Buffalo Bills running back James Cook made headlines a few weeks ago when he expressed his desire to get a contract extension that would pay him like one of the best backs in football.

Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Cook is coming off his best season, rushing for over 1,000 yards and 16 regular-season touchdowns, plus another three in the postseason.

So the body of work is there for all to see, yet amid all the flurry of Bills extensions this offseason, Cook wasn’t one of them. Khalil Shakir, Gregory Rousseau, Damar Hamlin, Terrel Bernard, and Ty Johnson all got extensions, yet Cook was left out.

This brings us to the why.

Could it be due to his contract demands and that general manager Brandon Beane must do some salary cap gymnastics to fit in what Cook would cost? Possibly.

But there might be another reason – the NFL Draft.

If there wasn’t an offseason as a running back to look for an extension, this is the one.

In what is described as a loaded running back draft class, potential starters are thought to be anywhere from the first round all the way through to the third, and let’s not forget that Bucky Irving was a fourth-round pick last year, too.

So, could the Bills see what Cook wants from a contract standpoint and then look at the top backs in the draft like Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, Kaleb Johnson, TreVeyon Henderson, Brashard Smith, and Quinshon Judkins and think they could be a servicable replacement if things go south with Cook?

It isn’t as farfetched as it sounds, and it would be considerably cheaper. Plus, Johnson and Ray Davis are already signed to the roster.

Beane has stated he wants Cook in Buffalo but as is always the case, money will be a factor in negotiations, now, so too might be the draft.