Hard Knocks checks box on James Cook hold

The first episode of Hard Knocks featuring the Buffalo Bills ignored the contract battle with running back James Cook. In episode two, it was unavoidable.

Still, the 55-minute installment kept the issue to a minimum, checking the box and moving on.

“The business side can be rough,” narrator Liev Schreiber says within the first ten minutes of the episode. “G.M. Brandon Beane is dealing with his first hold-in in nine seasons. Star running back James Cook is in the final year of the contract he signed as a rookie. Cook wants his next one to be a bit bigger.”

That’s accurate, but it glosses over the fact that the contract Cook signed was non-negotiable. It was driven by his draft slot, and he had no power over the money he has been paid through three seasons, or the money he would hav