3 teams that could trade for Dalvin Cook during the 2022 offseason

The Minnesota Vikings have to consider everything this offseason, including a trade of running back Dalvin Cook.

Before the 2020 season, Dalvin Cook signed a pricey extension with the Minnesota Vikings that has him tied to the team through 2025. However, he does have a potential out in his contract that could see him out of town after the 2022 season that would lower his dead cap number but still handcuff the Vikings a bit.

If the Vikings wanted to move off of his money this offseason, they would essentially split his salary down the middle and carry roughly $3 million in dead cap this season and $6 million in dead cap in 2023. Paying a running back has never been harder and working on a deal to get out of that situation should be worth a look.

Kevin O’Connell is expected to be named Minnesota’s next head coach following the Super Bowl. During his time with the Rams, O’Connell has seen success in the run game without a high-value running back. Even with Cam Akers injured this season, Los Angeles was able to keep the run game alive enough to win games.

I would not be surprised if the Vikings looked around for offers surrounding Cook this offseason. His cap hit has factored into the team’s lack of spending money and the Vikings have to try to get pieces for their defense.

The asking price for Dalvin Cook might be a lot higher than what other teams are willing to give up, especially considering how often Cook seems to miss time later in the season. However, there are a handful of landing spots that make sense for the NFL’s fourth-highest paid running back.