This post may flip some of you on your head coming from me, the ‘Queen of Intangibles’. However, anyone who knows me well will tell you despite my often nuanced thinking, I’m a closet pragmatist by nature. And that brings me to the point of this post.
Roster management influenced by emotional attachments to players does not a good team make.
Let’s get down to business. Because that is what this game is all about… business. Players like RB James Cook are not often a wise investment in terms of awarding a second contract. GMs much smarter than we are have already figured this out. Screw all the hyperbole and running back stats about why the team won’t thrive without Cook.
Fans who can’t let go of their emotions about losing players like Mack Hollins or even James Cook only solidify the ‘armchair’ part of their ‘armchair GM’ moniker. We may like the personality of a Mack Hollins type, but NFL general managers who maintain successful rosters over time do not let a player’s personality influence their decision to extend a player if the money doesn’t make sense.
Because it’s ALWAYS about the money. And the ROI (return on investment).
Now before I completely pulverize what image you had of me as a psychotherapist who supports the importance of a ‘culture fit’ with an organization, let me be clear there are definitely times when it’s appropriate to get rid of a player who is toxic to a locker room (ex/Diggs)… even if doing so results in a major cap hit. This underscores why it is so important to draft and find free agents who are the right culture fit for a team in the first place. Diggs was right for the Bills until he wasn’t.
That being stated, extending beloved players like James Cook or Mack Hollins cannot and should not be made based on fan sentiment about said player. Good teams have a basic template in place with respect to how much they are willing to pay by position group. They are also likely to have salary parameters in place for playing time. These parameters may change under special circumstances, but generally there is a template to follow.
So when a guy like Mack Hollins can snag a two-year, $8.4M contract from a team with tons of money to burn, the pragmatist in me says it’s good business by Big Baller Beane to pass on resigning him. The same pragmatist in my head believes extending James Cook at this point is not cost effective when he can be replaced by a minimum of eight or so RBs in this draft.
It’s Ray Davis/Ty Johnson time anyway. Plug in a rookie RB to develop with them and let’s gooooo.
Editor’s babble: Since Cook has listed his home for sale, I would definitely support using him as a trade piece to move up in the draft and secure DT Kenneth Grant if it can be accomplished. Disposing of a player who may not show for OTAs, minicamp or even training camp would not hurt my feelings anyway. This and more of my nonsense opinions can be found on Xwitter @RobynMundyWYO or Bluesky at RobynMundyWYO@bsky.social.
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