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The Dallas Cowboys rumors are heating up as the Minnesota Vikings are expected to release star running back Dalvin Cook, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. After news broke regarding Cook’s impending release, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy indicated he was unaware that the four-time Pro Bowler was suddenly becoming available. McCarthy declined to get into the potential roster move but admitted he had a “great respect for [Cook’s] game.
“Didn’t realize that happened but I think like all these things, from a personal perspective, I have great respect for his game,” McCarthy told reporters on June 8, 2023. “But player acquisition, it goes on 365 days a year, so I really don’t have any comment on anybody outside of our roster.”
Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy Offered Measured Response to Both the Dalvin Cook & DeAndre Hopkins Rumors
McCarthy offered a similar stance after wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was released by the Cardinals. Cook makes a bit more sense as a fit in Dallas given the team released Ezekiel Elliott earlier this offseason.
“I’ll say this, obviously being on offense full-time I really do like the look of our group,” McCarthy told reporters on June 1, 2023. “The vertical speed, we’ve made some improvement there and obviously we’re not in any full speed type activities, outside of seven-on-seven, so you can feel that from our guys. But yeah, as far as players that are not here, there’s nothing good that comes out of those answers.
“Hops [is] a hell of a talent. I had a chance to be around his first Pro Bowl, so I’ve always had respect for him since his rookie year.”
Ex-Vikings RB Dalvin Cook Has Had 4 Straight Seasons Topping 1,000 Rushing Yards
There are likely Cowboys fans wondering why Dallas is being mentioned as a possible landing spot for Cook given the team already released Elliott. It is important to note that Cook and Elliott are at vastly different points in their careers.
Cook has posted four straight seasons topping 1,000 rushing yards while also being consistently involved in Minnesota’s passing attack. The Pro Bowler notched 264 carries for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns averaging 4.4 yards per rush while playing in all 17 games in 2022. Cook added 39 receptions for 295 yards and 2 TDs through the air.
What the two backs had in common is that the stars were both on long-term bloated contracts that had little appeal to any potential trade partners. KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reported on the June 6 edition of “The Mackey & Judd Show” that the Cowboys were among the teams that had internally discussed a possible deal for Cook.
The running back’s previous five-year, $63 million contract ran through 2025 and proved to be a deal-breaker for NFL teams. It remains to be seen if Dallas will enter Cook’s free agency sweepstakes, but the team would be wise to at least explore the move given Tony Pollard is coming off a fractured fibula.
The Cowboys Are Unlikely to Be the Highest Bidder in the Dalvin Cook Free Agency Sweepstakes
The Cowboys already signed Ronald Jones II and drafted Deuce Vaughn but neither player are likely to come close to having the same impact as Cook. Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher views the potential addition of Cook as a longshot given the Cowboys are unlikely to enter a bidding war for the playmaker’s services.
“We told you there would never be a trade here; CowboysSI.com has already noted the ‘kicked-around’ status in one sense with our exclusive story on May 17 via a source stating that Dallas has ‘no interest’ in trading for Cook,” Fisher wrote on June 8.
“Are the Cowboys going to bust up their mapped-out salary-cap plan for a running back to share snaps with Tony Pollard? It’s a fun idea. But we will stick with our belief that Cook would still to be paid like the $10 million APY player he’s been.”
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