3.) James Cook solidifies himself as the future back in Buffalo
When James Cook was drafted in the second round in the 2022 draft, the Bills may have envisioned him as a pass catching back who can do some damage on the ground. In his rookie season, Cook managed to put up 507 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Down the stretch of last season, Cook was more involved in the offense having played in more than 35 percent of offensive snaps starting in Week 12 against the Patriots until the end of the season. With Devin Singletary in Houston, all signs point to Cook taking on the running back responsibilities moving forward. Sure, there is Damien Harris and Latavius Murray in the mix but Cook has the higher ceiling to become the featured premier back for the future.
If Cook is able to take a step forward in his sophomore year, the Bills running game without the services of Josh Allen’s legs would come alive for the first time since 2017, when LeSean McCoy was the starting running back. Even if Cook does not put up over 1,000 yards on the ground, if he can do some damage with carries and then add in the pass-catching ability (kind of like an Austin Ekeler type of player), Cook will force defensive coordinators to game plan for him which then can open up the playbook for the Bills.