New coach Joe Brady acknowledged this week that Cook's workload was high after the running back took 309 carries over 17 regular-season games, and the coach discussed the potential of sharing the load a bit more this season, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports. Said Brady, "I don't think you ever go into each game with a mindset of, 'This is how many carries he's going to have.' But it does pile up throughout the season, and I give him a lot of credit. I would love to be able to get Ray (Davis), Ty (Johnson), Frank (Gore Jr.) those guys involved and I hope those opportunities come up this year. James was just playing at such a high level last year. And this year again we're looking at everything."
Cook won the league rushing title last season, but it's worth noting the last five NFL rushing title winners have seen their totals decrease significantly the following season, and only two players this century (Derrick Henry and LaDainian Tomlinson) have won back-to-back titles. That's not to say Cook can't achieve high totals again, just that it's incredibly difficult to do so. In fact, his regular-season carries increased by 102 from a mostly healthy prior season. While Cook is an attractive fantasy option in this offense -- which hasn't changed much from last season and remains elite -- this is a team with its sights set on a deep playoff run, not winning another individual rushing title. Also, Brady might be inclined to throw the ball a bit more this season, as he's now the head coach instead of the offensive coordinator. The bottom line is that Cook is a great piece for any fantasy team, but the Bills may look for angles to work in his capable backups this season.