Ever since the 2023 NFL Draft, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has been mentioned in trade rumors.
Earlier this week, there were some rumblings that a trade involving Cook could materialize very soon.
“A trade remains very possible, and it could happen by the end of the week, once June 1 comes and goes and the Vikings can split the $6.2 cap acceleration over two years, $3.1 million in 2023 and $3.1 million in 2024,” Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk said.
Cook, who had 1,173 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 2022, has a $10.4 million base salary for the 2023 season.
If the Vikings can work out the financial hurdles regarding Cook’s contract, these five teams should have interest in acquiring him.
Baltimore Ravens
Injuries have really limited J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards from reaching their full potential in Baltimore. Instead of banking on them to overcome the injury bug, the Ravens should go out and acquire a proven playmaker.
The thought of Lamar Jackson running option plays with Dalvin Cook next to him should scare opposing defenses.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have a rookie quarterback in Bryce Young and over $27 million in cap space. While the front office did invest a large sum of money in Miles Sanders, that shouldn’t deter them from pursuing Dalvin Cook.
A one-two punch of Cook and Sanders could potentially lead the Panthers to a division title, especially since the NFC South is there for the taking.
Chicago Bears
The name of the game in Chicago is to surround Justin Fields with as much talent as possible. That’s why the front office has acquired wide receivers Chase Claypool and DJ Moore in the past 12 months.
Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman are more than capable of making an impact for the Bears’ backfield, but it wouldn’t hurt to add Dalvin Cook. After all, this hypothetical move would weaken a division rival.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have a plethora of explosive running backs on their roster, make no mistake about it. What they lack, however, is a player capable of shouldering the load from week to week.
Dalvin Cook would give the Dolphins a playmaker capable of taking Mike McDaniel’s rushing attack to the next level.
Buffalo Bills
If the Dolphins don’t want to pull the trigger on a trade for Dalvin Cook, one of their AFC East rivals should.
For the past few years, the Bills have searched long and hard for a running back to complement their passing game. They even drafted Dalvin’s younger brother, James Cook, in an effort to solve that issue. Why not reunite the Cook brothers and see if they can help Josh Allen get over the hump? It’s worth a shot.