Dalvin Cook

Dalvin Cook Absent From Vikings’ Offseason Program; RB Still On Dolphins’ Radar?

April 18th, 2023 at 10:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

Monday marked the beginning of Minnesota’s offseason program, but that minor calendar checkpoint did nothing to provide clarity on the future of one of their top offensive performers. Running back Dalvin Cook is in good health, but he is not currently with the team.

Cook has elected to remain in Florida rather than take part in voluntary workouts with the Vikings, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. His decision is based on a desire to continue rehabbing his shoulder, on which he underwent surgery earlier this offseason. The recovery timetable led to the expectation that Cook would be available for the start of the 2023 season, but also that he would be sidelined for much of the spring and summer.

The four-time Pro Bowler’s absence is notable for another reason, of course. His future with the team remains in doubt, dating back to the lack of a guarantee issued by GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah that he would remain in Minnesota through the duration of his contract. That pact calls for $11MM in 2023 compensation, only $2MM which has currently been paid. The Vikings could continue with their tandem of Cook and the recently re-signed Alexander Mattison, but doing so may require the former to play at a reduced rate.

Cook was mentioned in trade rumors in the build-up to free agency, showing the Vikings’ potential willingness to move on from the 27-year-old. Cook has rushed for at least 1,135 yards in each of the past four seasons, which would point to at least a modest trade market emerging. His age, cost and position, however, are all factors which would work against Minnesota in getting fair value in return and Cook being able to remain one of the highest-paid backs in the league with a new team.

The Dolphins were named as a suitor for the Miami native with respect to a potential trade. In the event he ends up being released, they could once again be a landing spot for the former second-rounder. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins will at least “inquire” about Cook if he becomes a free agent, adding that a mutual interest would likely exist on a deal bringing him to Miami.

The Dolphins have been active in the backfield so far this offseason, but not through any outside additions. Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin have all signed new deals to remain in South Beach. As Jackson notes, however, none of their contracts are sufficiently burdensome to prevent a veteran addition like Cook or the use of a draft pick on a running back. How the Vikings choose to handle Cook in the lead-in to the draft, meanwhile, could go a long way in determining his future.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah On RB Situation, Za’Darius Smith

April 16th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Parks

The Vikings made a strong contractual commitment to longtime backup running back Alexander Mattison when the new league year opened in March, just days after reports surfaced indicating that the team was considering trading RB1 Dalvin Cook. When asked if he would have signed Mattison to a two-year, $7MM deal ($6.35M guaranteed) if he knew Cook would still be on the roster, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said that the two players can continue to co-exist, just as they have done for the past four years.

“I think in theory they could exist, of course,” Adofo-Mensah said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “Different style of backs. Again, we talk about the systems we’re trying to play. Together, they’re different style of backs. They could fit complementary together, for sure.”

Nonetheless, Adofo-Mensah appeared to suggest that, even if Cook is back with Minnesota in 2023, it would not be on his current deal, which will pay him $10.4MM in 2023.

“Conversations are always ongoing with [Cook],” the GM said. “We’re trying to be solutions-oriented, always trying to put the roster together within our constraints.”

Of Cook’s $10.4MM payout, only $2MM is guaranteed as of the time of this writing. That amount became guaranteed on March 17, since Cook was still a member of the club on that date. As Florio posits, however, the team really had no way to avoid that obligation; it was already guaranteed for injury, and Cook was unlikely to pass a physical due to a lingering shoulder ailment.

As such, the fact that Cook remains on the club post-March 17 does not shed much light on his future in Minnesota, and Florio believes a trade or release is still a strong possibility. After all, the remainder of Cook’s 2023 salary does not become guaranteed until the start of the regular season. The Dolphins may no longer be interested in Cook after re-signing Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, but other RB-needy clubs will doubtlessly be tempted by the four-time Pro Bowler, especially if those clubs are unable to land a quality back in the draft.

On a related note, Adofo-Mensah said that conversations are also ongoing with LB Za’Darius Smith (Twitter link via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). Smith requested his release last month, though it was reported at the time that the club had no intention of obliging. The edge rusher is under contract through 2024, and Seifert suggests that Smith, like Cook, could be a trade asset.

Dolphins Inquired On Vikings’ Dalvin Cook

March 31st, 2023 at 10:33am CST by Sam Robinson

Mike McDaniel coached both Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson in San Francisco and Miami, and the second-year Dolphins HC opted to bring back both veterans to ensure continuity. The re-signings, however, came after the Dolphins discussed what would have been a splashier addition.

