Will The Vikings Release Dalvin Cook? Fantasy Football Outlook

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook was a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The veteran running back had over 4,400 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns in his college career at Florida State.

Cook struggled with injuries early in his career. He played only four games as a rookie because of a torn ACL. Then Cook missed five games the following year because of injury.

Last year the veteran running back played all 17 games, totaling 1,173 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Cook also had 39 receptions on 56 targets for 295 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2022.

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Will The Vikings Release Dalvin Cook?

Despite staying healthy last year, the Vikings could release the veteran running back this offseason. Minnesota would save $9 million in salary cap space by releasing Cook with a post-June 1 designation.

Unfortunately, the former Florida State star saw his numbers decline last season. He averaged 4.4 yards per rushing attempt, a career low. Furthermore, his 15.5 rushing attempts per game were the second lowest of his career. With the Vikings having limited cap space, moving on from Cook will likely happen at some point this offseason.

Who Could Sign Dalvin Cook If He Is Released?

While the former second-round pick had a somewhat disappointing 2022 season, Cook will have suitors on the open market. The Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Los Angeles Chargers are reportedly interested in the veteran running back. However, the Dolphins are the betting favorite to land Cook if he gets released by the Vikings.

Miami used several running backs last year. They started with Chase Edmonds before sending him to the Denver Broncos at the trade deadline. Instead, the Dolphins acquired Jeff Wilson Jr. from the San Francisco 49ers.

The team re-signed Wilson, Raheem Mostert, and Myles Gaskin in the offseason. However, they won’t stop the team from adding Cook if he becomes available.

Another possible landing spot is the Kansas City Chiefs. Isiah Pacheco had a productive rookie season. Yet, the team also used several other running backs, including Jerick McKinnon. However, McKinnon is still a free agent. Pairing Cook with Pacheco would give the Chiefs an explosive and dangerous 1-2 punch at running back.

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