Vikings Trading Dalvin Cook? Should Bills Unite RB Brothers in Buffalo?
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How can the Buffalo Bills take the next step from being AFC East division winners to a perennial Super Bowl contender?
Acquiring a top-tier running back is a big area of improvement in the Bills' quest to add more play-makers around quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since LeSean McCoy last did it in back-to-back seasons in 2016 and 2017.
As the Minnesota Vikings are reportedly "open for business" - according to a report from ESPN - and with running back Dalvin Cook already being a person of interest in recent trade talks around the league, the Bills could and should be interested.
Cook, 27, has been the lead back in Minnesota since being drafted in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Florida State. The older brother of current Bills running back James Cook rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2022, the fourth-straight season doing so.
The reason for wanting to move Cook is not about a lack of production; rather, it is for "cost-cutting" purposes. The Vikings are set to owe Cook over $10 million this offseason, and with them currently being $7 million over the salary cap, it's easy to see the issue.
Minnesota has already cut other veteran players like wide receiver Adam Thielen and linebacker Eric Kendricks, with Cook looking like the next veteran player to be asked to leave.
If ESPN's report is to be true and the Vikings are trying to ship off Cook, it could mean that they are willing to take a lower price for a deal to be done. Based on what the Los Angeles Rams got for star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, it is logical to think the Bills could be asked to part with, at most, a day-two pick considering the degradation of the running back position over the years.
Adding Cook would give the Bills their No. 1 running back, which would likely reduce the role of younger brother James, as he could be used more for his receiving skills while giving Dalvin a breather.
The only issue for the Bills in a potential Cook deal would be trying clear cap space to acquire him. According to OverTheCap, Buffalo is presently $19 million over the cap, meaning they'd have to get back to even and then some to take on the $10 million that Cook is owed.
But reuniting the Cooks brothers together in the same backfield would certainly be a story, though it'd also give the Bills the missing piece they're searching for.
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