Where are the Vikings at with Dalvin Cook?
When the season ended, it appeared that Dalvin Cook's days with the Vikings were numbered.
Cook is entering his age-28 season and set for a $14.1 million cap hit in 2023. Although he ran for over 1,100 yards for the fourth straight season – a feat in Vikings history only accomplished by Adrian Peterson – his efficiency waned and several moves indicated his departure.
But as we sit here on June 3, Cook is still on the roster and there appears to be no resolution in sight to this drama that has dragged out for six months.
It starts back in February when Cook opted to get surgery for a shoulder injury suffered in 2019. While he played through the injury, Cook's agent Zac Hiller suggested that it hampered his client's ability despite racking up 3,889 yards over the past three seasons.
"[Cook] has been purposely turning certain ways and thinking about the fact he's about to get hit and trying not to land on it," Hiller said on the ˆCaps Off Podcast. "So now this is going to be the first time in a while that he has both his shoulders and that's what we're looking forward to the most."
While Cook's surgery seems like routine maintenance, it also came ahead of a $2 million injury guarantee in his contract. This threw a wrench in any idea to trade Cook as he wouldn't be able to pass a physical until his shoulder had healed.
This is where things got messy. The Vikings marched into free agency with Cook on the roster and still signed Alexander Mattison to a two-year, $7 million contract. Mattison has co-existed with Cook since he was drafted in 2020 but the two never formed a 1-2 punch likely because they had similar skill sets. Last season was especially telling as Mattison logged a career-low 74 carries while Cook handled the bell-cow role.
Another sign of Cook's departure came when the Vikings selected UAB running back DeWayne McBride in this year's draft. Most seventh-round don't get much hype but with teams trying to find younger and cheaper solutions at running back Vikings, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's comment that they had a starter's grade on McBride seemed to slam the door on Cook's return.
Then there was Kevin O'Connell's statement at this week's OTAs where he praised Mattison, 2021 fourth-round pick Kene Nwangwu and 2022 fifth-round pick Ty Chandler for taking advantage of their practice reps.
"I think this spring has been really good to see [Mattison] take a few more reps and show that three-down kind of ownership that he's been capable of for a long time," O'Connell said. "Between Kene and Ty, there seems to be a nice competition brewing there because both of those guys are having really solid springs and showing their versatility."
If you're counting at home, that's four running backs on the roster before taking Cook into the equation. It once again puts the Vikings options into the spotlight and each one has its pros and cons.
The Vikings could find a trade partner but that has proven to be difficult. With Cook's advanced age and the NFL's philosophy on running backs, teams haven't been willing to give up much – especially with the hype surrounding the 2024 draft class.
In a similar situation this offseason, the Vikings held onto Za'Darius Smith for five months until ultimately agreeing to a trade with the Cleveland Browns. The Vikings were able to shed Smith's contract and upgrade two draft picks in the deal but also had to give up draft capital and eat just over $4 million of Smith's 2023 salary as part of the trade.
Just like in the case of Smith, it takes only one team to agree to a deal, but looking around the league, it's hard to see a team not only acquiring a 28-year-old running back but paying him at a comparable salary to what he's making now.
According to KSTP's Darren Wolfson, that scenario could open the door for Cook to return to the Vikings.
"You look at the landscape of the league...like who really needs a running back?" Wolfson said while appearing on SKOR North's Minnesota Sports with Mackey and Judd on May 26. "You look at [Los Angeles Chargers running back] Austin Ekeler, he reworked his deal...to remain a Charger. Could something comparable happen where the possibility exists that Dalvin Cook is in purple...in 2023?"
But even if Cook agrees to a pay cut, he enters a massive log jam in the backfield. Furthermore, Cook would likely have to agree to a reduced role in addition to a reduced salary, which would make a return even weirder for everyone involved.
If the Vikings can't find a trade partner or have Cook agree to return on a reduced role and salary, the next best option would be to cut him – but even that is complicated.
Cutting Cook makes more sense today than it did three months ago as half of the dead money in all contracts roll over to 2024 as opposed to taking the entire hit in 2023. As a result, the Vikings would save $9 million off the cap by releasing Cook compared to just $5.8 million earlier in the offseason.
Taking money off the books seems like a smart move with lucrative extensions for Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson on the horizon but it's also a move the Vikings could have done months ago by designating the move as a post-June 1st cut.
It's also important to note the Vikings would save $11 million off the cap if they trade Cook, which creates one big giant circle when it comes to what the Vikings will do.
For what it's worth, ESPN's Kevin Siefert believes the cycle will end with Cook's departure.
"All that remains is for the Vikings to formalize Cook's exit," Siefert wrote in a Friday piece for ESPN.com. "A denouement that seems likely if not completely certain."
With the final week of OTAs approaching, the Vikings have a decision to make on Cook's future.
