You Could Learn Dalvin Cook’s Next Team by Friday
Dustin Baker
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The Dalvin Cook Sweepstakes is almost over.
The Minnesota Vikings cut Cook on June 9th after about three months of uncertainty regarding his future in purple. Cook’s $14.1 million cap hit was too much for the Vikings budget, and the franchise pivoted to a cheaper option in Alexander Mattison for two years and $7 million.
You Could Learn Dalvin Cook’s Next Team by Friday
Now, about seven weeks after departing the Vikings, Cook could join his next team by the weekend, according to Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline. The 27-year-old is expected to sign with the New York Jets.
Cook is scheduled to meet with the Jets brass on Friday, and the working theory suggests he won’t leave the facility without a fancy new contract. Pauline explained, “The former Minnesota Vikings running back is on his way to Florham Park to visit the New York Jets training facility. The belief around the league is Gang Green will sign him before the weekend is over.”
Overall, Cook’s per-carry production dipped in 2022, but he suddenly implemented a ‘homerun ball’ to his skillset, ripping off a handful of game-saving touchdown scampers.
In New York, Cook would share the RB1 workload with young tailback Breece Hall, who is recovering from a season-ending injury he suffered in 2022.
“Multiple league insiders I’ve spoken with point to a variety of factors as to why they believe the Jets won’t allow Cook to leave the facility before signing him to a contract. The primary reason is the injury Breece Hall suffered last year,” Pauline continued.
Meanwhile, new Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers accepted a paycut Wednesday, saving New York $35 million over the next two years — mainly so the Jets can add dynamic players like Cook.
Cook is also scheduled to meet with the New England Patriots next week, but if the Pauline theory is correct, that chit-chat may not transpire.
Pauline concluded, “There is great hesitancy within the organization to rush Hall back on the field and signing Cook not only buys time for Hall, but gives the offense another terrific ball carrier. Michael Carter sits behind Hall on the depth chart and while he’s a very good running back in his own right, Carter is more of a situational/rotation back rather than a feature runner.”
Multiple Jets personalities, including head coach Robert Saleh and tight end Tyler Conklin, have expressed interest in possibly welcoming Cook over the last few weeks.
One source told Pauline on Thursday, “If Cook’s demands are reasonable, I expect him to be a New York Jet very soon.”
Cook will be 28 years old when the regular season kicks off. And that might be with Rodgers’ Jets if the Pauline prophecy plays out.
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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