3 offseason decisions the Vikings already regret and how to fix them

No. 2 Vikings offseason regret: Releasing Dalvin Cook

Letting Cook go for nothing was not a popular decision for the Vikings' fan base. The real sin was the front office's failure to replace him with another big-play threat in the offensive backfield.

Alexander Mattison is a decent player, but he doesn't possess the sort of speed required to frighten opposing defenses. His longest rush of the season through three weeks is a carry that only managed to travel 15 yards. He's much better suited to be a bruising battering ram that comes in to soften up opposing defenses rather than serving as a team's primary back.

The franchise hopes that either Ty Chandler or Cam Akers can fill that void at some point this season, but neither has contributed anything close to what Cook gave them last year through three games. Akers hasn't played since his recent arrival and Chandler only has seven carries through three games. The Vikings are putting way too much pressure on Mattison to prop up the team's rushing attack.

The easy solution in the offseason would have been to work to find a way to renegotiate Cook's contract and keep him in the fold. The other alternative would have been to spend a mid-round draft pick on a speedy back who would have been capable of contributing as a rookie. The front office did neither and they're paying the price for letting Cook go without a suitable replacement.