5 things the Vikings 2020 training camp has taught us so far

Despite holdout chatter, Cook will play in 2020

This news is critical. Earlier this offseason, it was announced far and wide that Dalvin Cook would potentially hold out until the Vikings blinked on a new contract for the 25-year-old.

We drew up contingency plans on what a Minnesota offense would look like with halfbacks Alexander Mattison and Mike Boone leading the way. Debates were held on the effectiveness of paying a running back top dollar.

The problem was, nobody asked Dalvin Cook point-blank if he would play in Week 1. Or if they did, he didn’t offer a response. But then training camp kicked off, Cook got in front of a microphone, and voilà, he announced he would play in the Vikings first game of the season. Who’da thunk it?

Cook’s active presence on Minnesota’s roster is momentous. In a pinch, his supporting cast could potentially succeed. But that is a whole lot of “maybes” to hitch your wagons to. In a verifiable manner, the Vikings know the engine revs when Cook is touching the ball.

Compared to what we knew in June, the Cook-will-play news is significant. Minnesota will continue to work toward a deal with the running back, although the timetable is unclear.