Alas, There Is an Offer for Dalvin Cook.
Former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has lived on the NFL’s open free-agent market for about 2.5 weeks.
The Vikings released Cook on June 9th after six productive seasons in Minneapolis.
Alas, There Is an Offer for Dalvin Cook.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah apparently wasn’t too enthused about a tailback with a $14.1 million cap hit and instead re-signed Cook’s ex-teammate, Alexander Mattison, in March for two years and $7 million.
The release instantly dropped Cook into free agency, where he was expected to accrue ample interest from RB-needy teams. Meanwhile, Cook explained recently that he was in no rush to sign on a team’s dotted line, perhaps waiting until training camp or beyond to pick and choose his next employer.
Fast forward to Tuesday, and the longtime frontrunner for Cook’s services, the Miami Dolphins, reportedly have an offer on the table for the 27-year-old.
The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson tweeted Tuesday, “Per source with direct knowledge, Dolphins have indeed made an offer for Cook. (And no, I don’t know what it is.) There’s mutual interest; Cook has called Miami a ‘perfect fit.’ Cook is in no rush to sign; he has time to wait for a dollar amount he’s comfortable with.”
Cook is from Opa-Locka, FL, which is less than 15 miles from downtown Miami. Because of the hometown connection, the Dolphins have danced in the Cook rumor mill since March.
Miami has these running backs under contract as of June 27th:
- RB1: Raheem Mostert
- RB2: Jeff Wilson Jr.
- RB3: De’Von Achane
- RB4: Salvon Ahmed
- RB5: Myles Gaskin
- RB6: Chris Brooks
So, it’s unclear where Cook would fit inside that sixsome or would-be group of seven. But the Cook-to-Miami possibility is more real than ever. The New York Jets, too, found a spot inside the Cook Sweepstakes this week — rather emphatically.
Former Vikings tight end Tyler Conklin was asked about the possibility of Cook becoming a Jet on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football this week. He didn’t hold back, “There’s plenty of room. We’ve got room for whoever wants to come help us win a Super Bowl. Me and Dalvin were basically like locker mates for a couple years, and he was an awesome guy.”
“I reached out to him — are the rumors true? Is this actually possible? I mean, that would be a special backfield,” Conklin added.
Then, Cook retweeted Conklin’s excited musings about Cook-to-Jets.
Therefore, barring another suitor like the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, or Denver Broncos, Cook’s next home may be down to a two-team race involving the Dolphins and Jets.
Cook turns 28 in August.
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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