Buffalo Bills DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Despite a contract impasse with the Buffalo Bills and the fact that he put his house up for sale in Buffalo, running back James Cook "will play for the Bills next season," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Things are "not great" between Cook and the Bills. The 25-year-old has a $5.3 million salary for the 2025 season, which is the last year of his rookie deal, and he's made it known he's looking for at least $15 million per year. Buffalo would like to sign him to a long-term extension, but at the moment the two sides aren't remotely close in negotiations. The former second-rounder (63rd overall) in 2022 out of Georgia has back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns in 16 regular-season games in 2024. Cook will be Buffalo's RB1 again in 2025, but fantasy managers must plan for TD regression, and the Bills could be looking to split the workload more with Ty Johnson and Ray Davis.

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane said the team isn't close to getting a long-term contract extension done with running back James Cook. "I don't see us getting something done anytime soon..we're onto the draft.just because we don't get something done this year doesn't mean we can't get something done before he's a free agent," Beane said. Cook made it clear in February that he wants a contract extension and wants the ball more moving forward. The 25-year-old played only 48 percent of the team's offensive snaps in 2024, although he was very productive with 18 total touchdowns in 16 regular-season games. Cook's 16 rushing touchdowns -- he also had 1,009 yards on 207 rushing attempts -- led the league in 2024. Still, the Bills aren't making it a priority to give Cook an extension as he heads into the final year of his current deal. Cook will face obvious TD regression in 2025.

The Buffalo Bills have signed free-agent wide receiver/kicker returner Laviska Shenault Jr. to an undisclosed deal. Shenault most recently played 12 games between the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Chargers last season. He hasn't done much in the receiving game with five receptions for 36 yards over those 12 games last season. Shenault is better known for his kick returning ability as he averaged nearly 30 yards per return in 2024. He is still capable of making the occasional slash play on offense, but will likely be used mainly as a returner in Buffalo.

The Buffalo Bills have re-signed running back Ty Johnson on a two-year deal. The amount of the contract is undisclosed. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the news. The Maryland product tied his career high with four total touchdowns last season and was a valuable asset on third downs for the team. Johnson played the second-most snaps of all Bills' RBs in 2024 and will likely again slot in as a change-of-pace option and third-down specialist behind incumbent starter James Cook. However, he'll still have second-year back Ray Davis to compete with for touches, and Davis out-carried Johnson 113-41 in just his rookie season. Despite what this means for the team on the field, it's unlikely to make an impact regarding fantasy. The 27-year-old presents as nothing more than a potential low-end handcuff.

The Buffalo Bills have agreed to terms with free-agent wide receiver Joshua Palmer, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov. The former Los Angeles Chargers wideout is expected to sign a three-year, $36 million contract with the Bills when the new league year begins on March 12. Palmer was a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Tennessee and has collected 182 receptions for 2,287 yards and 10 touchdowns in 59 career games. Palmer's counting stats aren't all that impressive, but he's been a solid receiving option for Justin Herbert during his four-year NFL career. Palmer could be a significant fantasy football riser playing alongside Josh Allen with limited target competition in Buffalo.