Who Should I Start? Jamaal Williams or James Cook

Tuesday, March 4, 5:13 PM

The New Orleans Saints released running back Jamaal Williams on Tuesday, according to The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov. The move comes after Williams' worst season as a pro in 2024 in his second year with the Saints. The 29-year-old was rarely used behind starter Alvin Kamara and finished with a career-low 48 rushing attempts for 164 yards and one touchdown while adding only nine receptions for 57 yards on 11 targets in 14 games (one start). Williams had a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns in 2022 in his final year with the Detroit Lions but averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, 470 rushing yards and two touchdowns in his 27 games (five starts) in two seasons with the Saints. He's unlikely to garner a ton of interest on the open market in free agency this offseason and will almost certainly have to settle for a depth role at RB wherever he signs.

Thursday, May 8, 7:58 AM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook skipped the initial portion of the team's voluntary offseason workout program, but general manager Brandon Beane expects him to be ready for football when the time comes. Cook's holdout stems from contract talks, which are ongoing between the running back and team executives. "I know we've had people in the building that he's been talking with, and I have no doubt when it's time to play football, he'll be ready to roll," Beane said. Although an exact timeline is unclear, Cook could return as soon as June 10, when the Bills begin their mandatory minicamp for veteran players. Per the terms of the CBA, any player who misses all three days of mandatory minicamp will be hit with fines exceeding $100,000 total. That amount could be a drop in the bucket compared to Cook's next contract, but it's still a significant price to pay for missing three days of practice. Extending Cook would be in the Bills' best interest after he totaled 1,267 scrimmage yards and a career-high 18 touchdowns last season.