5 bold predictions for the rest of the Vikings 2020 offseason

Vikings will give Cook an extension

There were many questions about the Vikings’ roster entering this year’s NFL Draft, but there appears to be two vital cogs when it comes to their offense. That being Kirk Cousins, who Minnesota locked up until 2023 with a two-year extension in March, and Dalvin Cook, who is looking for a raise entering the final season of his rookie deal.

The question of extending Cook is a tough one for the Vikings as there’s plenty of red tape to be sorted through.

Over the first three seasons of his career, Cook has missed 17 games due to injury and he has been knocked out in other contests due to those injuries. In addition, Cook also faded down the stretch in 2019, seeing his yards per carry go from 5.4 yards per carry in the first seven games to 3.3 in the final nine.

But Cook is the engine of the Minnesota offense and his big-play ability is something that few have on the roster after the departure of Stefon Diggs.

The Vikings will need to be careful as Cook will probably not get the type of contract Christian McCaffrey recently received from the Carolina Panthers that will pay him an average of $16 million per season. But once Minnesota estimates Cook’s value, they should reach a deal with the league’s most volatile position.