The Dalvin Cook Sweepstakes Begin on Thursday
Janik Eckardt
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Star running back Dalvin Cook has been rumored to be on the chopping block for months. The main reason is obvious: He is expensive. The Vikings have been in a tough salary cap position for quite a while now, and moving on from expensive veterans is the way to get out. Thursday is an important date for a potential Cook transaction.
The Dalvin Cook Sweepstakes Begin on Thursday
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can save $11 million by trading his star runner after June 1. Releasing him would save $9 million. The cap savings will increase by more than $3 million on Thursday. But that day is not only interesting for the Vikings but also for a potential trade partner.
The Miami Dolphins, a team frequently rumored as Cook’s next employer, will receive some nice salary cap help on Thursday. In fact, the largest in the NFL. Cornerback Byron Jones was released on March 15 with a June 1 designation. All of the $13.6 million cap savings from the release will come off the books on that day. Prior to that, the Dolphins have just over $1 million in cap space, not enough to afford the star running back.
Minnesota does not have to get rid of Cook. If the two parties can come to an agreement, it most likely has to be a pay cut. Cook might stay on the team and remain the team’s top runner. A strange thing because the organization re-signed Alexander Mattison to a $7 million two-year contract, numbers that emphasize how the team wanted him to be the new starter.
In addition to that, Adofo-Mensah selected Ty Chandler in the 2022 draft and DeWayne McBride in 2023. Both are talented players and should be in the mix to claim a meaningful role in the offense, but that will only happen if Cook is no longer on the team. The two draft picks made by Adofo-Mensah would come close to deserving the label wasted without ever coming close to earning a significant role.
The veteran was still productive in 2023, even though he is no longer an elite running back. He was a much better player during his prime in 2020, as he was quicker, stronger, and more elusive. Cook rushed for 1,173 yards and 8 touchdowns and added 39 catches for 295 yards and 2 scores as a pass catcher. He will turn 28 years old before the 2023 campaign begins, which is an age when most running backs slow down. History is not on his side.
Running backs are devalued in 2023 because they are easy to replace. Even late-round draft picks are regularly extremely effective runners. In addition to that, running backs get hurt because it is a difficult position to play. Cook is a good example. He had many shoulder problems in the past and underwent surgery just a few months ago, and an ankle injury slowed him down in 2021.
The Vikings could keep Cook in the team and with him his game-changing big-play ability, but they could also move him and improve the team with the additional cap space. The replacements are already in the building. Either way, we could learn more as soon as June 1.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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