Cleveland Browns Named Top Potential Suitor For 4-Time Pro Bowl Playmaker

Could the Cleveland Browns add this four-time Pro Bowl playmaker before the start of the regular season?

Sep 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets running back Dalvin Cook (33) carries the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns trimmed their roster down to 53 players on Tuesday, and perhaps the most surprising move by the Browns was to keep only two running backs: Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr.

For that reason, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox has named Cleveland a top potential suitor for four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook.

Before we get to Cook, it should be noted that Nick Chubb and Nyheim Hines will be starting the season on the sideline, with Chubb on the PUP list and Hines on the non-football injury list. Both players will miss the first four games of the year.

So, it's not like the Browns are planning to roll with two halfbacks all season. They technically have four; two of them just do not count against the 53-man roster at the moment.

But Cleveland did release D'Onta Foreman, which came as jarring news to some.

In the meantime, it would absolutely make sense for the Browns to pick up another running back to add some insurance, which is why Cook's name has surfaced as a possible candidate.

Cook did not exactly have a memorable year in 2023, as he played in 15 games for the New York Jets and carried the ball just 67 times for 214 yards before being released. He joined the Baltimore Ravens for the remainder of the year and played in one playoff game.

Now, the veteran remains a free agent, but someone should at least give him a chance for 2024.

After all, Cook made four straight trips to the Pro Bowl between 2019 and 2022, racking up over 1,100 rushing yards each season. He topped out at 1,557 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground in 2020.

The 29-year-old is also a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield.

Is Cook the same threat he was several years ago? No, but he may have enough left in the tank to be a part of a committee running back room, and that is currently what the Browns are employing.

We'll see if Cleveland takes a chance on Cook before Week 1.