Former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook could become a possibility for the Las Vegas Raiders after they were unable to extend Josh Jacobs on Monday.
After failing to agree to a long-term deal with running back Josh Jacobs on Monday, there's reason to believe the Las Vegas Raiders could pursue former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook before the start of the 2023 season.
Not only could the Raiders be looking for an alternative option in their backfield for 2023, but Cook already has a solid connection to the silver and black in the form of current Las Vegas running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu.
Polamalu was the Vikings' running backs coach from 2017 to 2021, so he is very familiar with Cook and how talented he is. The former Minnesota playmaker had his best seasons as a pro when Polamalu was his position coach.
What are the chances of former Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook signing with the Las Vegas Raiders?
Even though ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Jacobs isn't expected to attend the start of the Raiders' training camp this summer, Las Vegas will likely still attempt to get him back under contract before the beginning of the 2023 regular season.
So the chances of the Raiders actually pursuing Cook are currently still pretty low. However, they are definitely a lot higher than they were before Monday's franchise tag deadline.
But if talks between Las Vegas and Jacobs continue to go nowhere, don't be shocked if Polamalu attempts to convince the team's front office to try and sign Cook before the start of the regular season.
Polamalu and Cook already have a good track record of working together in the past, so it likely wouldn't take much convincing from the current Raiders running backs coach.
The cost of signing Cook is one of the only things that could end up preventing Las Vegas and the former Minnesota running back from reaching a deal. However, Cook's price is definitely much lower now than when he was first released by the Vikings, and it will only continue to drop the longer he remains unsigned.