Dalvin Cook Next Move: Sign with Patriots - Or Suspended by NFL?

The Patriots are a finalist for the services of Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook? It seems so. But the possibility that Cook spends part of the 2023 season under NFL suspension complicates matters.

The New England Patriots are a finalist - along with two rivals from the AFC East - for the services of Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, who remains a free agent as NFL teams begin training camp. But also in play here: The possibility that Cook spends part of the 2023 season under league suspension.

First to the football: Who else is in the mix, according to a FOX Sports report? The other two finalists are apparently the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets.

The Dolphins have been in play from the start; the former Minnesota Vikings standout, cut as a cap casualty, is a Miami native. The Jets are of course trying to load up on talent to support an Aaron Rodgers-led run to the playoffs.

And the Patriots? New England is supposedly shuffling money around in preparation of making a deal happen with Cook, who we've been told is seeking to make at least $10 million per year - the number range the Vikings thought to be too pricy.

Why isn't there a bigger market and why aren't there more bidders? This era of "the devaluation of the running back'' is a factor; the Giants' Saquon Barkley and the Raiders' Josh Jacobs still haven't signed their $10 million tags in protest of that movement. 

But something else might be in play here. There is a lawsuit looming involving Cook's ex-girlfriend, and it is nasty business. She alleges that he assaulted her and caused severe injuries. ... and that he offered her $1 million in "hush money.'' Cook, meanwhile, is counter-suing.

Those issues logically complicate the "simple'' matter of which teams are in the Dalvin chase - especially if the Patriots and the rest now must weigh the possibility of the NFL eventually opting to punish Cook with a suspension.

Follow Patriots Country on Twitter and Facebook

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Patriots? Click Here

More Patriots coverage from Sports Illustrated here.