Could Jets and Dolphins be embarking on a bidding war for Dalvin Cook?
Dalvin Cook seemingly views his status as an NFL free agent similar to how he felt about his college recruiting process, before he signed with Florida State.
The tailback who rushed for more than 1,100 yards the past four seasons, admittedly likes the attention, and wants to feel the love from various fanbases like the Miami Dolphins, which are reportedly among a handful of teams who have made an offer to the six-year veteran.
"The process is fun,” Cook told Minneapolis television station Fox 9. “You embrace it. If you don’t want to be wanted by people then something is wrong.
What's Cook's timeline?
Cook, who is rehabilitating a surgically repaired shoulder he played with last season while rushing for 1,173 yards on 264 carries and scored 10 touchdowns, has made it clear he’s in no rush to pick his next team.
That partly has something to do with the fact there isn’t an offer blowing him and his camp away.
The three teams that are clearly in the bidding are the Dolphins, New York Jets and New England Patriots, three of the four teams battling for AFC East supremacy.
It’s possible that the Buffalo Bills aren't vying for his services because James Cook, Dalvin’s younger brother, is competing for Buffalo’s starting tailback job, and Dalvin wants to give his sibling a chance to shine.
“When it comes down to it, I’m going to make the right decision because I’ve been doing it my whole life,” Cook said.
Is a return to Minnesota possible?
According to former NFL quarterback and New York radio host Boomer Esiason, one team that could be a contender for Cook is the franchise that released him back in June in a move designed to create cap space.
During a recent WFAN show, which is simulcasted on CBS Sports Network, Esiason stated that Cook has a standing offer of $7 million on the table from the Minnesota Vikings.
“Dalvin Cook has a $7 million a year contract from the Minnesota Vikings. I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but he hasn’t accepted it. And I don’t think he really wants to go back there. I think that he really wants to play for the Miami Dolphins and I believe that Drew Rosenhaus is trying to play the Dolphins off the Jets, just like they did with Tyreek Hill,” Esaison said.
There is one major problem with Esiason’s information. Cook isn’t represented by Rosenhaus, a South Florida based agent. He’s represented by Zac Hiller, CEO of Loyalty Above All Sports and Entertainment Agency.
“Just to get the money up you get these agents are trying to do the best they can for their clients,” Esiason continued, clearly speaking in generalities. “I do believe that the Jets would love to have Dalvin Cook, but they are not going to get into a bidding war with the Miami Dolphins.”
I generally don’t get into the source speculation business because that’s tacky, but let’s assume that Esiason is getting his information from the Jets organization, which has a notoriously loose lipped regime. Seeing as how Esiason had Cook’s agent wrong, it’s a pretty safe guess that his intel isn’t coming from Cook’s camp.
But the information could be coming from what Cook’s camp is telling the Jets, and their media entities.
Could a $7 million standing offer from the Vikings be posturing? It could. But there could also be plenty of merit to it since back in June I heard from a reliable source that Cook returning to Minnesota, after his release, hadn't being ruled out.
“Minnesota holds a special place in my heart. The people. The city. Everybody,” Cook told Fox 9. “The way they embraced me and my family the past six years, I can’t thank them enough.”
What's Cook looking for?
According to Cook, he wanted to feel wanted by his suitors, and his desire is to remain an offense’s focal point. He'd also prefer to join a franchise that utilizes a wide zone running scheme.
The Dolphins and the Jets both utilize that scheme.
“I just want to have fun, win and turn it loose,” Cook said, pointing out his goal is to Florida State days of winning, and competing at the highest level.
The Dolphins, which added cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Cook’s teammate at Florida State, this offseason, and Jets, which recently acquired future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, could potentially provide Cook a chance to compete for a Super Bowl in 2023.
Like Esiason points out, the Dolphins have an advantage in a bidding war because they happen to be the team Cook grew up rooting for as a South Florida native, and Florida doesn’t have a state income tax, which provides NFL players a substantial savings annually.
The Dolphins have $13.5 million in cap space to work with when it comes to signing Cook, and any other free agents. But Miami has also prioritized signing a couple of the team’s own impending free agents to multi-year deals.
The Jets have $22.6 million in cap space available, but must re-work Rodger’s contract, which was altered earlier this spring to facilitate his trade from Green Bay to New York.
Because Rodgers pushed his $58.3 million salary to the 2024 season, he’s presently scheduled to earn just $1.2 million for the 2023 season. But his salary in 2024 is $108.7 million, which would put the Jets $51 million over the projected cap in 2024.
The Jets brass has prioritized getting a new deal ironed out for Rodgers before the season starts, which means they might have to get creative to leave room for Cook if locking up the four time Pro Bowl selection is a priority.
Cook, who rushed for 1,173 yards on 264 carries and scored 10 touchdowns last season, doesn’t seem to be in a rush either way.
“Situations get tough,” Cook said. “But I’m tougher.”