The Dolphins reached out to the Vikings on Dalvin Cook, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Uncertainty swirled about the Miami native’s Minnesota future earlier this month, and the Vikings re-signed longtime backup Alexander Mattison to a deal worth more than what the Dolphins gave their returning backs.

Mattison stayed in Minnesota on what turned out to be a nice contract, considering where this running back market went. The Vikes gave their four-year backup a two-year, $7MM accord that features $6.35MM fully guaranteed. In terms of full guarantees, only Miles Sanders, David Montgomery and Jamaal Williams topped Mattison this offseason. Mattison was previously rumored to not be in Minnesota’s post-2022 plans. His second Vikings contract invites more speculation about the team’s intentions with Cook.

At the Combine, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stopped short of guaranteeing Cook would be back for a seventh season. That put the Pro Bowl talent, who is tied to a $12.6MM-per-year contract, on ground similar to Joe Mixon; the Bengals are not yet certain to trot out Cook’s draft-class peer for a seventh season. Multiple teams believed the Vikings entertained the prospect of a Cook trade just before free agency. The Dolphins look to be one of them.

Miami brought back Wilson — a 2022 trade acquisition — on a two-year, $6MM deal that includes $2.6MM guaranteed and kept Mostert for two years and $5.8MM ($2.2MM guaranteed). This will be a more economical backfield path for the Dolphins, who also re-signed third-stringer Myles Gaskin, though Cook obviously offers a higher ceiling. The Dolphins have made big-ticket additions since McDaniel arrived, trading for Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb and Jalen Ramsey. A Cook move would have been in step with these acquisitions, but the contracts the Dolphins gave the standout talents have crowded their payroll a bit.

Cook, 27, has topped 1,100 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons; he exceeded 1,450 scrimmage yards in each of those slates as well. Only Derrick Henry‘s 6,914 scrimmage yards tops Cook’s total (6,423) since 2019. Cook has reached these heights despite nagging injuries — most notably a broken shoulder that led to surgery earlier this offseason — that kept him off the field for eight games from 2019-21. In 2022, however, Cook did not miss a game. He did average a career-low 4.4 yards per carry, on the second-most totes of his career (264), but was obviously instrumental in the Vikes’ runaway NFC North championship.

A Cook transaction before the draft will be worth monitoring, and a move once he recovers from his shoulder surgery later in the offseason will as well. However, Austin Ekeler — who requested a trade due to his below-market Chargers contract — is not believed to have generated too much interest. The Vikings have Cook on a $10.4MM base salary this season. The Dolphins will have Wilson and Mostert rostered at barely $2MM combined.

Vikings To Re-Sign RB Alexander Mattison

March 15th, 2023 at 8:02pm CST by Ben Levine

The first few days of free agency have seen a number of running backs switch teams, but one free agent is staying put. Alexander Mattison is re-signing with the Vikings, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).

Mattison is inking a new two-year deal with Minnesota, per Pelissero. The new contract is worth $7MM and can hit $8MM via incentives. The deal includes $6.35MM in guaranteed money.

The 2019 third-round pick has established himself as one of the NFL’s top backup running backs, but considering the presence of Dalvin Cook, it was uncertain if Mattison would stick around Minnesota. Last offseason, there were reports that the Vikings were open to moving the backup RB, and that same report hinted that Mattison would be open to a move that offered more playing time.

The Vikings ended up holding on to their running back depth for the 2022 campaign, and it was a surprise when they got 17 games from the oft-injured Cook. As a result, Mattison was limited to a career-low 374 yards from scrimmage, although he did contribute a career-high six rushing touchdowns.

Mattison proved his value in previous seasons, topping 500 yards from scrimmage each season between 2019 and 2021. The 24-year-old has also compiled 693 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns in his six career starts, showing that he’s more than capable of replacing a player of Cook’s caliber in the lineup.

Recent reports indicated that the Vikings could be shopping Cook, who is under club control through 2025 thanks to the five-year, $63MM extension he signed in September 2020. Mattison’s new deal certainly isn’t unreasonable for a high-caliber backup, but you’ve got to wonder if the Vikings will be willing to commit all that money to the RB position.

Vikings Considering Dalvin Cook Trade?

March 12th, 2023 at 11:17am CST by Rory Parks

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah recently stopped short of guaranteeing that RB Dalvin Cook would be back with the team in 2023, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com says multiple clubs believe Minnesota has entertained trade discussions on the four-time Pro Bowler (subscription required).

