Dalvin Cook’s pursuit of a big contract in free agency has continued and according to a recent report, a potential reunion with the Miami Dolphins has hit a snag.
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington said on a recent appearance of NFL Live that Cook “isn’t willing to accept” the current offer on the table from the Dolphins. and could be looking to generate leverage and interest from other teams in an effort to get Miami to increase its offer.
Darlington’s observations check out with another recent report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio who suggested on Thursday that the New York Jets were “gaining momentum” to sign Cook ahead of training camp and were a potential destination for Cook before he was cut by the Minnesota Vikings.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also reported that the New England Patriots have some interest in pairing Cook with Rhamondre Stevenson and a report last June said that Cook wasn’t opposed to joining his brother James with the Buffalo Bills – although there has been no indication that the Bills have had mutual interest.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Cook was unwilling to lower his $10.4 million salary he was scheduled to make with the Vikings next season and was ultimately released. Pelissero has since reported that Cook has “multiple offers on the table” and that Cook “is not coming in for $4 or $5 million.”
Cook’s path to another payday has been tricky as most teams have been following the blueprint of creating younger, cheaper and more efficient backfields. The movement has created messy negotiations across the league as Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley are currently set to play on the franchise tag next season.
Cook’s case could be different as he is the only active running back with 1,100 yards in each of the past four seasons. With Cook also undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury suffered in 2019, he believes his best days are ahead of him.
“A lot of people don’t know…I’ve been playing with a torn labrum,” Cook said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show last month. “I feel good sometimes and then…I have to accidentally come out and I have to deal with it for a week and put a brace on and come back and play. It’s just like, learning how to fall and learning how to gracefully hit.”
It appears that Cook and his camp still believe he’s a running back worthy of a high salary and if a team is interested in his services, it’s not going to come cheap.
