The Vikings are “not close” on an extension with running back Dalvin Cook, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Minnesota reportedly tabled talks in mid-August, but the club is still apparently hoping to work out a new deal for Cook before the season begins. However, the two sides still appear to be far apart in negotiations.
Earlier this year, Cook was reportedly targeting a $15MM/year salary, but it always seemed unlikely the Vikings would come anywhere near that figure. Joe Mixon, perhaps the best comparable for Cook, recently inked a four-year, $48MM deal with the Bengals that contains a team-friendly structure (just $10MM guaranteed), but it’s unclear if Cook and his camp would accept such a pact.
Cook staged a mini-holdout earlier this year, but the new CBA essentially prevents any longstanding preseason holdouts from taking place. Additionally, if Cook sits out regular season games, he could put his 2021 unrestricted free agent status at risk.
Now 25 years old, Cook has been always been productive when he’s been able to remain on the field. Last year, the former second-round pick posted 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground and added 53 receptions and 519 yards in the passing game. Health has always remained a question mark for Cook, however, and his 14 games in 2019 marked a career-high.
I don’t honestly see why he deserves a cent over Mixon. While slightly more productive than Joe when on the field, Cook has yet to prove he can stay healthy throughout the course of an entire season. Both players have proven to be nifty runners with plus receiving and blocking ability. However, I wouldn’t put either in the same tier as Kamara, Barkley, Elliott, and McCaffrey. Thus, the Vikings would be unwise to surpass $12 million/year IMO