After many weeks of speculation, the Vikings are releasing their third all-time leading rusher Dalvin Cook. The move seems kind of crazy for a team that wants to contend for a championship, but apparently Minnesota was unwilling to keep Cook—despite being healthier than he’s been in years—at his salary and didn’t have much leverage to make a trade.
There’s no doubt that running back has become a bit of an expendable position in recent years, but a healthier Cook should have at least one or two good years left in the tank at 28 years old (this August). The former second-round pick out of Florida State has run for 1,000 yards in each of the past four seasons, including a 1,557-yard campaign in 2020. He’s a dynamic threat as both a runner and a receiver, and the Dolphins and Broncos are expected to be two teams interested in him.
The Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos are two of the teams that are expected to have an interest in signing running back Dalvin Cook once he officially is released, per sources. There likely will be others, but those two have been monitoring Cook for weeks.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 8, 2023
Miami Dolphins
We’ll start with the Dolphins, as Miami is Cook’s hometown and they have reportedly been interested in him this offseason. However, the Dolphins drafted Devon Achane in the third round, and the speedy rookie is already receiving plenty of hype during OTAs. Also, the Dolphins re-signed veterans Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. during free agency. That said, the Dolphins are going all-in after a second consecutive offseason of aggressive veteran acquisitions, and Cook fits that mold. I would think playing in Florida for Mike McDaniel is Cook’s first choice, but we’ll see if the interest remains mutual.
Denver Broncos
I was surprised to see the Broncos having interest in Cook, but Javonte Williams is coming off a serious knee injury and might not be himself until 2024. Sean Payton gets a ton of production from multiple running backs in his offense, and he might see Cook as having similar gamebreaking ability to Alvin Kamara. Also, if Williams takes time to round back into form, a duo of Cook—particularly on early downs and as a receiver—and Samaje Perine—particularly on third downs where he’s a superior option in pass protection—would be excellent.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams appear to be in an odd spot this season after a revamp that included parting ways with Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, and Bobby Wagner on defense. But if they want to try to compete and try to win shootouts, Cook could be a very strong fit in Sean McVay’s offense. We know it’s been an up-and-down relationship between the Rams and running back Cam Akers, and LA might be a team that can promise Cook the biggest role on offense.
Chicago Bears
It should be stated that I am personally high on Khalil Herbert as a potential RB1 option for Chicago, and Roschon Johnson and D’Onta Foreman are already at least great depth behind him. It wouldn’t be crazy to see the Bears wanting to continue adding around Justin Fields by signing Cook, though. Cook and the Bears have had some intense battles throughout the years, but this wouldn’t be the first time we see former division rivals join forces after being released by another team in the division.
Wildcards
These teams probably won’t be in on Cook, but they could make for intriguing fits as surprise landing spots.
San Francisco 49ers: Elijah Mitchell’s durability remains a concern for San Francisco. While Jordan Mason impressed as a rookie, and the Niners have 2022 third-rounder Tyrion Davis-Price, Kyle Shanahan wants to run the ball enough that he might like the idea of supreme depth at running back headlined by a Christian McCaffrey-Dalvin Cook combination if the price is low enough.
Buffalo Bills: Dalvin’s brother James is entering his second year with Buffalo, so the Bills must be kept in mind if they want to play together. This might be the best fit if the Bills didn’t already add Damien Harris (and even Latavius Murray) this offseason.
Kansas City Chiefs: I like Isiah Pacheco, and the Chiefs obviously do too. But players would love the opportunity to play with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, so maybe KC shouldn’t be counted out completely if it’s a cheap one-year deal.
Dallas Cowboys: Tony Pollard is going to lead the Cowboys backfield in 2023, but—not to discount Ronald Jones and rookie Deuce Vaughn—Cook could help handle some of the load as another electric option.