The Minnesota Vikings are in NFL Hell and appear to have blown one building block to get themselves out of it. Per a report Saturday by ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, the Vikings are expected to cut running back Dalvin Cook shortly.
All that remains is for the Vikings to formalize (Dalvin) Cook’s exit, a denouement that seems likely if not completely certain, per @SeifertESPN. https://t.co/0pZQrF6lpU
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 3, 2023
Early this offseason, rumors came out that Cook wasn’t expected to be back with the Vikings for the 2023 season. The team has to juggle its cap space with quarterback Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson needing new contracts soon. The Vikings are expected to decide on Cook’s fate soon, as the team can save some cap space for this season now that the Jun 1 deadline has passed.
The Minnesota Vikings’ best chance for a trade was before the draft
Dov Kleiman with Bro Bible wrote on Cook’s prospects this offseason. He pointed out, Via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler’s report, that the Vikings are still hoping to trade Cook. However, multiple teams are waiting for Cook to be released instead of aggressively pursuing the 27-year-old running back in a trade with Minnesota. Kleiman wrote that the Vikings’ best chance to trade Cook was before the 2023 NFL Draft in April:
“The uncertainty surrounding Cook’s future with the Vikings was highlighted when the team’s General Manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, remained noncommittal about Cook’s status just a few weeks before the draft. This lack of commitment fueled speculation that the team might be considering parting ways with their star running back.
Had the Vikings decided to trade Cook, it was widely believed that a deal would have likely materialized prior to the draft. However, as the draft came and went without any movement, it seems increasingly possible that the Vikings may ultimately opt to cut him from the roster.”
Getting nothing in return for Dalvin Cook hurts the Vikings
The Vikings’ front office will come under question if they have to cut Cook. They would have ultimately chosen to save about $3.1 million in dead cap space this season rather than agree to receive draft capital to help replace a major talent on their roster.
One would have to think Cook’s pre-draft trade value, estimated to be around a fourth-round pick, would have been better than letting him walk to save $3.1 in dead space. The Vikings NFC North rival, the Chicago Bears, were able to take running back Roschon Johnson in the fourth round. He’s expected to be a starter for the Bears by the end of the season.
The Vikings didn’t necessarily need to draft a running back with Alexander Mattison on the roster. But the Vikings missed an opportunity to find a contributor at another position of need this spring if, indeed, they let Cook walk in June.
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