Running back Dalvin Cook. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings urged to sign 6,200-yard RB to help J.J. McCarthy

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Matt Lombardo | Last updated 5/2/24

The Minnesota Vikings have their franchise quarterback of the future, two elite wide receivers and a pretty explosive running back as building blocks on offense, but, adding a bell-cow into the backfield rotation could do wonders to hasten first-round pick J.J. McCarthy’s development.

And, the Vikings could turn to a familiar face to fill the void.

Dalvin Cook remains an unrestricted free agent, following a brief and somewhat disastrous stint with the New York Jets last season.

Might a Minnesota homecoming be in the mix?

Bleacher Report’s Joseph Zucker lists the Minnesota Vikings among Cook’s best free agent fits.

“Minnesota signed Aaron Jones to replace leading rusher Alexander Mattison,” Zucker writes. “Ty Chandler (102 carries, 461 yards and three touchdowns) performed reasonably well as the backup too.

“Cook would provide some depth and injury insurance for a team that has a rookie quarterback (J.J. McCarthy) but isn’t fully rebuilding.”

How Dalvin Cook would Fit the Vikings’ offense

Clearly, the Vikings made an astute decision when they allowed Cook to walk last summer as he only managed 214 yards while averaging 3.2 yards per carry during the 2023 campaign with the Jets.

However, as a piece of a backfield puzzle where he isn’t asked to shoulder the entire workload, Cook could have some upside in a system that he’s familiar with alongside an explosive and elusive runner such as Jones.

After all, Cook has rushed for 6,207 yards throughout his career with 47 touchdowns and could provide quality carries in a limited role spelling Jones.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: