During this offseason, the Buffalo Bills have made it a priority to take care of their own guys that they have drafted the last couple of years. Khalil Shakirs, Terrel Bernard, Greg Rousseau, Josh Allen, and now cornerback Christian Benford have all received contract extensions this offseason.
General manager Brandon Beane has done a nice job rewarding his guys and he is setting Buffalo up for great success for the foreseeable future. However, there is still one guy that is waiting to get his extension, if he ever gets one. Running back James Cook, who has been beyond reliable the last two seasons in Buffalo has yet to get an extension and he could be the player that will be seeing the door soon out of Buffalo.
With all of the extensions that the Bills have made to everyone, it might be logistically hard to find a common ground to keep Cook in Buffalo. He’s already been demanding $15 million per year, which would make him one of the highest paid running backs in the league. Despite his production, he doesn’t play on third-downs which is where Buffalo can argue against paying him that kind of money.
If the Bills either don’t want to extend Cook, or can’t find a deal that works for both sides, there should be no question that they should be looking to trade him as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract. While they should be looking for potential trade partners, there are four teams that should be immediately picking up the phone to inquire about Cook.
What teams should be calling the Bills about a trade for James Cook?
Dallas Cowboys
I mean, is there another team that should be the first one on this list? The Dallas Cowboys have been lacking running back talent for quite some time and they could utilize some playmaking talent outside of CeeDee Lamb. Dallas only had more rushing yards than the Bengals, Browns, Jets, Raiders, and Seahawks.
Their leading rusher, Rico Dowdle, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2024, is now with the Carolina Panthers. Even though Dallas brought in Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, it’s still not enough to give Dak Prescott a solid rushing attack.
Las Vegas Raiders
Believe it or not, the Raiders could be a sneaky good team in 2025 compared to what they were last year. They traded for Geno Smith to bring some stability to the quarterback room, and bringing in Pete Carroll as their new head coach brings a different type of good energy to the locker room.
The Raiders ranked dead last in rushing in the entire league. They went out and signed Raheem Mostert to a one-year deal, but he should not be the starter heading into Week 1. Trading for Cook gives Las Vegas a new bump for the better in their backfield and the Raiders can make Cook the center point of their offense.
Tennessee Titans
The team that currently holds the number one overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft needs all the help that they can get. The Titans’ biggest free agent move was signing former Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Dan Moore to a four-year, $82 million deal. They need something bigger than that.
Even though signs point to them potentially taking Miami quarterback Cam Ward, we all know rookie quarterbacks benefit well from a solid rushing attack. While Tony Pollard rushed for over 1,000 yards last year, he is now a year older and Cook is an upgrade in the backfield.
New Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi, who spent time with the Chiefs recently should easily know just how dangerous Cook is. Adding him to Tennessee’s offense gives them a little more firepower and it gives a potential rookie quarterback a security blanket in the backfield.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are one of the biggest losers from this offseason. Sure, they made a splash with trading for wide receiver D.K. Metcalf and giving him a brand new five-year deal, but who is throwing him the ball?
Mason Rudolph returns to Pittsburgh after spending last season with the Titans, but his contract shows that the Steelers may only view him as a backup. It will be quite shocking if the Steelers don’t leave the draft with a rookie quarterback. Even though there are rumors about them getting Aaron Rodgers, they need to focus on the future at quarterback.
However, one other position that they could use help at is at running back. While they did sign Kenneth Gainwell from the Eagles and still have Jaylen Warren on the roster, getting someone like Cook to replace Najee Harris should make Steelers fans beyond excited.
Much like Tennessee, due to the fact that there is major uncertainty at quarterback, the Steelers could heavily benefit with having a strong run game that is led by Cook.