There are some people within the New York Jets organization that are wondering if free agent running back Dalvin Cook visited the team in order to drum up interest in the market for him around the NFL.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported on “SportsCenter” that the Jets are wondering what Cook’s motives are after his visit with the team, and he mentioned the Miami Dolphins as a potential landing spot for the four-time Pro Bowler.
“Well look, bizarre is a good word to use and honestly a sentiment that’s shared by some people that I’ve spoken to within the Jets organization as well,” Darlington said. “They’re wondering too what exactly are the motives here of Dalvin Cook. I think that we have to be very careful here, not everybody in the Jets feels that way, but there is a wonder here. Is he using the Jets for leverage right now? Is he trying to ramp up potential offers with other teams to get maybe a spot on those rosters? Would the Miami Dolphins be that team?
“Look, Dalvin Cook is from the Miami area. He’s made no secrets about that, went to high school at Miami Central, he spent college at Florida State. There’s still a belief that he could wind up with the Dolphins. The Dolphins, though, not necessarily being quite as eager about their desire to sign him. Now, I will say that I believe there is a spot on this Dolphins team if Dalvin Cook decides to come to the Dolphins. But right now, certainly as he walks away from the Jets without a contract, there is a wonder about his desire specifically to play for the Jets.”
The Dolphins and Jets both play in the same division, so there is certainly motivation on both sides to bring in Cook, as both teams would probably like to avoid having to face him two times in the 2023 season.
Cook was released this offseason by the Minnesota Vikings after the team didn’t want to pay the hefty price on his contract. Still, he’s one of the better running backs in the league, and he could certainly help teams like the Jets and Dolphins that have playoff aspirations in the 2023 season.
Last season, Cook recorded his fourth straight 1,000-yard rushing campaign for the Vikings – an extremely impressive feat. The only knock on the veteran running back is that he did average the fewest yards per carry of his career (4.4). Cook ended up carrying the ball 264 times for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns in the 2022 season.
A dual-threat out of the backfield, Cook would bring a new dynamic to either Miami or New York should he end up signing with one of the teams.
The veteran running back has at least 34 receptions in every season since his second year in the league. In the 2022 campaign, Cook had 295 receiving yards and two receiving scores.
The Jets have a young running back in Breece Hall that they’d be able to pair with Cook this season, while the Dolphins have a plethora of options at the position.
However, there is no doubt that Cook would be the most established option in Miami’s backfield that currently features Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., De’Von Achane, Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed.
While Cook could be using the Jets to bring more interest to his services, that’s a good sign for the Dolphins’ chances of landing him.
