James Cook explained why he missed the Bills' voluntary OTAs, and it had nothing to do with his contract.
When James Cook was absent from the Buffalo Bills' voluntary OTAs, it didn't take long for the speculation to begin.
Was it contract related? Was he sending a message to the organization? Was there something else going on?
As it turns out, the answer was much simpler.
Cook was spending time with his children in Miami while continuing to train on his own. He returned for mandatory minicamp, explaining that being with his family was the biggest reason he chose to stay away from voluntary workouts.
"Family," Cook said. "I mean, I have kids that stay in Miami, so I just wanted to be around them a lot more and just keep, continue to work and get better."
Honestly, that should have been the end of the conversation.
Every year, fans and media make far too much out of players missing voluntary OTAs. The key word is voluntary. For some players, those practices are invaluable opportunities to earn a roster spot or learn a new system. For established veterans, the calculation is often different.
Cook has already established himself as one of the NFL's top running backs. He knows the offense, has built chemistry with quarterback Josh Allen, and was not sitting at home doing nothing.
But there was another reason his time away was productive.
While many players spend the offseason solely focused on football, Cook also accomplished a personal goal by earning his bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia. After leaving school early for the NFL, he returned to complete his studies and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences.
That deserves just as much attention as any minicamp storyline.
NFL careers are short. Opportunities to finish a college degree while balancing the demands of professional football are even shorter. Cook could have easily left that chapter unfinished. Instead, he checked another major accomplishment off his list.
"It felt great," Cook said of graduating. "It was an accomplishment that I had on my goal list, and I scratched it off."
By the time mandatory minicamp arrived, he was back in Buffalo and looked exactly like the player Bills fans expected. During camp, Cook quickly showed the burst and explosiveness that made him the league's top running back last season.
There will always be debates about whether star players should attend voluntary workouts. Some choose to be there. Others use that time differently.
In Cook's case, he spent it with his family, continuing his training and earning a college degree.
It's hard to argue he made the wrong choice.
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