LaCanfora: Vikings should reset RB market with Cook's contract

Oh for Pete's sake...

Pass.  No RB is worth what the new "reset" is going to cost.

Big difference, McCaffrey has been healthy...

I think this is pure speculation. The article was barely worth the click. His comments on Irv are particularly telling, especially in light of what Kubiack likes to do. 

Next guy to get extended should be O'Neill. Give him a market value contract similar to what Hunter got. 

The best I would do for Cook at this time is 3 years for $24 million, with heavy incentives for games started, games available, and a few other performance based escalators. If I'm resetting the market, it's not for a guy who can't stay health no matter how good he is on field. Nope, nope, nope, NFW. You're just setting yourself up for failure.

I don't think they should go that high, but I do imagine it will be higher than many people think it should be.  Despite all the talk about running backs being "expendable," all of the other positions are going up so rb should too. 

Dalvin was a beast last season before playing hurt and ultimately being sat down.  As much as we like Mattison it's still a step down from a full strength Cook, and further yet below AM.

I'm with those who don't want to see an extension for Cook, but we just added almost 30 players via draft and UDFA and RB was literally the only non-specialist area with 0 additions. To me that says the team is betting the farm on Cook...even a 6th-rounder (e.g., Eno Benjamin)  would have sent a bit of a message to him and his agent and provided some insurance if we have to play RB-by-committee.

I agree Jor-El...And the fact that Cook already put out in public realm he'll be attending all the pre-season stuff tells me they are all probably singing from the same hymnal. Vikings, Cook and Cook's agent too.

The only thing that actually makes sense in that click-bait article is signing Cook to a 3-year deal.  He would be locked up through his prime and it would sync well with Cousins deal.  Maybe something that averages 12-14 million per year with a higher percentage guaranteed as a trade off for the shorter term?

I don't think it's smart, but it's happening. Maybe not "reset the market", but top 3 feels almost guaranteed.
None of the elite teams in the NFL give big money to RBs, but hey what do they know? Just gotta cross our fingers that Dalvin stays healthy, and it winds up being a good deal for both sides.

If they mean reset by stopping paying stupid money to people with frequent injujry...you bet, let's go!

Only if they reset it downwards :p 

I don't mind giving him an extension, but he should be nowhere near McCaffrey's contract.  Try staying healthy just once, Dalvin.

@"Wetlander" said: The only thing that actually makes sense in that click-bait article is signing Cook to a 3-year deal.  He would be locked up through his prime and it would sync well with Cousins deal.  Maybe something that averages 12-14 million per year with a higher percentage guaranteed as a trade off for the shorter term?

I don't think it's clickbait....it's a national website with a national sports reporter. Don't really think Cook and the Vikings are that popular for it to be clickbait. If it were by a local Vikings' reporter or an online guy, yeah it would be somewhat clickbaitish. LaCanfora has talked up Cook all year last year, he's a big fan of his. And the parallel to McCaffery makes sense. 

You don't design your whole offense (from the OC to the starting center) around the running game and then let the prize runner go.

Yes, we will extend him. Will it reset the market? Probably. Will it straitjacket the team for years? No. 

This isn't a D first team anymore...Outside of Hunter and Kendricks, there isn't anyone that frightening on that side of the ball anymore. Dirty Harry is still a nice swiss army knife, but past his prime.  

Cook and Cousins are the field tilters. Diggs was the other one who could dictate coverages and JJ may do that someday, maybe. 

Madison is a nice #2, but won't scare anyone otherwise and won't dictate how many in the box. 

Dalvin will be re-signed.. Probably to a figure that will make some squirm a bit. 

Numbers are just numbers when these contracts are announced. JMO, but I feel that in the end it'll be constructed in a way that won't be a huge/bad detriment to the cap.

@"MaroonBells" said: You don't design your whole offense (from the OC to the starting center) around the running game and then let the prize runner go.

Yes, we will extend him. Will it reset the market? Probably. Will it straitjacket the team for years? No. 

But the Broncos did exactly that, multiple times, because they recognized the other components such as linemen were more important than RBs.

Regardless, I expect they will give him a huge contract. Spielman likes having stars on his team.

@"Jor-El" said:

@"MaroonBells" said: You don't design your whole offense (from the OC to the starting center) around the running game and then let the prize runner go.

Yes, we will extend him. Will it reset the market? Probably. Will it straitjacket the team for years? No. 

But the Broncos did exactly that, multiple times, because they recognized the other components such as linemen were more important than RBs.

Regardless, I expect they will give him a huge contract. Spielman likes having stars on his team.

It would be a massive waste of money.  Cook is nowhere near CMC in terms of availability and production.  He is closer to Melvin Gordon and even a little behind him in availability and production.

I have no clue why this front office would consider an extension when they did nothing to address the offensive guard position.  They drafted Brandel who only played tackle at Oregon State and they drafted Hinton (an FCS player) who also played tackle but may have played elsewhere. 

The HOPE they have is that between Elflein, Samia, Collins, Jones, Dozier, Udoh?, and the players brought in via the draft, they will be able to cobble together two passable starters.

I do not see it getting better next year and there will more than likely be some struggles.  A lot.

Giving Cook a new deal and seeing getting constantly stuffed is a curious decision.  But alas, this front office is stupid enough to do it so my guess is that they are hoping to get him on a 2 year extension. 

Probably it will come out to be a 3 year 24 mil deal over the next 3 years with incentives for availability and awards.

If Cook had 42 out of a possible 48 starts, I still don't reset the market...incentives with big escalators, sure...