When the Buffalo Bills drafted James Cook in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the thought was that they were getting one of the best pass-catching running backs in this year’s class.
The addition of Cook was going to open up the playbook and bring versatility to the offense because he could run routes out of the backfield as well as be motioned to the slot or even out wide to create mismatches.
It looks like this is going to be a reality and James Cook could be seeing significant snaps as a wide receiver. Matt Parrino shared a video from practice on Thursday of Cook working into drills with the wide receivers.
James Cook getting some work in with the receivers during individual here on Day 9 of #Bills camp. pic.twitter.com/jCDCcvbYyn
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) August 4, 2022
James Cook is having a great training camp with the Buffalo Bills
There doesn’t appear to be much of a learning curve for James Cook in his first training camp in the NFL. He has looked explosive and has made plays in practices, particularly in the early part of training camp.
The fact that he is getting work with the wide receivers speaks to the fact that he is likely to be lined up all over the field, including on the line. Last year, the Bills running backs combined for 91 targets and 70 receptions with Devin Singletary getting a majority of those targets and receptions.
The work Singletary got in the passing game wasn’t necessarily due to him excelling in this area but more so out of necessity. It was a way to keep defenses honest and have to cover the entire field, including around the line of scrimmage with passes to the running back.
However, where James Cook is as a pass catcher if given the same targets and receptions, he should be able to be more productive and can help the offense continue to evolve and improve this season.
Even though James Cook is only a rookie, he is going to be a big part of the offense for the Buffalo Bills this year.
Predicting which Buffalo Bills training camp storylines will impact season
There has been plenty of storylines coming out of training camp but not all will impact the Buffalo Bills during the regular season.