Fingers crossed. Cook would immediately become my favorite player on the team, even though it would be a short commitment.
Good googly moogly. If we got him, our running back room would be as dynamic as our wide receivers room. It'd all come down to how the right side of our OL performs.
I don't buy it anymore. They re-signed all four of their running backs from last year and drafted one.
Ahmed and Gaskin are insurance policies who wouldn't see the field except in the event of a disaster anyways, so I wouldn't put much stock into them being brought back. They're 4th and 5th on the depth chart as it is. I imagine that both Wilson and Mostert were resigned when the team thought that the price was too high on Cook in March. But as April has passed into May, and eventually into June, the price to both trade for him and/or pay him in salary is likely dropping too, given that no one else has jumped ahead of them to do it. Once the Byron Jones money is freed up on June 1, if Cook is still a Viking, then I think the idea is still alive and plausible.
I’m pretty sure Cook knows a pay cut is in his future; he’s already said that he wants to play here, so I’d bet $6-7 million gets it done.
I thought the same thing but, something occurred to me… We re-sign them, they’re ours, could we not trade them for some draft capital to turn around and trade for Cook? Just thinking out loud.
You might be able to trade Mosert or JWJ, although, I doubt you get much for them unless some team has an injury and needs to sure up their running back room. Both are older RBs which could have been signed by other teams this past off season if the demand was higher. Both Ahmed and Gaskin are on one year deals and could easily be cut to make room for Cook without much of a cap impact.
If he’s NOT signed by the Dolphins the day he’s released, it’s not going to happen. There are quite a few teams that would jump on the chance to sign him.
I wonder if it should. There are a bunch of pundits who consider Achane to be a potential offensive ROY. We've got skill leaking out of our pores. If we sign Cook, Achane becomes just another developmental player. Think this year's Eric Ezukanma and Channing Tindall.
That's what I'm hoping that he is. I really don't see him as ever developing into a main RB, but more of a situational, big play type. And I want that primary back, even if its only for two years, with Cook.
Players send messages through social media on a regular basis. Teams might send some, too. At some point in the not-too-distant past, the Vikings made a change to the collection of players shown on the header of their Twitter page. Previously, the images consisted of running back Dalvin Cook, receiver Justin Jefferson, tight end T.J. Hockenson, and quarterback Kirk Cousins. Gone is Cook, and running back Alexander Mattison in his place. It’s unclear when the adjustment occurred. One source who is paying close attention to the broader dynamics estimates that it happened two weeks ago. Another source suggested that the timing matches with last week’s schedule release. Regardless, the change has been made. And it has been noticed. For those who have been paying close attention to Cook’s status, it’s not a surprise. Watch the relevant portion of last week’s #PFTPM interview with coach Kevin O’Connell, in the attached video. At times, he seemed to be speaking of Cook in the past tense. So, yes, it seems more like when than if for a change to be made. The only open question seems to be whether they can work out a trade, or whether he will be released.
Read the following blurb the other day on a fantasy site I frequent. It seems to suggest when not if Cook is traded... ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports there's "not a clear-cut avenue for [Dalvin Cook] to be traded, at least at the moment." Fowler has been told that the Vikings want to "do right by Dalvin Cook" and want him to "go to a place where he can play and be happy." The Dolphins reportedly aren't as interested in Cook now that they have drafted Devon Achane and re-signed a couple of their running backs. The Vikings appear to be willing to move on from Cook but the right opportunity for Cook, per Fowler, has not "shaken out yet." Cook's status will continue to make this backfield hard to read heading into the deep offseason. Source: ESPN May 14, 2023, 1:20 PM ET
I agree it was likely something along those lines. We'll see what kind of offers he gets once he gets free. If he signs somewhere else really cheap, it's not only going to hurt now, but I'll remember it for years.
What is it that you think is going to hold Achane back? He has already put on almost 5 pounds of muscle from his combine weight as he isn't maintaining a track body any more. Going to be interesting to see what he weighs in at for training camp. He ran with good power for his size and is getting bigger. I am presuming your objection was sized based as every other aspect of his game seems elite to me. Cannot believe he was there in the 3rd.
He's still really small, no matter what. On a roster that already has some of the lightest RBs in the league. Even at 190, Achane would still be 25-40 lbs lighter than most of the guys who typically carry the load for teams. That's a huge deal. Achane is 20-25 lbs lighter than even a slight RB like Alvin Kamara, Cam Akers or Tony Pollard. Maybe he can develop into a kind of Tyreek Hill at RB, and that would be useful. But he's not going to be a guy we hand the ball off to 20 times a game week after week, ever, most likely. Probably not someone that we hand it off 10 times a week to, even after Mostert and Wilson are gone.
He's heavier than Warrick Dunn was at the age he is now. Dunn is the back that he most looks like. It's uncanny when you compare their bodies and run style. I don't see the Hill comparison. Dunn rushed more than any of the backs you named, had a 12 year carrier with his heaviest load (286 rushes) coming at age 31. Cook is listed at 5' 10 210 pounds while Achane was 5' 9 192 pounds at rookie camp. So less than your 20 pounds difference now. But, still significantly lighter. You could be right though. I'm just not sure any back is going to get the touches you want from how the offense was run last year. Unless they're catching a lot of balls.
Sign Cook, trade Wilson, cut Gaskin. Use Achane as a third down/pass catcher/change of pace back. Immediately upgrades the RB room and gives us a big play threat no matter which TB is on the field. Plus, we keep Cook away from the Jets and Bills. Just a thought
Well if we complete the package by drafting a Mike Alstott clone next year, I'll be a very happy man.
