3 reasons why Dalvin Cook will get top dollar from the Vikings

Cook is worth the money

Whenever the topic of extending Dalvin Cook is brought up, the argument against paying running backs is usually mixed in the conversation as well. This is a fine argument to use, but only if it’s used in relation to the running backs who don’t have the same level of talent as Cook.

Let’s look at former Vikings running back Jerrick McKinnon as an example. No one told the San Francisco 49ers to give a career backup a $30 million contract in 2018. The team’s inexperienced front office did that all on their own.

What about the New York Jets giving Le’Veon Bell $52 million last offseason? The Jets were certainly not the only team who was willing to pay top dollar for a running back who was a First-Team All-Pro selection in two of his first five seasons in the league?

Ezekiel Elliott should be included in this argument too right? Elliott got a $90 million extension from the Dallas Cowboys last year and all he did was score 14 touchdowns and finish with the second-most total yards of any player in the NFL last season.

Many are going to use Todd Gurley as part of their argument against paying running backs as well. But Gurley entered the league with knee issues and the Los Angeles Rams knew the large risk they were taking when they gave him a $57.5 million extension in 2018.

Minnesota should be careful with giving too much money to Cook because of his injury history too, right? Well, he tore his ACL in 2017 and then dealt with a hamstring injury in 2018 likely related his injured knee from the year before.

Cook had no previous history of knee injuries before 2017 and It can be argued that Cook is an even better player now than he was before he tore his ACL.

Of the running backs who got their hands on the football over 300 times last season, only one (Christian McCaffrey) averaged more yards per touch than Cook. Like McCaffrey, Minnesota’s top rusher is going to get paid this offseason and he deserves every penny.