As running back Dalvin Cook continues to look for a new team, he was asked yesterday about his separation from the only NFL team with which he has played.
Appearing Monday on Rich Eisen’s show, Cook made it clear that his release by the Vikings was not a surprise. It sounds as if Cook actually wanted it to happen.
“I kind of knew it was coming during the season, to be honest,” Cook told Eisen. “The relationship of the run and the pass wasn’t there all year. So it was like, you know, I want to go somewhere to get the ball, and they want to get the ball out a lot, so it was kind of something that was well needed for both of us, and I kind of knew it was coming during the season.”
Cook nevertheless said he has no hard feelings.
“I love those guys, like as far as like [coach Kevin O’Connell] and [G.M.] Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah] and all them people, like they are great human beings, but as far as what they’re trying to do, like, you know, I want to be in a different system, and do what I want to do.”
The natural response, as Eisen articulated, was clear. What system do you want to be in?
Cook said he is taking his time, and that “the market is the market right now for all the guys.” He acknowledged that his objectives are to “win and get the football.”
“And it’s not just about me getting the football,” Cook said, “it’s about me being put in a position to help the team win, each and every game.”
Of course, that’s what happened last year in Minnesota. He definitely helped put the Vikings in position to win several games — at Miami, at Washington, at Buffalo, and vs. the Colts, he played critical roles with big plays in each win.
But his rushing attempts were indeed down. He averaged 15.52 carries per game in 2022, and 17.82 total touches. The prior year, he had 19.15 carries per game, and 21.7 touches per game. His career high came in 2020, with 22.2 carries per game and 24.4 touches per game. And the pass-run split went from 58.4 percent in 2021 to 64.3 percent in 2022.
Given the current market, Cook had to know — as he said he did — that an eight-figure salary would not be in the cards with the Vikings in 2023. Given the current market, it won’t happen elsewhere, either.
At this stage of his career, there’s value in finding a balance between pay and workload, with the goal of extending his career by limiting the wear and tear.
That’s one of the hidden benefits of the current realities of the position. For players who share the load with other running backs, they can potentially play longer because they don’t get banged around as much. As Cook enters the seventh year of his career, he can maybe get to 10 and beyond, if he has reduced pay and reduced production in 2023, 2024, and so on.
Regardless, Cook has decided not to rush things in his search for a new team. It means the right situation has yet to emerge. At some point, he might just have to pick the best situation — unless and until a starter with a team not currently in the mix for a first-string option sees that player suffer an injury that will keep him out for most or all of the season.
That’s a very real possibility, given that the running back position puts so many players through so many car crashes. And with just one injury during training camp or the preseason, Cook’s entire prospects for 2023 could dramatically change.