PITTSFORD 鈥 When James Cook reported Tuesday to Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University, his coach, Sean McDermott, was ready to greet the two-time Pro Bowl running back.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more pleased with James and him being here on time and ready to go,鈥 McDermott said Wednesday morning before their first practice.
Cook鈥檚 stance has not changed.
He went public this offseason with his desire to become one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL. His $5.071 million cap hit for 2025 ranks 18th at the position, well below the market rate for someone so productive. The 2022 second-round draft pick led the league last season with 16 rushing touchdowns, and he ran for 1,009 yards on 207 carries. Cook became the first Bills player with 20-plus rushing touchdowns, regular season and playoffs, since O.J. Simpson accomplished the feat in 1975.
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Bills quarterback Josh Allen, right, hands off to running back James Cook on the first day of practice at training camp Wednesday at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford.
No one expected Cook to skip training camp because he鈥檇 be fined $50,000 per day, and holding out could prevent him from accruing a year toward free agency. Although Cook could鈥檝e 鈥渉eld in鈥 鈥 a more common trend in which veterans show up for camp but skip much of the heavy work, sending a message that they want to be paid 鈥 Cook opted to participate in every drill during practice. Through a team spokesperson, Cook declined to speak to reporters Wednesday, and he鈥檚 scheduled to answer questions Thursday.
鈥淛ames is a competitive dude,鈥 Bills general manager Brandon Beane said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a stud; he鈥檚 a great teammate; he wants to be here; he loves ball 鈥 so many of the things we learned about James through the scouting process. ... Of course, who doesn鈥檛 want to get paid?
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the hard part of this job is, I do want to pay them all. I really do 鈥 especially the ones who are working hard, they鈥檙e producing on the field, their teammates love them, the fans love them. James fits Buffalo, but sometimes you can鈥檛 get on the same page, or sometimes you鈥檙e trying to fit it in.鈥
The Bills鈥 communication with Cook and his representatives continued through mandatory minicamp, which he attended to avoid hefty fines. Beane and Kevin Meganck, the Bills鈥 vice president of football administration, have continued dialogue but haven鈥檛 bridged the gap between Cook鈥檚 request and the Bills鈥 offer.
Beane typically doesn鈥檛 say much about negotiations. He deflected a similar question about a possible extension for center Connor McGovern, who鈥檚 entering the final season of his contract. History shows, however, that Beane wants to keep the players he鈥檚 drafted and developed.
Some of those negotiations don鈥檛 work out, like the one involving linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, but Beane expressed optimism that this season won鈥檛 be Cook鈥檚 last with the Bills.
鈥淚 can tell you I鈥檓 hopeful when we鈥檙e sitting here at next year鈥檚 training camp that James Cook (will be) out there practicing and still representing the red, white and blue,鈥 Beane said.
Other takeaways from McDermott and Beane on Day 1:
1. Injury updates
Bills tight end Dawson Knox landed on the non-football injury list after he tweaked a hamstring last week, and right tackle Spencer Brown was placed on the physically unable to perform list because his back 鈥渇lared up,鈥 McDermott said.
Backup center Sedrick Van Pan-Granger (calf) and wide receiver Laviska Shenault (lower leg) also were unable to practice Thursday. Neither McDermott nor Beane disclosed possible timelines to return for any of their injured players.
Analysis: Knox鈥檚 absence will mean more first-team snaps for Dalton Kincaid, who made an impressive touchdown catch during a red-zone drill Wednesday. Rookie tight end Jackson Hawes may also get more opportunities, especially when the Bills are in 鈥12鈥 personnel. McDermott and Beane didn鈥檛 sound concerned about Knox or Brown. The latter could have been an option to play in a game this week if this were the regular season, Beane said, but the Bills are being cautious, especially given Brown鈥檚 history of back injuries.
Tylan Grable, a 2024 sixth-round draft pick, will get more reps while Brown is out.
2. Rookie watch
The Bills planned to be cautious with Maxwell Hairston. The rookie first-round pick suffered a minor hamstring injury during the final practice of mandatory minicamp. It likely had nothing to do with McDermott鈥檚 decision to use Tre鈥橠avious White with their first-team defense at the start of practice because the coach wants every rookie, no matter their pedigree, to earn a job. Hairston eventually mixed in with the first-team defense and, though there were some mistakes, he finished practiced with a pass breakup on a throw to K.J. Hamler.
Analysis: As long as Hairston stays healthy, he will have every chance to emerge as the Bills鈥 No. 2 cornerback. He has elite speed and, as illustrated by the interception, he can produce the type of game-changing plays Buffalo will need this season.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be smart with him as he gets started here because of the hamstring,鈥 McDermott. 鈥淏ut the biggest thing is that he gets going and gets settled into the defensive system and plays fast. And there鈥檚 gonna be some mistakes. These are young players and that鈥檚 an important piece of it. You can鈥檛 be going out there afraid to make a mistake, you gotta go for it. And we鈥檒l make the corrections in the meeting after.鈥
3. 鈥楬ard Knocks鈥
Josh Allen doesn鈥檛 like to be mic鈥檇 up, even though Wednesday was not the first time the MVP quarterback鈥檚 voice will have been shared with the masses. NFL Films鈥 cameras were positioned around the field during practice. This will be the norm for the Bills during the production of 鈥淗ard Knocks,鈥 the HBO docuseries that will follow them throughout training camp. No one seemed fazed by the intrusion.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got nothing to hide,鈥 Beane said. 鈥淲e want to make this a very positive experience. Will there be an intrusive thing here or there? Of course, but it鈥檚 all in the preseason, and I don鈥檛 expect any issues or anything like that. We鈥檒l all work together and make sure it鈥檚 a good product for our fans.鈥
Analysis: We won鈥檛 know until episodes air, but the Bills are expecting this series to be like their team-produced content that provides a behind-the-scenes look at their culture and how they operate. Beane noted that competition in practice may be even better because no one wants their mistake to make the final cut.
4. Suspended DLs
The Bills鈥 defensive coaches have a plan for training camp on how they鈥檒l use defensive linemen Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi, both of whom will be suspended six games to start the season for violating the NFL鈥檚 policy for performance-enhancing drugs. Others on the defensive line, most notably the rookies, need more snaps to prepare for bigger roles while the veterans aren鈥檛 available.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a day-to-day type of deal managing that, because there鈥檚 probably going to be some bumps and bruises that come up along the way, in particular at that position,鈥 McDermott said.
Analysis: McDermott admitted his plan will need to change if the Bills have injuries on the defensive line, particularly at tackle, during camp. For example, they won鈥檛 want to rely on a practice-squad-level player to fill in on the first-team defense because it will impact their preparation for the season. The suspensions are an opportunity for rookies T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker to prove they can have significant roles in Year 1.
