Cowboys' 'No Deal' on Trade for Dalvin Cook - Source; Will Vikings Cut Star RB?

A source offers the Cowboys' response for the idea of trading "as is'' for Vikings running back Dalvin Cook.

FRISCO - The Minnesota Vikings are not doing a very good job of hiding their "open secret'' about expensive star running back Dalvin Cook, this week "scrubbing'' him from their promotional Twitter banner. Can they reduce his $11 million salary and retain him? Would they really cut him? Can they trade him?

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer mentions this week that "The Vikings have come close to trading him, going deep into talks ... a couple of months back.'' Speculation - and lots of it, including in DFW, where the local newspaper suggested the Dallas Cowboys' acquisition of Cook to pair with Tony Pollard "would be nice'' - is everywhere.

But CowboysSI.com can report this: While there would be obvious interest in a star runner who seems still in his prime at a grandly reduced rate, a league source tells us that Dallas' response to any and all trade concepts from the Vikings would be "no deal.''

The Vikings' very obvious move so far is that aforementioned Twitter look, as on their banner, Cook has been replaced by his long-time backup Alexander Mattison. Mattison, by the way, just signed a team-friendly two-year deal fully guaranteed at a total of $6 million. That can be taken as a sign of the Vikings' view of their running back future.

.@Vikings Twitter banner casually replacing Dalvin Cook with Alexander Mattison pic.twitter.com/gX0OOXdNGZ

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) May 16, 2023

Cook presently has a cap hit of just north of $14 million in 2023. Moving him at present in a trade would almost certainly have to come with an agreement from the player to alter his salary - something he has reportedly declined to do with Minnesota. Logically, he would therefore be reluctant to do it anywhere else.

The Cowboys are counting on Tony Pollard (at a pricy $10 million) to be their No. 1 running back. There is no one on the roster who is likely to push him, and it can be argued there is no one on the roster who could even be counted on (yet) to share the load. Dalvin Cook would be a terrific way to solve that. But you know when the Cowboys will consider the idea to be truly "nice''? 

When Cook either volunteers to cut down his contract or when the Vikings follow through with cutting Cook.

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