5 Vikings players who shouldn’t be back for the 2023 season

Dalvin Cook – RB

Some of the best teams in NFL history have been able to remain consistently competitive by moving on from some of their top players before it’s too late.

This is probably the most obvious example, but just look at the New England Patriots during the last two decades with Bill Belichick as their head coach. Under Belichick, the Patriots developed a reputation for being ruthless when it came to moving on from veteran players. But more often than not, these tough decisions wound up benefiting New England in the long run more than they hurt them.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was drafted by the Patriots in 2008, so he is very familiar with their ruthless roster-building methods. If O’Connell is smart, he and Minnesota should utilize this strategy when it comes to the future of running back Dalvin Cook.

After his fourth-straight season with at least 1,100 rushing yards, Cook should still be able to play at a high level in 2023. But how much longer does the 27-year-old truly have left in the tank?

Cook is one of the few players on the Vikings’ current roster that could actually help them acquire some valuable assets in a trade this offseason. Who knows if that will still be the case in 2024?

Minnesota needs cap space and more draft picks this year, and the team can likely acquire both by finding another team that is willing to trade for Cook during the next few weeks.