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Glaring concerns emerging with Buffalo Bills’ starting running back James Cook
By Andrew Buller-Russ,
9 hours ago
For years, the Buffalo Bills had a running back committee paired with Josh Allen. James Cook’s arrival as a second-round pick in 2022 changed their plans. While Cook didn’t start as a rookie, he showed he was more capable of making game-breaking plays than Devin Singletary. The Bills let Singletary leave in free agency the following offseason, paving the way for Cook to emerge as the leading rusher.
Cook started 13 of 17 games, but he also became the Bills’ first 1,000-yard rusher since LeSean McCoy accomplished the feat in 2017. Now, there’s no question who the lead back is in Buffalo, now or for the next few years.
Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK
James Cook’s strong performance in his second season earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl. Cook is just 24 years old, and he’s expected to continue getting better. But that doesn’t mean he’s a finished product quite yet. He still has a few things to work on too.
“With camp practices, you have to be careful not to amplify a one-play issue as a problem. Rather, you take note of it, and should it continue, then it becomes a trend worthy of mentioning. A slight trend that has taken shape for starting running back James Cook has been some ball security issues near the end of his plays. It’s pretty standard practice for the defense to attempt to rip the ball out from the offensive player near the end of the rep. Usually, the attempts are futile, but on a handful of occasions this summer, it’s gotten the better of Cook, and the ball has hit the ground.
That hit a high point Wednesday when it happened twice. The first was during seven-on-seven, with cornerback Christian Benford raking the ball out of Cook’s hands after a successful catch. Then during team drills, Cook again lost the ball just after the catch. The defense argued for a fumble, and it likely could have been an incompletion, but the Bills seemingly gave Cook credit for a seven-yard gain despite it.”
Cook did fumble four times in his second season. This was an uptick compared to his rookie year, where he fumbled just once in 110 touches. But in his second year, Cook put the ball on the ground once every 70.2 touches.
For the record, Cook is in no danger of losing his starting job in Buffalo. The Bills did invest in the position this offseason, but rookie fourth-round pick Ray Davis will likely only see the field near the goal line and when Cook needs a breather.
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