Cook, 27, is under club control through 2025 thanks to the five-year, $63MM extension he signed in September 2020. That accord makes him the fourth-highest-paid RB in the league in terms of AAV, but his production has justified the splurge on a generally devalued position. Over the past four seasons, which all culminated in Pro Bowl acclaim, the Florida State product has averaged 1,256 rushing yards per year while maintaining a YPC rate over 4.6. He has also added roughly 350 receiving yards per season, and he amassed 30 total touchdowns across the 2019-20 campaigns.

On the other hand, the Vikings are in a difficult salary cap situation despite the recent cuts of Cameron Dantzler, Adam Thielen, and Eric Kendricks, and trading Cook would result in a cap savings of nearly $8MM (though it would also come with a dead cap charge of over $6MM). Plus, Cook’s YPC dropped to 4.4 in 2022, which is a solid mark but which nonetheless represents the lowest single-season average of his career. He did suit up for all 18 of Minnesota’s games in 2022 — the first time he ever enjoyed perfect attendance — though he typically misses at least some time due to injury and could be sidelined for much, if not all, of the offseason program and training camp due to shoulder surgery.

Longtime Cook backup, Alexander Mattison, is eligible for free agency for the first time in his career. As Fowler notes, Mattison is in line for a role as a full-time starter somewhere, and that might just be in Minnesota. The 2019 third-rounder would doubtlessly be much less expensive than Cook, but he has shown promise as an understudy and is obviously already familiar with the team’s offense. Fowler reports that the Vikes are indeed attempting to re-sign Mattison.

Cook is the second high-profile, well-compensated back whose name has surfaced in recent trade rumors. Last week, we heard that the Titans were shopping Derrick Henry, though a subsequent report suggested otherwise.

RB Rumors: Mixon, Cook, Dolphins, Jaguars

March 1st, 2023 at 12:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Emphatically announcing that Tee Higgins was not available for a trade, Bengals VP of player personnel Duke Tobin was less declarative regarding Joe Mixon‘s future. The seventh-year running back, one of a few 2017 backfield draftees who entered the offseason with an uncertain place on his team’s roster, has a fairly manageable 2023 cap hit ($12.8MM). Mixon, 26, is still unlikely to be with the team too much longer, considering the payments that will need to be made to the offense’s other high-profile players. His deal runs through 2024.

“I’m not gonna predict the offseason because I don’t have the answers. In the words of the great Kevin Malone, ‘I don’t know,’” Tobin said, borrowing a line from one of The Office‘s accounting staffers, when asked about Mixon. “We’ll all see as the offseason goes what we’re able to get done and how the resources are spread around, but Joe’s been a vital part of our team, a successful part, a contributing part. My job is to try to keep as many of those pieces around as I can.”

The Bengals could save more than $7MM by releasing Mixon and just more than $10MM if he is designated as a post-June 1 cut. The team also has the likes of Jessie Bates, Vonn Bell and Germaine Pratt set to hit the market. The Bengals are near the top of the league in cap space, at over $35MM, and after being aggressive in adding outside talent from 2020-22, they plan to restore their offseason focus on attempting to retain their own players. Releasing Mixon would be a way to create more space, but the Bengals would then need help at running back. Backup Samaje Perine is set for free agency, though he could be retained cheaply if the Bengals decided to cut the cord on their longtime starter.

Here is the latest from the running back scene:

Both Mixon and Dalvin Cook signed extensions just before the 2020 season; Cook’s Vikings pact was for five years, however. Entering Year 3 of that contract, the Vikings are not certain to move forward with their Pro Bowl ball-carrier. While calling Cook a “great player, great leader,” Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert) joined Tobin in stopping short of guaranteeing the former second-round pick would be back. “In the NFL you have a lot of constraints, salary cap, different things, and we’re trying to figure out how we can operate in those things,” Adofo-Mensah said. The Vikings could save $9MM by designating Cook a post-June 1 cut; the team is currently $24MM over the cap. Cutting the four-time 1,100-yard rusher would obviously come with risk. Going into his age-28 season, Cook has been one of the NFL’s best backs in recent years. Though, he has battled injuries and recently underwent shoulder surgery. Longtime backup Alexander Mattison is also on the cusp of free agency.
The Dolphins want to keep at least one of their free agent backs — Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson — and NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe notes the team has discussed the prospect of re-signing both (Twitter links). The ex-49ers cogs fared well in Miami last season, and each should be affordable thanks to a flood of starter-level backs being set for free agency. Mostert, who will turn 31 next month, signed a one-year, $2.1MM Dolphins deal in 2022. Wilson, 27, re-signed with the 49ers on a one-year, $1.1MM accord — one the 49ers traded at the deadline.
Fellow former 49ers back JaMycal Hasty is staying in Florida, having re-signed with the Jaguars. The Jags gave their backup running back a two-year deal that can max out at $3.2MM, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. Hasty will return to spell starter Travis Etienne, who has two years remaining on his rookie contract.

