Free agent running back Dalvin Cook has been linked to the Miami Dolphins for much of the offseason.
The team is pretty stacked at the running back position with Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., De’Von Achane and others, but the team appears to be looking to add some more firepower.
Count Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold as someone who approves of the four-time Pro Bowler joining Miami.
"We got some dawgs here, so having Dalvin Cook in the mix, that competition breeds excellence."@MiamiDolphins FB and guest host Alec Ingold on the possibility of @DalvinCook signing in Miami.#Dolphins | #FinsUp | @SolomonsWisdom pic.twitter.com/sxDbWvG4Ed
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) July 7, 2023
“Man, we’ve got a plethora of backs right now, especially with our second-round pick, De’Von,” said Ingold. “We’ve got Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed. We’ve got some dawgs here, so having Dalvin Cook in the mix, that competition breeds excellence, man. You want as much good quality backs as you can possibly have, especially in our offense when guys can really make something happen with it. You can get the ball, you can touch it a million different ways. You’ve got out of the backfield, you’ve got in the backfield, outside zone, inside zone. We’re gonna run some routes.”
Ingold makes a good point in that having Cook would surely push all running backs on the roster to the best of their abilities. Cook is one of the league’s most talented running backs, having registered four straight seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards. During that span, he’s averaged 1,256 rushing yards and 10.8 rushing touchdowns per season.
Cook would also add to the Dolphins through the air, as he’s caught at least 34 passes in each season since his second year in the league.
He would add another dangerous weapon to a Dolphins offense that already includes Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Miami is coming off a 9-8 season and looking to make some more noise in the AFC this season. It reached the playoffs last season, though it was unable to get past the Buffalo Bills with third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson starting the contest.
Tua Tagovailoa is looking to have another solid season, and having a top-tier running back like Cook would open up a lot of more opportunities through the air.
The New York Jets, who are one of Miami’s AFC East rivals, have also been linked to Cook. They apparently have “more interest than most realize” in Cook.
With training camp set to start later this month, excitement and expectations are extremely high in South Florida. An acquisition of Cook would only add more fuel to that fire.
