Last season is probably one that Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook would like to forget. During his first year in the NFL in which he wasn't a member of the Minnesota Vikings, Cook split time between the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, and he wound up accumulating a grand total of 315 yards from scrimmage in 16 appearances (including the playoffs).
This offseason, the former Vikings running back is a free agent, and recently, he shared a message to any teams with potential interest in signing him when he said, "The tools are still here. I didn’t really get reps last year. So, the legs are fresh, so the resume speaks for itself. I’m still Dalvin Cook. I’m still that guy."
Most teams are likely going to just wait until after the upcoming NFL Draft to sign a veteran like Cook, but when that time comes this offseason, what are a few of the possible landing spots for the former Minnesota running back that seem to be the most realistic?
3 teams who could realistically sign former Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook in 2024
1. Dallas Cowboys
Last offseason, the Dallas Cowboys said goodbye to longtime running back Ezekiel Elliott, and earlier this year, the team parted ways with another longtime member of their offensive backfield when Tony Pollard signed a contract with the Tennessee Titans in free agency.
Currently, the Cowboys' running back room includes Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis, Deuce Vaughn, and Snoop Conner. None of these four backs have ever started a game in their NFL careers, so Dallas could definitely use someone like Cook to add some veteran experience to the group.
Former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer now being the Cowboys' defensive coordinator also seems like it could play a factor in Cook potentially signing with Dallas. Zimmer already helped recruit former Minnesota linebacker Eric Kendricks to the Cowboys earlier this year. Could he do the same with Cook?
2. Denver Broncos
With the team's general manager, George Paton, spending a significant portion of his career in the Vikings' front office, former Minnesota players are almost always going to be linked to the Denver Broncos. But Cook is someone who the Broncos might want to pursue for other reasons besides the fact that Paton helped draft him when he was with the Vikings.
During his time with the New Orleans Saints, Denver head coach Sean Payton helped turn Alvin Kamara into one of the most versatile running backs in the entire NFL. Cook has a similar skill-set to Kamara, so perhaps Payton would be interested in utilizing him in the Broncos' offense next season.
3. Seattle Seahawks
For whatever reason, there has seemed to be some sort of pipeline between the Vikings and Seattle Seahawks during the last few decades as guys like John Randle, Carl Eller, Nate Burleson, Percy Harvin, Tarvaris Jackson, Adrian Peterson, Kevin Williams, and Warren Moon all suited up for both franchises during their NFL careers.
Could Cook be the next?
Well, if he's interested in reuniting with former Minnesota running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu, then we could see Cook in a Seahawks uniform next season. Polamalu was the Vikings' running backs coach during Cook's first five years in the league, and after spending the last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, he was hired to coach Seattle's running backs earlier this year.
The Seahawks could use the help in their offensive backfield, and the best seasons of Cook's NFL career were spent with Polamalu as his running backs coach. Signing the former Minnesota offensive playmaker seems like something Seattle should at least consider before the start of the 2024 campaign.