Ravens Swap 2 Former Vikings before Playoff Clash
Janik Eckardt
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The Baltimore Ravens won their division, securing them a home game in the playoffs. Not only that, they also finished with the best record in the AFC. 13-4 secured the organization they highly coveted first-round bye week, giving them an extra week of rest as well as erasing the chance to stumble against a surprisingly hot wild card team.
Ravens Swap 2 Former Vikings before Playoff Clash
Baltimore will open its playoff trip with a home game against the Houston Texans and their rookie sensation C.J. Stroud, who has been playing like a seasoned veteran all year, and it appears as if no stage is too big for him. Led by MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson, the Ravens’ offense will once again be without tight end Mark Andrews and running backs Keaton Mitchell and J.K. Dobbins, who are also on IR.
Because of their injuries, the front office moved to acquire one former Viking: Dalvin Cook. The former second-round pick has been available since he agreed with the Jets to part ways less than three weeks ago.
Once he went unclaimed on waivers, the door was open for him to sign with a contender, and he chose the Ravens, an organization that needed another running back next to veterans Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.
Cook had a disastrous one-year stint with the Jets, rushing for only 214 yards on 67 carries, resulting in a lousy 3.2 yards per run average. He added 15 receptions for 78 yards but couldn’t find the endzone on the ground or as a pass-catcher.
The hope for the Ravens is that he has one more run in him and can produce a couple of splash plays, something he could still do a year ago when he destroyed the Colts on a fantastic screen reception. Cook was a low-cost investment for a team with an opening at running back.
The running back was initially signed to the practice squad, where he spent a couple of weeks, but earlier in the week, the Ravens officially signed him to the 53-man roster. To make room for him, ironically, the Ravens waived former first-rounder Laquon Treadwell, who was signed to the practice squad once he cleared waivers.
Both former Vikings just swapped places. Treadwell has caught one pass for the Ravens and gained 16 yards. He could still get some run in the playoffs, as elevations from the practice squad are always possible.
Cook was a wonderful running back in Minnesota for years, making the transition from future Hall of Famer much easier than expected. After tearing his ACL in 2017 and having a slow comeback year in 2018, he emerged as one of the league’s top rushers, making multiple Pro Bowls and running for 1,100 yards in four straight seasons.
Treadwell, meanwhile, was quite the opposite, a total disaster who struggled even to see the field on Sundays. After four seasons in Minnesota, the Vikings unceremoniously moved on from their costly investment, who only tabulated 701 yards and 2 scores in purple.
Now, both wear a different purple and hope to earn their first Super Bowl ring. Meeting the Texans will be the first step, and Cook will make his Ravens debut in that game, hoping it won’t be his last.
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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