The Buffalo Bills have put a chunk of the ball-carrying duties on Josh Allen, relying on the quarterback to tote the rock far too often. It's time for a franchise running back to emerge.
In FanSided's dream scenarios for Buffalo this season, one of the biggest hopes is that James Cook becomes that guy. While there's been the idea of the Bills pushing for Saquon Barkley, what if Cook can get the job done?
"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," FanSided wrote.
While Devin Singletary never blossomed into a 1,000-yard rusher, maybe Cook is the back who can. Having gained 507 yards and two touchdowns while splitting carries last year, the trajectory is there.
But what if Cook is just... serviceable? There's a good chance Allen is still heavily utilized in the running game, and all Cook really needs to do is offer consistent relief.
"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, Cook will force defensive coordinators to game plan for him which then can open up the playbook for the Bills," Fansided concluded.
In an NFL era where young running backs are king and the idea of a franchise ball-carrier is fading into the past, the Bills require a simple supplement for the deadly passing game.
If Cook can be that supplement, he'll be Buffalo's dream.
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