After a short hold-in interval, James Cook is about to return to the follow discipline. The extension-seeking working again will swimsuit up Tuesday, per Payments head coach Sean McDermott.
Prepare dinner attended coaching camp and initially took half in practices earlier than adopting a hold-in stance. That method continued into this previous weekend, when McDermott and Co. requested the two-time Professional Bowler to play in Buffalo’s preseason opener. Cook declined, resulting in renewed hypothesis about when and the way this case will probably be resolved.
Whereas no contract settlement seems imminent, McDermott mentioned on Tuesday (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg) that “issues have modified” regarding Prepare dinner. The strains of communication have remained open on this case, with normal supervisor Brandon Beane publicly confirming the crew’s desire for a long-term pact to be worked out. That won’t happen till subsequent spring, although, particularly if Prepare dinner’s asking value stays regular.
The 2-time Professional Bowler named $15M per season as his goal early within the negotiating course of. That determine would place Prepare dinner, 25, in a tie for third on the working again spot by way of AAV. A extra sensible determine might be the $11M in annual cash that fellow 2022 draftee Kyren Williams not too long ago landed on his Rams extension. Certainly, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini predicted on the newest version of the “Scoop Metropolis” podcast that Prepare dinner’s new Payments pact will test in close to Williams’ by way of common annual worth.
A lot of Buffalo’s future cap commitments have been organized this offseason when quarterback Josh Allen agreed to a short-term, high-priced extension to his pact, transferring him according to the highest of the QB market. Afterward, extensions with receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard, edge-rusher Gregory Rousseau and cornerback Christian Benford have been labored out. Prepare dinner would be a part of that quartet on a increase led to by a second contract within the occasion a deal have been to be struck earlier than a possible free-agent departure subsequent spring.
McDermott cautioned (via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia) that Tuesday’s growth just isn’t essentially an indication the Prepare dinner hold-in is over for good. A day-by-day method will proceed in the interim, however Prepare dinner collaborating in follow marks one other twist in his ongoing try to land a long-term pact earlier than Week 1.
