This surprise RB might cost James Cook millions with the Buffalo Bills

James Cook remains in a standoff with the Buffalo Bills, as the star RB continues to sit out from training camp in hopes of getting the new deal he feels he deserves. And you can't really blame him; Cook has been an engine of Buffalo's offense for the past two years, rushing for over 2,000 yards on nearly five yards per carry while adding over 700 yards through the air. Given the short shelf life at his position, it's understandable that he'd want to get paid now rather than risk an injury that could crater his market in free agency next offseason.

The problem comes with just how much that new deal should be worth. Cook is rumored to be demanding something in the neighborhood of $15 million per year. The Bills, on the other hand, see only three running backs currently at or above that number (Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry) and are holding firm at something lower. Cook is hoping that exercising some leverage will force the team to move off its stance — but unfortunately, the market just said otherwise in no uncertain terms.

ESPN's Adam Schefter announced on Tuesday afternoon that the Los Angeles Rams had come to an agreement with running back Kyren Williams on a new three-year, $33 million extension that includes $23 million in guarantees.

For the math majors at home, that comes out to exactly $11 million per year. And it's left Cook without much of a leg to stand on moving forward.

Kyren Williams deal shoulder put James Cook's hopes for a massive payday to rest

Williams isn't quite the all-around player that Cook is, either as a pass catcher or a pass protector. But he, like Cook, was a member of the 2022 draft class, and their respective rushing numbers are shockingly similar.

Cook can fairly argue that he deserves to be paid more than his L.A. counterpart. But it's hard to argue that he deserves to be paid some $4 million more per year; the gap between the two players simply isn't big enough, even if Cook remains a critical part of the Bills offense.

Cook can choose to ignore what the market's telling him and keep holding out for the number he feels he's earned. But the fact is that, for as good as he's been in his young career to date, he's not quite on the franchise-changing level of someone like Barkley, McCaffrey or Henry. (He's also benefitted from Josh Allen and a tremendous offensive line in Buffalo.)

Something between $12-13 million, in the Alvin Kamara/Josh Jacobs range, feels right, and is reinforced by the number the Rams just signed Williams at. Of course, whether Cook will actually agree, or whether his pride will be willing to look like he's lost this staredown, is another question entirely, one the Bills will have to navigate carefully.