NFC North Notes: Fields, Pack, Vikes, Lions

February 27th, 2023 at 7:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Going into the Combine, the Bears are leaning toward keeping Justin Fields in place at quarterback. They are viewed as likely to trade out of the No. 1 overall draft slot, and Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reinforces that the rebuilding team is leaning against exiting the first round with a quarterback. Fields finished a historically successful season as a running quarterback, but significant questions remain about his potential as a passer. The Bears will still meet with just about every top quarterback at the Combine, Jones adds, noting questions also exist about whether the team view this draft class as having a QB option head and shoulders above Fields. While the belief is Fields will have a shot at a third season in Chicago, questions will persist until the Bears trade the pick. Doing so would make them the first team to move out of the No. 1 spot since the Titans did so in 2016.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

Aaron Jones‘ Packers restructure will ensure he plays a seventh season in Green Bay — rare territory for modern Packers backs — and it will create considerable cap space for the team. Jones’ cap figure will drop from $20MM to $8.2MM, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Jones’ base salary will drop from $8.1MM to $1.1MM. Jones took a $5MM salary cut in exchange for a $8.5MM signing bonus, keeping him tied to the four-year, $48MM extension he inked before free agency in 2021. In 2024, the final year of Jones’ deal, Demovsky adds (via Twitter) his cap number will rise from $16MM to $17.7MM. The void years from Jones’ 2022 restructure remain on the contract.
Shifting to another 2017 running back draftee still on his second contract, Dalvin Cook will miss time this offseason because of shoulder surgery. The Pro Bowl Vikings back, whom Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes underwent surgery this month, played shoulder pain for the past three-plus seasons, initially injuring it in 2019. Cook, 27, suffered a broken shoulder in 2019 and missed time in 2019 and 2021 as a result; he played all 18 Vikings games last season but battled a shoulder dislocation he sustained in Week 3. This surgery will likely knock Cook out for much of the offseason, with the Vikings announcing he is expected to make a full recovery “by the start of the regular season.” Two years remain on Cook’s five-year, $63MM contract.
Dalvin Tomlinson‘s two-year Vikings pact was set to void last week, but the team bought more time on this front. The Vikes pushed Tomlinson’s void date to March 15 — Day 1 of the 2023 league year — according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This keeps $7.5MM from hitting Minnesota’s cap, though that amount will move onto the payroll if no extension is reached by March 15. If an extension occurs before that date, the Vikings will only be charged with $2.5MM in dead money, Yates tweets.
If Tomlinson does return, he will be a part of another 3-4 scheme. Minnesota had gone decades in a 4-3 alignment, but new DC Brian Flores confirmed (via the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson) the 3-4 look installed under previous leader Ed Donatell will remain in place. Although teams’ increased sub-package usage diminishes the importance of base sets, this is certainly notable given how long the Vikes were a 4-3 team prior to 2022, when their switch yielded disastrous results.
Shaun Dion Hamilton will move up from defensive assistant to the Lions‘ assistant linebackers coach, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes. Hamilton is just 27, being one of the Lions’ cuts last summer, but moved quickly into coaching. Rather than hit the workout circuit, the former Washington sixth-round draftee opted to enter coaching early.
The Packers‘ run of extensions last offseason included executive VP Russ Ball, Demovsky tweets. Green Bay quietly extended Matt LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst, and Ball — a veteran cap guru elevated during the same offseason Gutekunst took over as GM — remains a key part of the franchise’s equation. Ball, 63, has been a critical part of the Pack’s front office since 2008.

Vikings RB Dalvin Cook Dislocates Shoulder

October 1st, 2022 at 9:40pm CST by Ely Allen

OCTOBER 1: As noted (on Twitter) by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio on Sunday, Cook is expected to wear a brace, allowing him to suit up for tomorrow’s game. Pelissero tweets that the 27-year-old has since been taken off the injury report, which should clear him to handle a full workload against the Saints.

