The Dalvin Cook-to-New York Jets rumors are heating up once again
All has been quiet on the Dalvin Cook front over the past couple of weeks. But with training camp on the horizon, the noise surrounding Cook is beginning to reignite.
In a Threads post on Wednesday night, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said he believes there is a “good chance Cook becomes a Jet.” Breer added that his sense is the Jets are “a team he’d like to go to.”
Breer theorizes that Cook would make sense for the Jets because he would allow them to be patient with Breece Hall’s recovery.
Cook, who will turn 28 in August, was released by the Vikings in June. While Cook was named to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl in 2022, he was set to count more than $14 million against the Vikings’ salary cap in 2023, so Minnesota decided to release Cook to save over $9 million in space.
Starting all 17 games for Minnesota in 2022, Cook carried the ball 264 times for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 39 of 56 targets for 295 yards and two touchdowns.
On the downside, Cook averaged a career-low 4.8 yards per touch – his fourth straight season declining in the metric. Cook also performed poorly in various advanced metrics. Among 43 qualified running backs, Cook ranked 39th in EPA per carry (-0.14), 41st in rush yards over expectation per carry (-0.75), and 35th in DVOA (-10.8%).
The Jets’ running back stable currently features Hall, Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, fifth-round rookie Israel Abanikanda, and undrafted rookie Travis Dye.
While the Jets have not had an official visit with Cook, head coach Robert Saleh did not deny the team’s interest when asked about Cook in June. Saleh said the Jets would “turn the stones over” regarding the four-time Pro Bowler.
