Vikings release RB Dalvin Cook after being unable to find a trade partner

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The Minnesota Vikings have released Dalvin Cook. The team announced Friday afternoon that it was cutting Cook after it didn’t find a trade partner for him. Reports emerged Thursday that Minnesota would release Cook on Friday if another team didn’t make a suitable trade offer for the soon-to-be 28-year-old running back.

"I hold Dalvin in the highest regard and am grateful for his contributions on and off the field," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said in a statement. "Dalvin is a tough, dynamic player and a respected leader by his teammates, which was evident by his multiple seasons as a team captain. As a finalist for the 2022 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, Dalvin's approach to the game and his commitment to sportsmanship is clearly respected across the league. We appreciate Dalvin's positivity, energy and leadership and will be pulling for him in the future."

Cook rushed for almost 6,000 yards in six seasons with Minnesota, including at least 1,000 yards in each of the past four seasons. He's also made the Pro Bowl in each of the past four seasons and has rushed for the fourth-most yards among all running backs since the Vikings drafted him in 2017. Unless Cook returns to the Vikings later in his career, he'll finish as the team's third all-time rusher with 5,993 yards. Only Adrian Peterson and Robert Smith rushed for more. His 47 rushing touchdowns rank fourth in franchise history.

Though Cook proved to still be a productive running back, his salary cap hit was about to get expensive. Cook signed a five-year, $63 million extension in 2020, but only $2 million of Cook's 2023 salary was guaranteed. He would have counted $14.1 million against the salary cap if he remained on the roster. A post-June 1 designation also saves the Vikings $9 million against the cap, per Over The Cap.

This could also be an attempt by Minnesota to avoid the dreaded running back cliff. Only 13 running backs since 2015 have eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in a season after they turned 28 and only two — Aaron Jones and Derrick Henry — have done it since 2020. Cook experienced a decline in efficiency in 2022 as well: His rushing yards over expectation dropped from +81 to -41 over the past year, according to NextGen Stats, and Cook led the NFL with 62 carries that either lost or didn't gain a yard, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert.

Cook has an extensive injury history as well. Though he didn't miss a game in 2022 for the first time in his career, Cook missed at least three games every other season, including an ACL tear in his rookie season and multiple shoulder injuries. Cook underwent shoulder surgery in February but is expected to be ready for the 2023 season.

https://sports.yahoo.com/vikings-release-rb-dalvin-cook-after-being-unable-to-find-a-trade-partner-140933078.html

[TheRealNorth]

1. It sucks to be a running back in today's NFL

You have pretty much only one chance to cash in before no one will give you a big contract because you are, "too old" or injuries take their toll.

Not to mention the big hits you take by the super-sized and fast linemen and linebackers.