Dalvin Cook remains unclaimed after his release from the Minnesota Vikings. He has created a buzz of speculation regarding his potential landing spot for how he can impact the game. Several teams are closely monitoring the situation, including the Miami Dolphins and the Denver Broncos, who are in search of a dynamic playmaker in the backfield.
Cook’s release has opened up opportunities for teams to directly negotiate with him as a free agent. While trade rumors initially circulated, his previous base salary of $10.4 million made a trade impossible.
His current status as an unrestricted free agent means teams can engage in contract negotiation with him at any point. The financial aspect still holds significance in potential contract negotiations, but he isn’t rushed to sign a new deal.
When could Dalvin Cook sign a contract?
The running back market this offseason showed how devalued the position is. Not only very productive starters received modest deals as free agents, but some superstars weren’t able to get long-term contracts either. That’s what he could be waiting for.
There are elite players like Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs that were franchised-tagged by their teams. Both the Giants and the Raiders rely heavily on them to have decent offenses, although neither was offered what they were expecting. They still have until July 17 to sign a multi-year contract, which is exactly the date that Cook might be considering.
“He’s in a little bit of a wait-and-see mode right now. No official visits to teams. I’m told Cook can actually wait until July 17 because you’ve got three running backs on the franchise tag”, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported. The third one is Tony Pollard, but he already signed it considering he doesn’t have the leverage with the Dallas Cowboys that the other players have.