SEPTEMBER 25: The Vikings veteran running back Dalvin Cook suffered a familiar injury this week versus the Lions, dislocating his right shoulder, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Cook has long dealt with an unrepaired torn labrum that he’s been able to play through in the past. He wasn’t wearing a harness today, which led to the dislocation, but he should be okay to play next Sunday against the Saints with a harness.

Cook has made a habit of missing time each season, having not played for the entire regular season in any of his six years in the league, so the fact that he shouldn’t miss anything time due to the injury should be a relief for Minnesota. Despite routinely missing two to five games per year, since losing most of his rookie season to an ACL tear, Cook has been extremely productive with his time on the field, earning Pro Bowl appearances in each of the last three seasons.

Even if shoulder pain does force Cook to miss some time, or even just to take a smaller share of snaps, the Vikings have a reliable backup running back in Alexander Mattison. In three years with the Vikings, the 24-year-old has amassed rushing totals of 462, 434, and 491 yards. In addition to his consistency running the ball, Mattison has improved as a pass catcher each season. When Mattison was asked to start four games last year, the Boise State alumnus delivered for his team. As a starter last year, Mattison totaled 356 rushing yards for two touchdown and 19 receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown in those four games.

Cook should be fine to contribute next week and, if not, the Vikings will be completely comfortable trotting Mattison out there. Behind those two, Minnesota rosters kick returning ace Kene Nwangwu and rookie fifth-round pick Ty Chandler.

Vikings Extend QB Kirk Cousins Through 2023

March 13th, 2022 at 8:45pm CST by Ely Allen

New Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell wanted a chance to build an offense around quarterback Kirk Cousins. Well, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, he will get his chance as the Vikings will sign Cousins to a one-year, $35MM extension that will keep him in Minnesota through the 2023 NFL season.

The Vikings reportedly had been receiving calls on Cousins, but the new coaching staff and general manager are declaring their commitment to the veteran quarterback and gaining some much needed cap space in the process.

Cousins’ scheduled cap hit for 2022 was set to be the largest in NFL history at $45MM. The extension reduces his 2022 cap number to $31.42MM, granting Minnesota a little over $13.5MM in cap space. In addition, Cousins will see a raise, making $40MM this season and $30MM in 2023. The deal includes phantom, voidable years in 2024 & 2025 that allow them to reduce the cap hits in ’22 and ’23.

Say what you will about Cousins pay and performance, but after receiving two consecutive franchise tags in Washington, a three-year fully-guaranteed contract to join the Vikings, and two fully-guaranteed extensions to stay in Minnesota, Cousins has secured eight-straight seasons of guaranteed contracts.

There are expectations for Cousins to thrive under O’Connell. With offensive weapons like running backs Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn, and tight end Irv Smith Jr. all returning, the familiarity of personnel should make up for the new playbook. The bookends of the offensive line seem set with Christian Darrisaw showing promise after a delayed debut and Brian O’Neill making the Pro Bowl last year. There are some questions to be answered on the interior of the line, but the pieces, for the most part, are there.

The onus will now be on the coaching staff and front office to make offseason improvements to a defense that struggled mightily last year. The Vikings defense allowed the third-most yards in the league and the ninth-most points. If the new leaders in Minnesota can turn around that unit, look for Minnesota to make a play for a playoff spot and potentially even challenge the perennial NFC North power from Green Bay for the division.

Latest On Vikings’ Cap Situation

March 9th, 2022 at 9:46pm CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings are looking to reset their cap, and their quarterback could end up being a casualty. According to Jason La Canfora (via Twitter), the Vikings are “eager to move big contracts,” and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they end up moving on from Kirk Cousins.

With the Vikings changing regimes, the status of their four-year starting quarterback has understandably come up. Cousins carries the NFL’s third-highest 2022 cap hit at $45MM, and he’s going into a contract year. If the organization is truly looking to reset their books, it’d make sense to move on from the veteran QB. It would help the Vikings a bit if Cousins agreed to another extension, which would allow the team to reduce his 2022 cap hit. However, Cousins’ camp hasn’t been receptive to that idea.

La Canfora also mentions wideout Adam Thielen, linebacker Eric Kendricks, defensive tackle Michael Pierce, and even running back Dalvin Cook as sizable cap hits that the organization could look to move on from. These four players and Cousins represent five of the team’s seven highest cap hits, joining defensive end Danielle Hunter and safety Harrison Smith.

The Vikings entered the offseason with one of the worst cap situations in the NFL, so it’s not surprising that the team is looking to move around some money. Per OverTheCap.com, the Vikings are currently $15MM over the cap, so moves are certainly coming.

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