Schefty: Dalvin Will Hold Out Without a "Reasonable" Deal

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"Jor-El" said: Predictable. I really thought the Vikings should have picked another RB, maybe as early as round 4, to show Cook and his agent that they are planning on having a number of options at the position.

they did that last year.  this offense is better with Cook,  but it doesnt need Cook.  IMO if he insists on guaranteed top tier money he is a luxury this team cant afford.  I like him at around 10 with incentives to push him up to around 12.5 myself.  I would love the 8.5 plus incentives,  but I dont see it going that low.

Call up New England, ask them if they want a young stud RB to go with their new offense and new QB?  I would send them Dalvin for a 1st in a heart beat.  Next year’s draft would feature

(2) 1sts
(1) 2nd
(2) 3rds (Wayne as a comp pick)
(3) 4ths
(2) 5ths

That would be 10 picks in the first 5 rounds.  Talk about ammo to either move up and grab the QB of the future or just keep reloading on top of the 2020 class.  I believe that Mattison and Boone could replace a good amount of Cook’s impact

The other deal I would love them to look at?  Send him to Washington for AP and a 1st.  Bring AP back to spell Mattison and Boone, get a first or second for 2021

@"Skodin" said: Call up New England, ask them if they want a young stud RB to go with their new offense and new QB?  I would send them Dalvin for a 1st in a heart beat.  Next year’s draft would feature

(2) 1sts
(1) 2nd
(2) 3rds (Wayne as a comp pick)
(3) 4ths
(2) 5ths

That would be 10 picks in the first 5 rounds.  Talk about ammo to either move up and grab the QB of the future or just keep reloading on top of the 2020 class.  I believe that Mattison and Boone could replace a good amount of Cook’s impact

The other deal I would love them to look at?  Send him to Washington for AP and a 1st.  Bring AP back to spell Mattison and Boone, get a first or second for 2021

No team is trading a 1st for a running back they have to also pay $13M/yr too, let alone New England who is tanking. The Vikings would be lucky to get a 3rd, which is why they won't trade him. Even if Dalvin sits out half of the games, he's worth more on the field than his value will be in a trade, I think.
IMO the Vikings either re-sign him, or he walks after the year. Or if the bridges aren't too burnt, we could franchise tag him next year too.
EDIT- I do like your idea of getting AP back in purple. Maybe it's all nostalgia, but it would be cool to see that happen.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/how-the-vikings-should-approach-potential-dalvin-cook-holdout-a-reasonable-solution-to-make-both/

https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/06/10/nfl-mailbag-defenses-to-watch-national-anthem?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=themmqb&utm_source=twitter.com

From Lee Bromfield (@LeeBrom): Dalvin Cook – the daftest holdout since Melvin Gordon?
Lee, I actually think Gordon is probably a bad comparison. Cook’s been hurt more, but has proven to be a better, more versatile player when he is on the field. He’s also 24 and heading into Year 4, with 457 career carries as he makes his play for a new contract, whereas Melvin Gordon was 26, going into Year 5 with 897 career carries.

The other factor? How reliant each team was on the player. The Chargers had Austin Ekeler in reserve, playing in an offense loaded with skill position talent (Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry). Conversely, the Vikings’ situation behind Cook is murky, the team just traded Stefon Diggs and the offense was clearly built around the former second-round pick last year, so taking him out of the equation would represent a pretty massive blow

And taking all of this into account, I think you can see where some of Gordon’s inconsistency his first three years in the league really cost him. A tailback holding out after three years makes sense—you can pay the guy and still feel pretty comfortable you’ll get, say, another three years of top-shelf play for him. After Year 4, the future can look cloudier. Bottom line, Cook breaking out in Year 3, positioned him better.

An example that bolsters this point? I’d actually tell you Le’Veon Bell waited too long to force the issue in Pittsburgh, which really wound up costing him.

I’ll also say this—it’s possible to maintain both that a tailback should do all he can, based on the dynamics of the position, to get paid as early as he possibly can, while conceding that a team should be very careful about paying a star at that spot. Backs wear down too fast, and there are too many good ones out there that teams can reasonably get by with. Which is why, again, any guy at that position needs to strike when the leverage equation swings his way.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With Diggs gone, the offense really will need Cook. He and his agent are pretty smart trying to get the best deal NOW.
They absolutely should have asked for 15-16 mil. Why not? The Vikings probably laughed a bit and came back with 8-10 mil or so.
This is all the art of negotiations.
Here is what I would do if I was running things ...

