Dalvin Cook remains uncut and untraded as the Minnesota Vikings continued on with organized team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday. But now, three new teams are linked as possibilities for the four-time Pro Bowl running back, according to new reports.
New AFC East Possibility Emerges for Dalvin Cook
Darren Wolfson of KSTP Minneapolis revealed new traction involving Cook and a potential suitor from the AFC East.
“A new team that I’ve heard that is definitely interested is the New York Jets,” Wolfson said during an appearance on Minnesota Sports with Mackey and Judd. “Now the Jets just canceled their mandatory minicamp. Next week, they start training camp early because of playing in that Hall of Fame game. They start training camp earlier than everyone else.”
Wolfson points out the state of the Jets’ backfield room as the reason why Cook to NYJ is trending.
“But, if you look at their running back position situation with Breece Hall, who we think will be back by Week 1, plus the Jets having enormous expectations right now with Aaron Rodgers, well … they could use an upgrade at the running back position.”
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Wolfson still believes the Vikings can exhaust all trade options until the November trade deadline to make a deal to send off Cook.
“They were able to trade Za’Darius Smith. Why not trade Dalvin Cook?” Wolfson asked. “And I get it — the number is high. So Dalvin is going to have to take a pay cut. I just have a hard time with anybody paying Dalvin that number. But at some point, doesn’t Dalvin come to that realization that ‘OK, I need to take some sort of cut,’ and just get on my way to New York or Miami … maybe Buffalo, maybe Dallas and just move on with this thing?”
Are the Cowboys Kicking the Tires on Cook?
Wolfson included that he also heard the Dallas Cowboys are “kicking the tires” on the running back star — with a blockbuster trade as the emphasis.
The Dallas news comes after owner/general manager Jerry Jones addressed free agent running back Ezekiel Elliott and his possibility of returning to the Cowboys.
“I never shut the door, never relative to the potential to smartly add to our team for this year,” Jones said to reporters Monday. “So you name it — whether it be Zeke, whether it be where we are with, like, the guys we worked out here today. So it’s all wide open for me.”
Back on May 17, however, a league source told Sports Illustrated that there was “no deal” made involving a possible trade between Dallas and Minnesota involving Cook.
Mile High a Possible Destination?
Lastly, Cook’s name was linked to the Denver Broncos.
Insider Mike Klis of 9News Denver responded to the idea in a mailbag session on Monday.
“As to whether the Broncos pick up a bona fide RB like, say, Dalvin Cook, as so many have speculated, that’s not what I’m hearing,” Klis said.
Klis doesn’t believe the Broncos would trade for Cook unless there’s a restructured contract agreement.
“Cook is due to make $11 million in cash this year with a cap hit of $14.01 million. The Broncos, after leading the NFL in free agent spending this spring, only have $11.7 million in salary cap space,” Klis unveiled.
Another setback if the Broncos were to pursue Cook: Denver may not have enough available draft picks to persuade a trade.
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“The Broncos have also traded away too many draft picks over the past two years, and they don’t have a second-round pick next year (Sean Payton trade), so there doesn’t appear to be enough draft capital to satisfy the Vikings,” Klis said.
Klis points to Cook being released as the safest bet for Denver to make a run. He adds that Broncos GM George Paton does share a Vikings connection with Cook, as he was assistant GM and the vice president of player personnel during the time the Vikes drafted the Florida State standout.
“But again, I have not heard that the Broncos will definitively be in on Cook if he’s let go,” Klis said.