Latest Dalvin Cook Theory Would Irk Vikings Fans
Dustin Baker
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By now, you’ve read and heard all about The Dalvin Cook Sweepstakes, a rumor-filled ballad dating back to the beginning of March. Yes, three months.
What you may not have gathered is the new and apparent theory that would land Cook with a Vikings rival, the Chicago Bears.
Latest Dalvin Cook Theory Would Irk Vikings Fans
Beginning at midnight EST Friday, the Vikings can trade Cook and save $11 million against the salary cap while gaining a mid-to-late-round draft pick. Or if the trade market is wimpy, the club could outright release Cook for $9 million in savings.
Otherwise, Minnesota could roll with Cook’s contract as-is, or he could accept a paycut if the free-agent market seems to dry. Those are the options.
And if the Vikings choose the trade or release method, CBS Sports Bryan DeArdo envisions the Bears as a possible landing spot. DeArdo authored a list of five would-be Cook suitors and explained about Chicago, “For starters, the Bears have the cap space to acquire Cook, who has given Chicago plenty of headaches during his time in Minnesota. Cook would be an upgrade over the Bears’ current group of backs that includes D’Onta Foreman, Khalil Herbert, and rookie Roschon Johnson.”
Cook produced 1,173 rushing yards in 2022, with 10 total touchdowns. His contract contains a $14.1 million 2023 cap hit against the Vikings books.
“Cook would fit like a glove inside the Bears’ offense. He’d get a chance to run behind a revamped line that includes rookie first-round pick Darnell Wright. Cook would also play alongside quarterback Justin Fields, who is poised to have a breakout season,” DeArdo added.
Cook, indeed, would ascend the Bears depth chart with the snap of two fingers and afford the aforementioned Johnson a season or two to gain RB1 steam. The Bears said goodbye to last year’s RB1, David Montgomery, who wound up with another Vikings rival, the Lions, this offseason.
Normally in NFL circles, trading among rivals is taboo. But general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah proved three times during his first season that he wasn’t skittish about pulling off deals with the Lions and Packers. In fact, Adofo-Mensah’s spiciest trade to date involved the Lions when Minnesota acquired T.J. Hockenson at last year’s trade deadline.
Ruling out the Bears as a trade partner would typically be a wise theory, but with Adofo-Mensah’s thought process, anything is possible.
DeArdo also spitballed the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, and San Francisco 49ers as other potential Cook destinations. The Miami Dolphins, the long-time hypothetical frontrunner for Cook because of hometown ties, were not mentioned.
Cook turns 28 in August.
Vikings Predicted to Trade for Young QB
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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