Dalvin Cook won’t report to Vikings without new deal

In search of an extension that’s rare at his position in the modern NFL, Vikings RB Dalvin Cook is willing to hold out.

As we wait on the NFL to fully resume activities, the Minnesota Vikings turbulent offseason has taken another turn for the worse.

First, the Vikes dealt Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills, and are likely to lose Everson Griffen to free agency as well. Now, with Dalvin Cook willing to go to extremes to secure the deal he wants, there’s no telling how Minnesota’s front office will react.

Cook is coming off a stellar 2019, and wants to cash in while he has the chance. The Florida State product is still only 24 years old, so extension demands slightly below the contract Christian McCaffrey recently received isn’t totally out of the question.

Dalvin Cook puts the Vikings between a rock and a hard place with contract demands.

Over the course of his college and professional football career, Cook has suffered injuries to his ACL, shoulder and hamstring. This includes his rookie season, in which he tore his ACL.

If the Vikings were to pay Cook a deal similar to that of McCaffrey’s, which spans four years and just over $64 million, they’d be taking on a huge financial risk at a position which is largely underpaid throughout the NFL.

Teams have taken the Todd Gurley deal, which the Rams just voided this offseason, as a potential warning sign that a passing league is moving further away from the bruising days of old. Because of this, it’s far easier to land a massive contract that accurately reflects one’s value if they happen to be a quarterback, wide receiver, defensive end or offensive linemen.

Running back is not one of those positions, and Cook need not look any further than Melvin Gordon as to how not to play his hand. Hardball is beneficial while Cook has the advantage, but it remains to be seen if his price-tag is reasonable from the Vikings perspective.