Dalvin Cook to the Jets? Free agent in New York for visit

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Is even MORE help for Aaron Rodgers on the way?

The New York Jets aren’t done adding to their offense, and now the team has its sights set on free agent running back Dalvin Cook.

Cook, who was released by the Vikings in June, was the latest victim of running back de-emphasis around the league. Despite finishing 2022 with 1,468 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns, it wasn’t enough for Minnesota to justify the 5-year, $63 million extension they gave Cook in 2020.

If you needed any more evidence that the Jets were all-in on 2023, this just adds to the pile.

Would Dalvin Cook be good for the Jets?

In short: Yes, absolutely.

This is less about a required upgrade for New York, and more of an insurance policy. Breece Hall, who the Jets took in the 2022 NFL Draft, was one of the brightest young running backs in the league as he rushed for 463 yards as a staggering 5.8 yards-per-carry before ending his season with a torn ACL.

All signs point to Hall being back in full capacity this season, but backup Michael Carter was extremely inconsistent last season when his number came up. It was definitely enough to give coaches pause about the RB room for the Jets and how damaged their rushing offense would be, should something happen to Hall once again.

Cook and Hall aren’t entirely dissimilar backs. Both have three-down potential and the ability to be receiving threats out of the backfield, so rather than this being a change of pace signing, it would more allow New York to continue its base offense without much of a drop off.

Does this make sense for Dalvin Cook?

That really depends on the calls he’s getting. At this point the Jets are in a good position to pay him more than a lot of other teams would be willing to, thanks to Aaron Rodgers taking a pay cut in 2023. The question becomes whether this is the best move for his long-term career.

The assumption up to this point was that Cook would sign with a team in dire need of a No. 1 feature back. It’s for this reason the Dolphins and Bills were routinely thrown around as possible landing spots. New York is in a very different position, with Hall having the starting job on lock unless something dramatic happens. There’s very little reason outside of injury to play Cook over Hall, which means the free agent would get less visibility and take a backseat.

That said, there’s another element of this: Workload. If running backs aren’t getting paid what they’re worth anyway, then why not become part of a committee and take less lumps? Cook is arguably the top free agent running back right now (along with Ezekiel Elliott), so any team wanting to sign him would need to pay.

Perhaps there’s something to be said about guaranteeing a spot on a team where you can be a piece of the puzzle, get hit a lot less, and content for a Super Bowl.

What are the odds Dalvin Cook ends up with the Jets?

This feels like a perfunctory visit. As long as Cook is okay not being the No. 1 back then I expect this deal will happen quickly.

Currently I’d say there’s an 80 percent chance of Dalvin Cook becoming a member of the Jets by the end of this weekend.

It’s a solid landing spot where Aaron Rodgers could really make him shine, and opens up the potential for a multi-year deal to coincide with Rodgers’ final run. While Cook and Hall are similar backs, Cook is a shiftier lateral runner and better at making people miss on first contact, rather than bowling them over. So while this won’t be a true change of pace, it would add complexity to the Jets offense.