The NFL’s running back market has been in a strange place the past few seasons. For years, running backs were the backbone of championship teams. The Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens all won Super Bowls with ground-and-pound identities.
However, over the past decade, the league has undergone significant changes. As defenses learned how to contain the run, offenses leaned more on speed and pass-heavy schemes. The pendulum swung toward quarterbacks and wideouts.
However, that may be changing again. After free-agent running backs like Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry had massive impacts last season, 2024 could mark the start of a new era for the position.
Giants, Cowboys, and Bears – Potential Fits for James Cook
The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 59 behind Barkley’s standout season and rewarded him with a two-year, $41.2 million deal, including $36 million guaranteed. That payday has other backs, including Buffalo Bills star James Cook, eyeing similar compensation. But instead of a new contract, Cook might be on the move. One analyst believes the Giants, Cowboys, and Bears are possible landing spots.
Cook is entering the final year of his rookie contract and may have expected an extension from Buffalo by now. But those talks have cooled, and the Bills are reportedly exploring trade options ahead of the draft.
PFSN’s Sterling Xie shares that view, pointing to a familiar pattern in Buffalo’s approach to the position.
“Brandon Beane has traditionally leaned on the draft to restock at running back,” Xie wrote.
“Beane drafted Devin Singletary to replace LeSean McCoy, and then drafted James Cook to replace Singletary. Now, with Cook entering the last year of his rookie contract, the Bills could be poised to repeat that cycle again.
“In fact, it’s possible they’ve already done so after drafting Ray Davis in the fourth round last year. In the lone game Cook missed in 2024, Davis piled up 152 scrimmage yards and 0.31 EPA per play on Monday Night Football vs. the Jets. For context, Cook ranked third among RBs in EPA per play for the whole season at 0.27.
“Of course, Cook would also have plenty of trade value himself. Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen both left the Bills the offseason they drafted Cook and would likely welcome him as the lead back for the Giants. The Cowboys and Bears could use an upgrade at RB1 as well. Dallas has a connection to Cook with Ken Dorsey, a Cowboys assistant who was Cook’s offensive coordinator in Buffalo from 2022 until he was fired after Week 10 of the 2023 season.”
In 2024, Cook tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns with 16, matching Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs. He hit that mark in just 16 games — Henry and Gibbs each played in 17. Cook also had fewer carries (207) than both Henry (325) and Gibbs (250).
He added 1,009 rushing yards, plus 32 catches for 258 yards and two receiving touchdowns. It was a true breakout year after totaling just four rushing touchdowns (and nine total scores) in his first two seasons.
The surge in production is what reportedly led him to demand $15 million per year — a number that would place him among the highest-paid backs in the NFL.