Bills' Josh Allen Offers Silver Lining To James Cook Practice Hold Out

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is still on the sidelines at training camp as he looks to push along talks for his desired new contract.

With James not practicing, that means a big hole has opened up in the backfield behind Josh Allen, with Cook, who was the bellcow last season, not there. But that does give opportunities to others in Ray Davis and Ty Johnson to get valuable reps in preparation for the new season.

Still, not having Cook out there is a big deal, right? Well, quarterback Josh Allen is looking at the situation with a glass-half-full mindset.

“I mean, guys going out, it's no different than Khalil [Shakir] being out with an ankle,” Allen said. “Guys are stepping up, making plays, and it was good for Ray [Davis] to get some of these reps and getting on the same page with Ty [Johnson] again, just gives them a couple more opportunities. But James is who he is and he's one of the best running backs in the league and you'd be crazy not to say we don't want him out there. We desperately want him out there with us and hopefully something can get done.”

Buffalo's running game was a big part of their offense last season, and Cook, with his 16 touchdowns, was the driving force. Now, are Davis and Johnson potentially capable of replicating that? Likely not.

But the reps they are getting in camp in the absence of Cook will have them in good stead for the regular season, with both bit-part players last season under coordinator Joe Brady.

So, while Cook's "holding in" isn't ideal, it does give others the chance to bank crucial reps and build a solid foundation for the year ahead.

There is a silver lining to Cook's contract stance, and Allen just found it.