Dallas Nearly Land Ex-Vikings Star Dalvin Cook
Former Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook was a strong candidate to be signed by the Dallas Cowboys.
Ezekiel Elliott is returning to the Dallas Cowboys, but the team almost signed another Pro Bowl running back.Prior to Elliott’s reunion, the Cowboys reportedly had “at length” talks about signing Dalvin Cook, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.
“In October, the Cowboys played a video montage for Ezekiel Elliott’s return to AT&T Stadium when Patriots visited,” Gehlken noted in an April 29, 2024 message on X. For them, it wasn’t finished. It’s still not over. Dalvin Cook also was discussed internally at length.”
The seasoned running back ended a four-year run of surpassing 1,000 rushing yards last year. In 2023, Cook saw 67 touches for 214 yards and zero touchdowns while playing for the New York Jets.
The four-time Pro Bowler’s stats were the lowest of his career. To Cook’s credit, the Jets offense wasn’t exactly clicking, and Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending ACL injury ended the team’s hopes of winning the regular season.
In 2023, Cook appeared in 15 games for the New York Jets. Following his release, he inked a contract with the Baltimore Ravens in front of their postseason campaign.There were those in the Cowboys front office that wanted the team to sign Cook, according to Mike Fisher of Athlon Sports.
Did Dallas think of anyone else? Indeed. In the story “Cowboys Sign Zeke to $3 Million Contract; Did They Almost Pick Dalvin?” published on April 29, 2024, Fisher wrote, “Completely.”
“Dalvin Cook was contacted prior to Dallas deciding to proceed with its ‘legacy’ reunion, and he was viewed by some within The Star as a ‘low-risk/high-reward’ possibility.”
Should I make this call? Was there to be no reward at all for Cook? Or perhaps he desired a little more money than Zeke did at the reunion? Fisher went on.
The best players available as free agents, such as Josh Jacobs, Austin Ekeler, and Saquon Barkley, swiftly found homes elsewhere. Zeke and Cook—the former All-Pro from the Vikings who appeared to be running out of gas with the Jets last season—lasted all the way to the absolute bottom of the hierarchy.
Elliott and Cook have comparable tales to tell because they are possibly the only running backs from their generation to have had successful contracts. In recent years, running back contracts have become considerably more coveted by NFL teams. Veterans such as Cook and Elliott are now signing one-season contracts that are friendly to the organization.
With the Minnesota Vikings, Cook was signed to a five-year, $63 million contract that was expected to expire in 2025. Cook was released by the Vikings during the previous offseason, and he signed a $7 million, one-year contract with the Jets.
It’s unlikely that Cook will find a one-year contract at this price point again. Was signing Elliott over Cook the right move on the part of the Cowboys?
Elliott can still be useful, especially when there are limited yardage opportunities, as he at least demonstrated with the New England Patriots. Cook’s performance in 2023 received a grade of 54.3 from Pro Football Focus. In contrast, Elliott’s PFF grade from the previous season was 67.6.
For Heavy.com, Jonathan Adams covers the NBA and NFL, concentrating on the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, and Philadelphia Eagles. Numerous publications, including NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated, have highlighted his work.Additional details regarding Jonathan Adams
