Brandon Beane’s master plan finally realized moments after extending Buffalo Bills RB James Cook to a new contract
It’s a great day to be a fan of the Buffalo Bills.
For a brief moment on March 6, 2024, it felt like the sky was falling. The Buffalo Bills released several veterans, including Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, and Mitch Morse, so that the team could begin transitioning to their young core. Bills general manager Brandon Beane, after the cuts, said, “This is the new young core that we’re putting money into.”
With Cook’s signing, Beane’s master plan of drafting, developing, and re-signing was finally realized. Cook was the last piece of the 2022 draft class to sign an extension, and with that, Beane has locked up his young core in hopes of raising the Lombardi trophy.
James Cook was the final piece
Fast forward to today and the team has reached a deal to keep Cook in Buffalo through the 2029 season with a four-year $48 million extension.
With Cook’s extension, Beane has successfully signed Christian Benford, Gregory Rousseau, Terrel Bernard, Khalil Shakir, and, of course, Josh Allen. The quarterback wasn’t part of the 2022 class but an important extension nonetheless.
When the 2022 draft had come and gone, it would be reasonable to assume that Beane would hit big on one or two players, but that draft class specifically might just rewrite Bills history with what it has accomplished. Beane didn’t just hit on one; he hit on half of his picks in a big way. We’re just going to ignore Kaiir Elam from that list, though.
Beane not only extended these superstars on both sides of the football, but he also found a way to do it on a relatively team-friendly deal compared to what some of these guys might’ve gotten outside One Bills Drive. He’s like the reverse Thanos. He’s collecting these infinity stones (new contracts) in hopes of total destruction (a Super Bowl), and he deserves all the flowers in the world for what he’s accomplished with the cap restraints and some less-than-ideal drama from his star players.
The Buffalo Bills’ 2022 draft class
Let’s take a trip down memory lane to see just how great his 2022 draft class really was.
- Round 1, No. 23: Kaiir Elam
- Round 2, No. 63: James Cook
- Round 3, No. 89: Terrel Bernard
- Round 5, No. 148: Khalil Shakir
- Round 6, No. 180: Matt Araiza
- Round 6, No. 185: Christian Benford
- Round 6. No 209: Luke Tenuta
- Round 7, No. 231: Baylon Spector
You won’t hit on every pick, but Beane’s knack for finding gems later in the draft is remarkable. Four of his eight picks went on to sign a second contract with the team. All of the players’ extensions were for four years. Beane is saying the window is now. It’s time to spend the big bucks and go win the whole darn thing.
While Elam being a first-round bust left a bitter taste in the mouth of the fans, finding an All-Pro level CB in the sixth round made that pill much easier to swallow. Benford wasn’t the only All-Pro-level player selected. Just one round earlier, they found their starting linebacker in Terrel Bernard.
With Cook locked up, all that’s left to do is play some football. With the regular season just weeks away and the Buffalo core locked in for the next several years, it’s a great day to be a fan of the Buffalo Bills.
Brandon Beane, take a bow. An absolute masterclass in drafting, developing, and re-signing your young core (all on team-friendly deals).
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