Getty Images Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns boasted maybe the best one-two running back punch in the NFL last year and can do so again this season with a new supporting actor behind leading man Nick Chubb.
Former rushing champion Kareem Hunt isn’t walking through that door in 2023, but Cleveland doesn’t really need him to in order to remain one of the sport’s top rushing attacks. In reality, the franchise probably doesn’t need to add another high-level running back of any kind to the mix to claim one of the more formidable position groups in the league. That said, if the Browns sign Dalvin Cook, they will create a rushing tandem that is at the very least heads — and possibly also shoulders — above any other in the NFL.
There are a variety of reasons the pairing is unlikely, though there are also a few that render it sensible if Cleveland can get up the necessary cash to make a deal happen. The first is a connection between Cook and head coach Kevin Stefanski, who ran the Minnesota Vikings offense during the running back’s first of four consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns back in 2019. Cook, who will turn 28 years old ahead of this season, continues to retain significant steam and is already familiar with how the Browns play offense.
“Cook’s been running in a zone scheme his entire career. He catches the ball at a high level,” Pete Smith of Browns Digest tweeted on Monday, June 19. “I don’t need him to be a superstar, but as a second option to Chubb, he could be.”
Dalvin Cook Offers Browns Run-Game Security Behind Nick Chubb
GettyFormer Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is a natural fit with the Cleveland Browns offense.
Chubb is a four-time Pro Bowler in his own right and in the conversation as one of the best three running backs currently suiting up on Sundays. Jerome Ford, a 2022 fifth-round pick, is slated as his backup.
Ford has almost no experience rushing the ball at a professional level, notching just eight carries for 12 yards during a rookie campaign that was almost entirely limited to special teams work. He needs to cut his teeth in the backfield at some point, but the Browns are under a considerable amount of pressure to win now considering the way they’re spending as a franchise. Because of that, running out Ford as the team’s only real option behind Chubb is unquestionably a risk.
That is precisely why Cleveland is openly searching for another player to add depth at the position, and Cook is the best available insurance policy by a wide margin.
Dalvin Cook’s Price Main Obstacle to Reunion With Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland
GettyHead coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns served as running back Dalvin Cook’s offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019.
The only real problem with signing Cook is the contract he’s likely to command.
In general, running backs are a dime a dozen in the NFL, and that relative price tag is growing cheaper by the year. Cook is a prime example of that, as the Vikings cut him in June despite his fourth straight 1,100-yard rushing campaign and a 39-catch season that resulted in 295 yards and two scores through the air. The move saved Minnesota $9 million against its 2023 salary cap and got the team off of Cook’s five-year, $63 million deal after just two seasons.
Cook isn’t going to command that kind of annual salary or that number of contract years this offseason, but he remains an elite-level running back and has been open about his desire to be valued like one and compensated as such. The Browns boast one of the better offensive lines in the league, which could well frame Ford — or some other less expensive back looking for a new home — as a greater talent than he actually is. That reality argues for Cleveland pursuing a cheaper option than Cook who also offers more experience than Ford.
But there are zero questions about Cook’s ability as it has been displayed. The unknowns are how long he can continue at his current pace of production with six seasons of NFL tread on his tires and two years left until he hits the daunted age of 30, which has marked the beginning of precipitous declines for so many other running backs throughout the recent history of the sport.
If the Browns can get Cook to agree to a one- or two-year deal, then a flier is probably worth taking. Spotrac projects his market value at $8.7 million annually over the course of a two-year contract. That number is probably too high for Cleveland, even despite the team’s nearly $17 million in available cap space as of June 20. The encouraging notion is that Spotrac’s valuation of Cook is probably too high for just about any team in the league.
Chubb’s $36.6 million contract expires two years from now and includes a team out following this season. If Cleveland was more likely to move on from Chubb after the 2023 campaign, a two- or three-year deal for Cook would make more sense. He isn’t likely to get more than three years anywhere and given the late stage at which Cook finds himself a free agent, a one-year deal that would be logical for the Browns could eventually end up on the table.
There are other teams that might offer an extra season or a bit more money to acquire Cook, namely the Miami Dolphins or the Dallas Cowboys. But a short-term deal for the running back, if it’s possible, is an avenue the Browns should explore. That is particularly true as quarterback Deshaun Watson’s on-field reliability represents a relative unknown heading into a season in which Cleveland intends to win, and win big.