Cook released this morning

KFAN reported a little while ago that he would be released tomorrow at 3pm... 

I could be completely wrong but I don’t think he’ll be missed as much as many think. Sure he can explode for that big play but more often than not he was completely stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. KOC’s offense will be just fine with a RB by committee approach.

The #Vikings and four-time Pro Bowl RB Dalvin Cook are parting ways, per source.

One of the NFL’s most dynamic playmakers, Cook is coming off a fourth straight 1,000-yard season and has 52 career TDs. Now he’ll be a free agent at age 27 and will have multiple suitors. pic.twitter.com/kJUIi9XP6O

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 8, 2023

What I think this means:

1. This is a last attempt to shake the trade tree.
2. They have reached a deal with JJ for an extension but they need the Cook $s to execute.  They want to close the JJ extension before the mandatory minicamps.

@"VikingOracle" said: What I think this means:

1. This is a last attempt to shake the trade tree.
2. They have reached a deal with JJ for an extension but they need the Cook $s to execute.  They want to close the JJ extension before the mandatory minicamps.

Sad to see him go. Very good player and seemed like a locker room leader. Definitely a Zim favorite, maybe not so much with KO. Like Teddy before him, I wish Dalvin had taken a paycut to stick around. I doubt his open market deal is so high the Vikings wouldn't have given him something very similar.

Hard to believe we couldn't get anything for him.  Not sure what Kwesi was looking for but a 3rd, 4th, or 5th doesn't seem out of the realm of possibilities.  Not really a fan of straight up releasing him.

@"Wetlander" said: Hard to believe we couldn't get anything for him.  Not sure what Kwesi was looking for but a 3rd, 4th, or 5th doesn't seem out of the realm of possibilities.  Not really a fan of straight up releasing him.

Well I guess I need to get my mom a new player jersey. I already got her Jefferson and she can still wear Dalvin's jersey but still. I guess he can go to Miami or wherever now. I wonder if there were any issues with his physical.

@"Vikergirl" said: Well I guess I need to get my mom a new player jersey. I already got her Jefferson and she can still wear Dalvin's jersey but still. I guess he can go to Miami or wherever now. I wonder if there were any issues with his physical.

@"1VikesFan" said:

@"Wetlander" said: Hard to believe we couldn't get anything for him.  Not sure what Kwesi was looking for but a 3rd, 4th, or 5th doesn't seem out of the realm of possibilities.  Not really a fan of straight up releasing him.

Why would teams give up draft capital for him and his contract? RB is becoming less a valued commodity every year. Guys like Zeke Elliot are still FA's and Barkley still hasn't signed with the Giants. This ended exactly how I thought it would end and I am glad they're moving on and getting major cap relief.

@"Wetlander" said:

@"1VikesFan" said:

@"Wetlander" said: Hard to believe we couldn't get anything for him.  Not sure what Kwesi was looking for but a 3rd, 4th, or 5th doesn't seem out of the realm of possibilities.  Not really a fan of straight up releasing him.

Why would teams give up draft capital for him and his contract? RB is becoming less a valued commodity every year. Guys like Zeke Elliot are still FA's and Barkley still hasn't signed with the Giants. This ended exactly how I thought it would end and I am glad they're moving on and getting major cap relief.

McCaffrey just went for a 2nd and change.  He's the same age and similar caliber player as Dalvin.  Zeke is showing wear and tear whereas CMac and Dalvin have had some injuries but are still top RBs.  Not the same thing...

The cap relief is nice but it seems weird we couldn't trade a guy coming off 4 straight 1000K seasons for anything.  

@"medaille" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: Well I guess I need to get my mom a new player jersey. I already got her Jefferson and she can still wear Dalvin's jersey but still. I guess he can go to Miami or wherever now. I wonder if there were any issues with his physical.

I would guess his problem is his salary and that there are equally good options available via free agency that haven't been snapped up yet that will almost certainly be cheaper than what his contract was going to be.

Wish we had gotten something but I guess nobody wanted that contract.  Good luck finding someone else to pay him 10+ mil .

I'd guess he'll get 4-5 mil/yr with incentives.   But I'm not sure what teams need or want him at this point.

So much for the notion of " in a few years this contract will be a bargain " that we always hear when a top money deal is inked.  I fear anything done with Hunter will net the same remarks and in a couple years the same results.   

@"JimmyinSD" said: So much for the notion of " in a few years this contract will be a bargain " that we always hear when a top money deal is inked.  I fear anything done with Hunter will net the same remarks and in a couple years the same results.   

@"PurplePastor" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: So much for the notion of " in a few years this contract will be a bargain " that we always hear when a top money deal is inked.  I fear anything done with Hunter will net the same remarks and in a couple years the same results.   

I hear you, but this is positional. RBs are not not as valued as they once were and our offensive strategy has definitely shifted away from placing high value on that position since Cook's contract was forged. 

Life of an NFL RB in 2023…

Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, Kareem Hunt and Leonard Fournette are all free agents.

Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs have not signed their franchise tag tenders yet.

The position from a financial standpoint is not what it once was.

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 8, 2023

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"PurplePastor" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: So much for the notion of " in a few years this contract will be a bargain " that we always hear when a top money deal is inked.  I fear anything done with Hunter will net the same remarks and in a couple years the same results.   

I hear you, but this is positional. RBs are not not as valued as they once were and our offensive strategy has definitely shifted away from placing high value on that position since Cook's contract was forged. 

RBs devaluation had started before this contract,  its just some were late to the party ( Rick and Zim ) as certain positions eat larger and larger shares of the salary cap,  other positions will have to be devalued beyond the RB contracts.  We have kind of seen it with Safety the last few years as well.  What other positions will feel the same crunch in coming years so we can avoid over paying and having to find ourselves in this situation again.  

Personally I am not sold on Hunter in a 34 D and while I acknowledge that he ended up with good numbers on the surface last year,  I just am concerned about his health and fit in this new D and would be OK with moving on from him for a good return,  in lieu of giving him a monster deal and then seeing him flounder or get hurt and miss a lot of time again.

@"AGRforever" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"PurplePastor" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: So much for the notion of " in a few years this contract will be a bargain " that we always hear when a top money deal is inked.  I fear anything done with Hunter will net the same remarks and in a couple years the same results.   

I hear you, but this is positional. RBs are not not as valued as they once were and our offensive strategy has definitely shifted away from placing high value on that position since Cook's contract was forged. 

RBs devaluation had started before this contract,  its just some were late to the party ( Rick and Zim ) as certain positions eat larger and larger shares of the salary cap,  other positions will have to be devalued beyond the RB contracts.  We have kind of seen it with Safety the last few years as well.  What other positions will feel the same crunch in coming years so we can avoid over paying and having to find ourselves in this situation again.  

Personally I am not sold on Hunter in a 34 D and while I acknowledge that he ended up with good numbers on the surface last year,  I just am concerned about his health and fit in this new D and would be OK with moving on from him for a good return,  in lieu of giving him a monster deal and then seeing him flounder or get hurt and miss a lot of time again.

Yup, time to unload Hunter.  If we can get a 1st I'd be ecstatic.