% of the offensive snaps. His pass-protection skills are a real issue and it’s part of the reason why Buffalo rolled with a running back by-committee approach with Ray Davis and Ty Johnson regularly in the mix. It could also be why the Bills haven’t rushed to get a deal done, aside from the fact that they’ve already poured a ton of money into other core players such as Greg Rousseau, Terrel Bernard and Khalil Shakir.
All in all, OTAs are voluntary and we shouldn’t look too far into this situation. But, it is interesting and Cook certainly knows what he is doing by failing to show up and be with his teammates. This news paired with the Joey Bosa news has already made for an eventful first day of Bills OTAs.
Mandatory minicamp is in June, and if he misses that, could be fined in the neighborhood of $100,000. Penalties escalate if he misses training camp days.
