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Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Running back James Cook's contract standoff with Bills reaches 3rd practice
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills and James Cook are in agreement on at least one aspect of the running back's contract standoff, which had the starter skipping his third consecutive training camp practice on Wednesday. Neither side will hazard guessing on how much longer Cook will continue declining to practice in the fourth-year player's escalating bid to extend the final year of his contract. What's more evident is how the team and player aren't on the same page on various aspects of negotiations based on what people on each side of discussions told The Associated Press over the past two days. The people spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the talks are private. Barring a sudden thaw in negotiations, it's unclear who is expected to take the next step to spur discussions. While the Bills have not ruled out potentially getting a deal done even if it means waiting until after the season, there's a difference over how optimistic each side is of having one in place before the season opens. The two sides also differ over whether Cook opened negotiations seeking a $15 million a year payday based on the player posting '$15 mill year' in a message he posted on social media in February. Though it's unclear how far apart they are on what's expected to be a three-year contract, Cook's current asking price ranges somewhere between $11 to $12.5 million in guaranteed money. How that fits in the Bills' long-term salary cap structure is unclear even for a player who co-led the NFL with 16 touchdowns rushing during Cook's breakout season in 2024. 'It's how do you divvy up your money? You don't want to lose a James Cook. He's a valuable piece to our team,' Bills GM Brandon Beane told The AP on July 25. 'But you also don't want to lose (left tackle) Dion Dawkins, (right tackle) Spencer Brown, the line we've put together or the money we put in the pass rush,' he added. 'Teams are forced with choices, and those choices get really hard once you've paid that quarterback.' Cook wound up being the odd-player out in Beane's offseason spree of signing four players entering their final contract seasons to extensions. Cook, meantime, believes he is deserving of a raise based on his production last year — his 16 TDs rushing tied a single-season team record — and the Bills placing an emphasis on a more balanced attack since Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator midway through the 2023 season. 'I deserve what I want, what I need, and it's going to eventually happen,' Cook said, two days into training camp. 'I mean, however it happens, it's going to get done, wherever it happens.' He referred to viewing himself as one of the NFL's top running backs and added he didn't regret posting what he did on social media. Cook was a full practice participant during Buffalo's first eight practices, before starting his 'hold-in' on Sunday, when he watched from the sideline dressed in a white track suit. On Monday, he made a brief appearance before ducking out before practice began and did not return. Cook didn't make an appearance Wednesday, but is still present at camp. Buffalo closes camp in suburban Rochester, New York, with a practice Thursday before opening its preseason schedule by hosting the New York Giants on Saturday. The team will then resume practicing at its headquarters in Orchard Park. Cook fears risking injury while entering the final year of his contract. Though the Bills have backups Ray Davis and Ty Johnson in position to step in, they also face a risk should one of them get hurt. Bills players and coaches insist Cook's absence hasn't been a distraction. Brady said he's treated Cook's absence no different than how he's adapted his practice plans to take into account several players sidelined by injuries. 'You guys know how I feel about James and the love I have for him, and all that's out of my control in my hands,' Brady said. 'So I find out tomorrow, hey, Jimbo's going, I can focus on this. I find out it's two weeks, whenever that time comes, we'll adjust, we'll be ready to go.' ___ AP NFL:
New York Times
20 minutes ago
- New York Times
At long last, Patriots put together the kind of joint practice that inspires confidence
FOXBORO, Mass. — When Mike Vrabel finally emerged from a pile of players fighting over the typical things NFL players fight about during a joint practice, he had blood dripping from his cheek. The New England Patriots players looked at their coach a bit confused. It's rare to see an NFL head coach end up at the bottom of a skirmish. They pointed out his bleeding cheek to him. 'You should see the other guy,' Vrabel quipped to one player. To another, he said, 'Don't worry, we'll see it on film.' He calmly grabbed a towel and wiped off the blood. Drake Maye said he almost got involved in the scrum when Vrabel was in the pile — Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) August 6, 2025 If nothing else, Wednesday's joint practice, the first of camp, served as the strongest indicator yet of how much has changed with the Patriots. It offered the best example of how things are improving under Vrabel. Their head coach was diving into a dogpile to break up a fight. Their quarterbacks were making plays. Their defense was holding its own against a talented offense. Most importantly, they didn't get pushed around and had a slight leg up on both sides of the ball against a Washington Commanders team that went to the NFC Championship Game last season. Advertisement A year ago, a dreadful practice against the Philadelphia Eagles was so one-sided that it was hard to watch and foreshadowed the struggles that would come in a second straight 4-13 season. This time, the Patriots put together one of their best practices of the last two years (which, to be fair, isn't saying much). It would be unwise to put too much stock into a single practice when the starters got maybe 30 snaps, which is around half of a game. That's especially fair to note considering this roster is probably still below average, even after Vrabel's free-agent spending spree and general overhaul this offseason. And the Pats could still go to Minnesota next week, where they have a pair of practices scheduled, and get smoked by the Vikings. In all likelihood, the Commanders will still end up the better team this season. But it's also fair to say this Patriots team finally looks competent and well-run for the first time in a couple of years. 'I love what we did today,' receiver Demario Douglas said. 