Hard Knocks, the acclaimed preseason NFL show, will gladly take some drama.
This year’s featured team, the Buffalo Bills, has one spot that definitely still has some suspense to it.
The Bills had a strong offseason of the in-house variety. They extended almost all of their key pieces, keeping everyone happy and tied down long-term.
Except for one: running back James Cook.
Cook hasn’t gotten the extension he’s seeking. Early in the offseason, he said he wanted $15 million per year, which won’t be given to him by anyone in the modern NFL’s RB valuations.
But Cook is coming off a career year and could certainly expect some cash to come his way if he meets the Bills halfway.
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Buffalo doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to get a deal done, though.
And now, if Cook wants to throw a preseason fit, there will be cameras around to capture it.
That’s not to say Hard Knocks is guaranteed to help or hurt the chances of a Cook deal, but the show may, at least, provide a view of what negotiations might look like.
And hey, sometimes outside pressure can help the cause. If Cook looks like the aggrieved party in any scenes put out by Hard Knocks, maybe he’ll be more likely to get a new contract.
Conversely, the show could make second-year RB Ray Davis look like the man and have everyone clamoring for him to take over. There’s just no way to know what’ll happen.
All we know for sure is there will be a lot more eyes than usual following along with the Bills as they get ready for the new season.
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