I would first cut Reiff. His 11 mil in cap savings would be very useful in keeping Cook in the fold. There is no reason to pay Reiff that much money. Period.
That would give the Vikings about 22 mil in cap space.
I would rip up Cooks current contract and give him a 3 year 33 mil deal with hefty incentives.
He would get a 6 mil signing bonus, a 4 mil roster bonus, and a 4 mil salary in 2020.
His cap hit in 2020 would be 10.691 mil because he has a 691K signing bonus leftover from his rookie deal.
His 2021 salary would be 8 mil and his cap hit would be 10 mil.
His 2022 salary would be 11 mil and his cap hit would be 13 mil.
This extension would take the Vikings 2020 cap down to 13.984 mil which they need about 8 mil to sign the rookies.
The 2021 cap number would be 17 mil if the cap stays at 198.2 which I expect would be the worst thing to happen.
In 2021, they would need to extend Harris, Odengibo, Holton Hill?, and maybe consider extending O’Neill.
If they do not cut Reiff then they still could extend Cook but it would take a larger signing bonus.
I think what will be proven is that allowing Reiff to use up 11 mil in cap space this year will prove to be a waste.

I believe most fans are in favor of cutting Reiff after this season to gain the cap space in 2021.  So why not now?

Moving him to guard will prove to be just as disastrous as moving Remmers to guard.

You don't pay a guard 11 mil to see IF he can do it.

anyone bother to look-up the Vikings record when Cook is playing vs when Dalvin isn't? 

Its quite enlightening...

@"purplefaithful" said: anyone bother to look-up the Vikings record when Cook is playing vs when Dalvin isn't? 

Its quite enlightening...

Personally, I don't get the majority of fans here so ready to let him walk or trade him. He's one of the best RBs in the NFL, a modern back that can catch and run. Shifty, fast and strong. He's a game changer. He's got light mileage on him right now. 

Resign him.

@"StickyBun" said:

@"purplefaithful" said: anyone bother to look-up the Vikings record when Cook is playing vs when Dalvin isn't? 

Its quite enlightening...

Personally, I don't get the majority of fans here so ready to let him walk or trade him. He's one of the best RBs in the NFL, a modern back that can catch and run. Shifty, fast and strong. He's a game changer. He's got light mileage on him right now. 

Resign him.

Entire offense revolves around his skill set...re-sign him.

If our "entire offense revolves around Dalvin," it makes me wonder why we're paying Kirk $30M/year?
I DON'T think the entire offense revolves around Dalvin. He's our best player on that side of the ball for sure, and no Diggs hurts bad, but it's not like this is the Ponder/AD/Jennings team here. We do have other guys.

@"pattersaur" said:

If our "entire offense revolves around Dalvin," it makes me wonder why we're paying Kirk $30M/year? I DON'T think the entire offense revolves around Dalvin. He's our best player on that side of the ball for sure, and no Diggs hurts bad, but it's not like this is the Ponder/AD/Jennings team here. We do have other guys.

True, but a big part of it is driven by play action and a huge part of that is Dalvin's running ability.

@"pattersaur" said:

If our "entire offense revolves around Dalvin," it makes me wonder why we're paying Kirk $30M/year? I DON'T think the entire offense revolves around Dalvin. He's our best player on that side of the ball for sure, and no Diggs hurts bad, but it's not like this is the Ponder/AD/Jennings team here. We do have other guys.

Because we can. You need a good QB in this league and Cousins is a good QB. You pay for good QBs. Doesn't matter what kind of offense you run. It all works together. 

But make no mistake, this is a running, wide zone team and Cook is an elite wide zone back. We can have all the "other guys" you want if you're happy winning 7 games a year. But it's game breakers like Diggs and Cook who win games for you. You can take one off, make a few adjustments, and maybe be OK. That remains to be seen. In order to get doubles off of Thielen, Jefferson is going to HAVE TO make teams pay for it.

But you take both Diggs and Cook off? You just made every defensive coordinator in the North very happy.  What's more, the money you're paying Cousins is going to waste. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"pattersaur" said:

If our "entire offense revolves around Dalvin," it makes me wonder why we're paying Kirk $30M/year? I DON'T think the entire offense revolves around Dalvin. He's our best player on that side of the ball for sure, and no Diggs hurts bad, but it's not like this is the Ponder/AD/Jennings team here. We do have other guys.

Because we can. You need a good QB in this league and Cousins is a good QB. You pay for good QBs. Doesn't matter what kind of offense you run. It all works together. 

But make no mistake, this is a running, wide zone team and Cook is an elite wide zone back. We can have all the "other guys" you want if you're happy winning 7 games a year. But it's game breakers like Diggs and Cook who win games for you. You can take one off, make a few adjustments, and maybe be OK. That remains to be seen. In order to get doubles off of Thielen, Jefferson is going to HAVE TO make teams pay for it.

