What will the team do about running back Dalvin Cook?
Running back Dalvin Cook reportedly plans to participate in the Vikings’ virtual offseason program, which wouldn’t catch headlines had it not been for his current contract situation.
Cook is coming off a season where he rushed for 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns, both of which were career highs. Based on those stats, Cook is quite the bargain for the Vikings, earning just over $1.7 million in 2019.
Cook’s contract runs out after the 2020 season, and the Vikings will have a decision to make: extend him and risk spending too much money on a running back, or let him walk and move on without a big part of the offense.
A lot of teams have learned the hard way when it comes to giving big extensions to running backs. The most recent example has been the Los Angeles Rams, which gave Todd Gurley a four-year, $60 million extension in 2018, only to cut him this offseason.
If Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey — who signed a four-year, $64 million extension recently — is any indication of the current market for running backs, the Vikings will have to give Cook a lot of money.
Cook has had injury problems in the past, too. He has missed 19 games in just three seasons with the Vikings. When he’s been healthy, he’s been good, so Minnesota will have to decide whether his risks are worth what he provides to the team.