Teams to watch for Dalvin Cook

Dalvin Cook has officially been released by the Minnesota Vikings, free to sign with any team he chooses moving forward.

There’s a bevy of possibilities, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk took a crack at narrowing things down. Here’s who the veteran NFL writer believes are the teams that will battle for the former Florida State star’s services, with some fascinating possibilities littered throughout.

Mike Florio’s teams to watch for RB Dalvin Cook:

• Miami Dolphins
• New York Jets
• Buffalo Bills
• Denver Broncos
• Dallas Cowboys
• New York Giants
• Las Vegas Raiders

First off, the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills are going to be on any list involving Cook, as they’ve already been linked to the star running back. If one of them is able to land the ball carrier, it could help swing the AFC East in their direction.

“So where will Cook land? He continues to be linked to Miami, but the Dolphins have a crowded house. They might have a spending ceiling over which they won’t go,” theorized Florio. “The Jets are a viable destination, since it would bolster a position currently left shaky by the recovery of Breece Hall from ACL surgery.

“The Bills also have been mentioned. But consider this: would Cook want to infringe on the turf of his brother, James?”

As for two teams with room that would make a lot of sense, Florio threw the Denver Broncos and the Dallas Cowboys out there. Broncos general manager George Paton was part of the brain-trust that drafted Cook in Minnesota, while the Cowboys could be in the market for a running back, as they’re moving on from Ezekiel Elliott.

“The Broncos have been quietly interested in Cook for a while. GM George Paton worked for the Vikings when Cook arrived, six years ago,” added Florio. “The Cowboys also make plenty of sense. At a time when they’re leaving the door open for Elliott, Cook would seem to be a better between-the-tackle complement to Tony Pollard and Deuce Vaughn.”

As for the two most surprising teams on the list, the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders franchise-tagged their star running backs in Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs. Florio is throwing the possibility out there that the team could rescind their tag, instead signing Cook for a lower price.

“And what about the possibility of the Raiders or the Giants rescinding the franchise tag from Josh Jacobs or Saquon Barkley, respectively, and signing Cook?” Florio wondered. “They could get him for less, and he could be a better dollar-for-dollar deal, potentially.”

Alas, Dalvin Cook will be a fascinating one to watch moving forward, wherever he signs. As you can see, there’s a myriad of viable options.