But you take both Diggs and Cook off? You just made every defensive coordinator in the North very happy.  What's more, the money you're paying Cousins is going to waste. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"pattersaur" said:

If our "entire offense revolves around Dalvin," it makes me wonder why we're paying Kirk $30M/year? I DON'T think the entire offense revolves around Dalvin. He's our best player on that side of the ball for sure, and no Diggs hurts bad, but it's not like this is the Ponder/AD/Jennings team here. We do have other guys.

Because we can. You need a good QB in this league and Cousins is a good QB. You pay for good QBs. Doesn't matter what kind of offense you run. It all works together. 

But make no mistake, this is a running, wide zone team and Cook is an elite wide zone back. We can have all the "other guys" you want if you're happy winning 7 games a year. But it's game breakers like Diggs and Cook who win games for you. You can take one off, make a few adjustments, and maybe be OK. That remains to be seen. In order to get doubles off of Thielen, Jefferson is going to HAVE TO make teams pay for it.

But you take both Diggs and Cook off? You just made every defensive coordinator in the North very happy.  What's more, the money you're paying Cousins is going to waste. 

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"pattersaur" said:

If our "entire offense revolves around Dalvin," it makes me wonder why we're paying Kirk $30M/year? I DON'T think the entire offense revolves around Dalvin. He's our best player on that side of the ball for sure, and no Diggs hurts bad, but it's not like this is the Ponder/AD/Jennings team here. We do have other guys.

Because we can. You need a good QB in this league and Cousins is a good QB. You pay for good QBs. Doesn't matter what kind of offense you run. It all works together. 

But make no mistake, this is a running, wide zone team and Cook is an elite wide zone back. We can have all the "other guys" you want if you're happy winning 7 games a year. But it's game breakers like Diggs and Cook who win games for you. You can take one off, make a few adjustments, and maybe be OK. That remains to be seen. In order to get doubles off of Thielen, Jefferson is going to HAVE TO make teams pay for it.

But you take both Diggs and Cook off? You just made every defensive coordinator in the North very happy.  What's more, the money you're paying Cousins is going to waste. 

Dalvin is definitely an elite RB...the issue is paying RB's $15MM a year, especially an injury prone one. Dalvin helps Kirk and the receivers and Kirk and the receivers help Dalvin. Most of the time when Dalvin goes the team goes. I'd definitely like to see him on the team long term but I'm nervous as to what the contract will look like. I'd feel a heck of a lot better if we felt confident on the young OL and could get rid of Reiff...

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"pattersaur" said:

If our "entire offense revolves around Dalvin," it makes me wonder why we're paying Kirk $30M/year? I DON'T think the entire offense revolves around Dalvin. He's our best player on that side of the ball for sure, and no Diggs hurts bad, but it's not like this is the Ponder/AD/Jennings team here. We do have other guys.

Because we can. You need a good QB in this league and Cousins is a good QB. You pay for good QBs. Doesn't matter what kind of offense you run. It all works together. 

But make no mistake, this is a running, wide zone team and Cook is an elite wide zone back. We can have all the "other guys" you want if you're happy winning 7 games a year. But it's game breakers like Diggs and Cook who win games for you. You can take one off, make a few adjustments, and maybe be OK. That remains to be seen. In order to get doubles off of Thielen, Jefferson is going to HAVE TO make teams pay for it.

But you take both Diggs and Cook off? You just made every defensive coordinator in the North very happy.  What's more, the money you're paying Cousins is going to waste. 

Dalvin is definitely an elite RB...the issue is paying RB's $15MM a year, especially an injury prone one. Dalvin helps Kirk and the receivers and Kirk and the receivers help Dalvin. Most of the time when Dalvin goes the team goes. I'd definitely like to see him on the team long term but I'm nervous as to what the contract will look like. I'd feel a heck of a lot better if we felt confident on the young OL and could get rid of Reiff...

I am sure I sound like a stuck record on this matter,  but we just committed the next 2 years to Cousins and its guaranteed IIRC,  with no OTAs,  no real offseason team workouts to date,  and only 2 preseason games,  is this really the year to play a rookie at LT, or to ask a RT to make that switch?  Reiff will likely be gone after this year,  but if they really wanted to try and move on without him this season they should have been using ONeill at LT at times last year like that meaningless Chicago game in December.

IMO Reiff stays at LT this year and they work on his replacement as the season progresses.  Hell maybe they get lucky and somebody can take his place out of camp or shortly after the season starts and they can get a 3rd rounder for him before the trade deadline.