Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook’s future in Minnesota is very unclear. Could the talented RB find himself on a new team in 2023? It’s very possible, and his GM, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been non-committal on the 2017 second round pick out of Florida State.
He was drafted by the previous regime, and Adofo-Mensah, who is in his second year as the Vikings’ GM, has done some work clearing the books of some of these veteran players who the previous regime had brought in.
Dalvin Cook might be the next casualty there.
Asked if Dalvin Cook will be on the roster this season, Adofo-Mensah didn't say yes. "Conversations are always ongoing with him. We're trying to be solutions-oriented and always try to put the roster together within our constraints." Cook's 2023 cap number is $14.1m.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) April 13, 2023
This quote from the young GM is anything but a commitment towards Dalvin Cook.
His 4.4 yards per carry this year was the lowest of his career and he has seen his YPC average drop every year since 2020, but I don’t think the veteran running back is out of gas.
He did play in and start all 17 games this year, which was a career-high for him, but his $14.1 million cap hit in 2023 is obviously not something that is going to stay on the Vikings’ books, especially for a 28 year old running back.
The team did re-sign Alexander Mattison to a two year deal, so that indicates to me at least that they are preparing for Cook to not be on the team come 2023. Bleacher Report also included this nugget in their article regarding Cook:
"ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on March 12 that “multiple teams believe” the Vikings have had trade talks surrounding Cook. The Miami Dolphins were reportedly monitoring the situation, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald."
I do think there is a market for Cook for a team that is ready to compete for a Super Bowl. Another team besides the Dolphins that make sense for the Pro Bowl running back is the Denver Broncos. Broncos’ GM George Paton was in the Vikings’ front office when Cook was drafted and they aren’t entirely sure if Javonte Williams will be healthy for the start of the 2023 season.
We’ll see what happens in time, but the Dalvin Cook era in Minnesota could be coming to an end.