As has been rumored all offseason, the Minnesota Vikings have moved off four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook.
Minnesota made Cook’s release official on Friday, enabling him to hit the NFL free agent market. It’s not the best of scenarios for the 27-year-old back given how said market has played out for fellow veterans at his position. After all, Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette both remain unsigned.
With that said, he now takes over as the top running back available. There is certainly going to be a lot of interest in Cook at a somewhat discounted rate heading into the start of training camps around the NFL later this summer. Here, we look at four ideal landing spots for one of the game’s best all-around running backs.
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Los Angeles was able to do a reworked deal with current RB1 Austin Ekeler after an offseason of trade speculation. Even then, he can’t be considered a three-down back in the truest sense of the term. Last season saw Ekeler put up less than 40 rushing yards in nine of the Chargers’ 17 games. It led to a 30th-ranked rushing offense. Cook would change this in no time.
Adding Cook to the mix would help Los Angeles big time in the backfield. It would also create major mismatches for opposing defenses. After all, Ekeler caught 107 passes a season ago. Talk about two players complementing each other at a high clip.
This one seems too obvious. The Dolphins have been linked to Cook throughout the entire offseason. In fact, Miami came close to pulling off a trade for the veteran back in March. Things fell apart at the last minute.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was asked about Cook’s availability after reports of his pending release became public record. His response was telling. “I wasn’t born yesterday, so I am not commenting.” Technically, Cook’s release has not hit the transaction wire. Teams commenting on him could face disciplinary action under the guise of the NFL’s anti-tampering policy.
In a vacuum, Cook makes perfect sense for Miami. The team’s top backs — Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson – have performed well. But both are seen as injury plagued. Neither has really been a true RB1 thus far. In addition to performing extremely well, Dalvin Cook has missed just six games over the past four seasons. That’s a key component when it comes to Miami’s interest in the back.
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Could it be an AFC East battle for Dalvin Cook? Betting odds seem to be pointing in this direction. And in reality, the Jets make perfect sense. Head coach Robert Saleh is happy about what he’s seen from Breece Hall after the youngster suffered a torn ACL as a rookie last season.
Even then, the Jets are in it to win it this season after acquiring future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers earlier in the offseason. Do they really want to rely on an unproven running back who is coming off a serious knee injury?
Cook could play the role of Aaron Jones behind Rodgers in Jersey. Jones was great working with New York’s new quarterback in Green Bay over the past four seasons (5,723 total yards). Rodgers knows what Cook can bring to the table dating back to their days together in the NFC North. It just makes too much sense.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is apparently going all in for Lamar Jackson after handing him a huge contract extension back in April. That included signing Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. while selecting fellow pass-catcher Zay Flowers in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Despite Baltimore’s talent level in the backfield, injuries have been a major concern. Former second-round pick J.K. Dobbins has played in all of eight games over the past two seasons. Top backup Gus Edwards has played in nine during that span.
Jackson has made it clear that he’s not going to be running as much in new offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s system. While great in theory, it takes a consistent attack from actual running backs. Dalvin Cook has proven over the past half decade that he’s one of the most consistent players at this position in the NFL.