Dalvin Cook rumors: Cowboys have the perfect Ezekiel Elliott replacement
The Dallas Cowboys are transitioning at running back. They’ve already made their own post-June 1 decision at the position, cutting Ezekiel Elliott and getting more than half of his huge cap number off of the books. This comes after the former No. 4 overall pick had shown a stark decline in his performance and coupled with the emergence of Tony Pollard, who they signed on the franchise tag.
One thing that has been discussed, though, is the potential of a Cowboys reunion with Zeke this season on a cheaper contract. That’s because Dallas is in a spot where they don’t have an obvious replacement for Elliott’s role as more of a power back for short-yardage situations with just Pollard, Ronald Jones II (a likely cut candidate), and 5-foot-5 rookie Deuce Vaughn.
Even with the franchise’s affinity for Elliott, though, the fact of the matter is that he’s clearly lost a step. He’s dealt with injuries, sure, but even then, he’s not the player that he once way.
Dalvin Cook, however, has remained an effective ball carrier in that role and with more versatility than what Zeke offers at this point in his career. If he’s released by the Vikings, he’s almost surely cost something in the same ballpark as Elliott in free agency, but would offer much more on the field.
The Cowboys are a Super Bowl contender with the defense they’ve built and few other true, viable contenders in the NFC. And adding Cook could be the splash move to help put them over the top.