Patriots Games: Is Dalvin Cook Endorsing Foxboro Future?

A surprising presence on the NFL's free agent list, Dalvin Cook appears to be at least somewhat intrigued about teaming up with Rhamondre Stevenson and the New England Patriots.

Could the New England Patriots be cooking up late offseason delicacy?

A rare dead period on the NFL calendar will be kept lively by the continued unemployment of both Dalvin Cook and DeAndre Hopkins. Little more needs to be said about the Patriots' interest in Hopkins but another visitor has expressed indirect, yet visible, interest in a Foxborough future.

Cook has been active on Twitter since the Minnesota Vikings bid him farewell two weeks ago. The running back himself has been relatively quiet but has actively retweeted those supporting his mini-comeback trail. One of those doing so is former NFL front office prescience Michael Lombardi, who addressed Cook's future in an interview on "The Pat McAfee Show" this week. The clip in question was in fact retweeted by Cook's account, suggesting he's on board with the concept.

Quizzed by McAfee about his ties to both New England and head coach Bill Belichick, Lombardi lauded the idea of pairing the Patriots with Cook ... even suggesting that going after the rusher would make more sense than trying to catch Hopkins. The prescience of first-time four-digit rusher Rhamondre Stevenson would only sweeten such a deal.

"I believe that Dalvin Cook would be a good fit for the Patriots and they need another back"@mlombardiNFL #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/W1bE4EaLUN

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 23, 2023

"I actually believe that Dalvin Cook would be a better fit than Hopkins for them," Lombardi said. "Stevenson's a great player, there's no question. But without Stevenson, if he goes down, it's Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris. They need another back back there." 

Lombardi, the wearer of two Super Bowl rings (as a scout in San Francisco and as an assistant to Belichick in New England), says that Cook can fill the Patriots' playmaking needs in multiple areas: since Cook's professional entry in 2017, he ranks sixth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage at 7,787.

Though the Patriots seem to hold one of the most potential-packed young players in Stevenson, the depth behind him would be cause for major panic amidst his potential departure: to Lombardi's point, the top spell option is possibly Ty Montgomery, who has had 58 touches over the last three seasons (including five in a single appearance with New England last year). Harris and Strong united for 152 yards on 28 carries after arriving on the 2022 draft's final day.

"Cook is one of those really good change-of-pace (guys), catch a screen, go a long way," Lombardi said. "I think he'll make a huge difference for the Patriots' offense with Stevenson."

Cook certainly appears to be making his round across the AFC East: his brother James plays for the Buffalo Bills, he retweeted another video that depicted ESPN personalities talking about his fit with the New York Jets, and he lauded the outside zone offense of the Miami Dolphins during an appearance on SiriusXM. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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