'Everything is not as good as it looks or as bad as it looks — but it's a good feeling that it looked good,' running back Antonio Gibson said. Josh McDaniels' offense took what the Commanders defense gave it. The unit still cannot make the big plays that are required from a top offense, and there are still talent concerns (there were way too many dropped passes Wednesday). But the goal is incremental improvement, and this offense looks noticeably better than last year's, even if it's still not one of the 15 best units in the league. It finally has some semblance of explosiveness with rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson, who continues to cut into Rhamondre Stevenson's first-team reps. And it has cut back on interceptions from Drake Maye while encouraging easy passes in the short and intermediate game to stay on schedule. Advertisement Receiver Kayshon Boutte has been a big part of that. He had the catch of the day for the Patriots and continues to stand out. Mack Hollins made a few impressive grabs himself, but he also had a couple of drops. And Douglas continues to look like the perfect fit to rack up catches over the middle. 'I don't want to give any predictions, but I pray that's how it goes,' Douglas said. Meanwhile, a Patriots defense without its best player (Christian Gonzalez) held up OK against the Commanders, who were without their top receiver, Terry McLaurin. Washington ran the ball well (especially to the outside, a potential source of concern for the Pats) and Jayden Daniels still made some incredible plays, showing why he was the league's top rookie quarterback last year. Maye admitted Wednesday that it's 'always in the back of your mind, the draft class you came in with,' and that he's trying to keep pace. But at the same time, the Patriots got a decent pass rush from Christian Barmore and Milton Williams, and the secondary performed well, too. All of it added to an impressive practice and a feeling that Foxboro was rejuvenated after several years of being in the wilderness. Wow. — Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 6, 2025 Fans lined up, several deep, across the railings of the stadium for a peek at their team. The star power was back, too. Jayson Tatum of the Celtics stopped by. Jon Bon Jovi walked the sideline. Finally, there was a buzz of excitement surrounding this team. A year ago, there was tepid optimism, too, before the Eagles rolled into town for joint practices. They were still a few months from lifting the Lombardi Trophy and blew the doors off Jerod Mayo's Patriots. There was every chance that could've happened to Vrabel's team on Wednesday. Advertisement Instead, the coach was left bleeding while trying to protect his players, and the Patriots looked like they were finally trending in the right direction. It was just one impressive practice, but at their most important get-together of the summer so far, the Patriots looked like a competent, well-run team. And in a season where progress is the main goal — avoiding the stuff that will get you beat, as Vrabel might put it — they looked to be on their way to achieving that. (Photo of Mike Vrabel with Von Miller and Jayson Tatum: Eric Canha / Imagn Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Running back James Cook's contract standoff with Bills reaches 3rd practice
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills and James Cook are in agreement on at least one aspect of the running back's contract standoff, which had the starter skipping his third consecutive training camp practice on Wednesday. Neither side will hazard guessing on how much longer Cook will continue declining to practice in the fourth-year player's escalating bid to extend the final year of his contract. What's more evident is how the team and player aren't on the same page on various aspects of negotiations based on what people on each side of discussions told The Associated Press over the past two days. The people spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the talks are private. Barring a sudden thaw in negotiations, it's unclear who is expected to take the next step to spur discussions. While the Bills have not ruled out potentially getting a deal done even if it means waiting until after the season, there's a difference over how optimistic each side is of having one in place before the season opens. The two sides also differ over whether Cook opened negotiations seeking a $15 million a year payday based on the player posting '$15 mill year' in a message he posted on social media in February. Though it's unclear how far apart they are on what's expected to be a three-year contract, Cook's current asking price ranges somewhere between $11 to $12.5 million in guaranteed money. How that fits in the Bills' long-term salary cap structure is unclear even for a player who co-led the NFL with 16 touchdowns rushing during Cook's breakout season in 2024. 'It's how do you divvy up your money? You don't want to lose a James Cook. He's a valuable piece to our team,' Bills GM Brandon Beane told The AP on July 25. 'But you also don't want to lose (left tackle) Dion Dawkins, (right tackle) Spencer Brown, the line we've put together or the money we put in the pass rush,' he added. 'Teams are forced with choices, and those choices get really hard once you've paid that quarterback.' Cook wound up being the odd-player out in Beane's offseason spree of signing four players entering their final contract seasons to extensions. Cook, meantime, believes he is deserving of a raise based on his production last year — his 16 TDs rushing tied a single-season team record — and the Bills placing an emphasis on a more balanced attack since Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator midway through the 2023 season. 'I deserve what I want, what I need, and it's going to eventually happen,' Cook said, two days into training camp. 'I mean, however it happens, it's going to get done, wherever it happens.' He referred to viewing himself as one of the NFL's top running backs and added he didn't regret posting what he did on social media. Cook was a full practice participant during Buffalo's first eight practices, before starting his 'hold-in' on Sunday, when he watched from the sideline dressed in a white track suit. On Monday, he made a brief appearance before ducking out before practice began and did not return. Cook didn't make an appearance Wednesday, but is still present at camp. Buffalo closes camp in suburban Rochester, New York, with a practice Thursday before opening its preseason schedule by hosting the New York Giants on Saturday. The team will then resume practicing at its headquarters in Orchard Park. Cook fears risking injury while entering the final year of his contract. Though the Bills have backups Ray Davis and Ty Johnson in position to step in, they also face a risk should one of them get hurt. Bills players and coaches insist Cook's absence hasn't been a distraction. Brady said he's treated Cook's absence no different than how he's adapted his practice plans to take into account several players sidelined by injuries. 'You guys know how I feel about James and the love I have for him, and all that's out of my control in my hands,' Brady said. 'So I find out tomorrow, hey, Jimbo's going, I can focus on this. I find out it's two weeks, whenever that time comes, we'll adjust, we'll be ready to go.' ___ AP NFL:
