Bills Rookies Report Today: RB James Cook Training Camp Takeover?
The Buffalo Bills are officially back in training camp business with the Monday reporting date for rookies … and maybe the early emergence of James Cook as well.
The vets don’t have to be at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford until Saturday. So for now, the Bills’ rookies are in the spotlight.
And Cook could be a centerpiece of it all.
Cook, the Bills' second-round pick out of Georgia, figures to help a Buffalo team that last year ranked sixth among in yards per attempt (4.8) and yards per game (129.9) while scoring 20 touchdowns. Where could Cook fit? Maybe as a pass-catcher. Devin Singletary, Buffalo's lead runner, recorded 40 catches for 228 yards. Zack Moss, the Bills' third-down runner, recorded 23 catches for 197 yards. Combined, the duo recorded just two touchdowns through the air.
During his time in Athens, Cook was praised for his route-running skills and good hands out of the backfield. For his career, Cook averaged 11 yards per catch and scored six touchdowns.
Singletary still should serve as Buffalo's lead back. Last season, he recorded at least 12 carries in each of the final six games. During that span, he also averaged a team-high yard 4.1 yards per attempt.
For Cook to see reps as a rusher, he'll need to compete with Moss during camp. Buffalo could elect to use all three players on Sundays with a back-by-committee approach. The most likely situation would be Singletary sees a bulk of the carries early, Moss comes in for the hard yards and Cook works in reps on passing downs.
Cook was brought in to add yet another weapon for quarterback Josh Allen. He also proved his agility and vision while averaging 6.1 yards per carry on the way to winning a national title with Georgia in 2021. How does that translate to the Bills? We’re about to find out in camp.
Bills Draft Picks
Round 1 • CB Kaiir Elam
Round 2 • RB James Cook
Round 3 • LB Terrel Bernard
Round 5 • WR Khalil Shakir
Round 6 • P Matt Araiza
Round 6 • CB Christian Benford
Round 6 • OT Luke Tenuta
Round 7 • LB Baylon Spector
