While the Miami Dolphins have done well this offseason to fortify their roster and provide a more stable environment for success in 2020 and beyond, the team’s work is far from finished. Some positions received a large influx in talent — and many of those positions addressed received boosts that can be considered long-term adjustments. But not every position had such a luxury; the running back position included.
The Dolphins’ answer to their rushing game woes was to sign veteran RB Jordan Howard on a 2-year deal and to trade a 5th-round draft selection for RB Matt Breida, who is on a one-year contract this season.
The room is improved, but there’s not necessarily a long-term solution in place. Could all of that chance amid a holdout in the NFC North?
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook will reportedly hold out effective immediately if he’s not given a “reasonable” contract extension by the team.
Pro-Bowl RB Dalvin Cook no longer will participate in any team-related activities until and unless he receives a “reasonable” deal, a source said Monday.
“He’s out,” a source told ESPN. “Without a reasonable extension, he will not be showing up for camp or beyond.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 8, 2020
That will be a complicated proposition for the Vikings, given that the team is currently marked for $12M in cap space but has yet to sign any of their early 2020 NFL Draft selections and will still need to iron out a long-term deal with safety Anthony Harris, who is scheduled to play this season on the franchise tag. Paying running backs is a dangerous game; one that Minnesota really isn’t in a position to play given the commitments the team is already on the books for. QB Kirk Cousins, for example, will see his hit against the salary cap grow from $21M in 2020 to $31M in 2021 and then $41M in 2022.
The numbers aren’t kind to Cook’s chances, especially when considering the back is reportedly eyeing a deal in excess of $16M annual average salary.
So with a long-term solution not likely in Minnesota, could Cook become a long-term solution in Miami? Sure, the team has the assets to trade for a top running back — but Cook doesn’t really fit the bill in South Florida. First and foremost, Miami trading valuable assets away for a market-setting contract may have been the old way of doing things, but general manager Chris Grier has been more calculated with how he spends the team’s money thus far. Seeing Miami trade a top pick only to offer up top-shelf pass rusher money to the least valued position in football is a hard sell.
Add in the fact that Miami, schematically, is going to challenge teams between the tackles and run downhill at teams (based on their personnel additions) versus Cook’s skill set thriving in Minnesota’s outside zone heavy offense and it doesn’t seem like Miami is a match. Is it fun to think about? Sure. But it isn’t likely to materialize since there are so many layers that seemingly don’t align.