Dalvin Cook Next Move: Sign with Patriots - Or Suspended by NFL?
The New England Patriots are a finalist - along with two rivals from the AFC East - for the services of Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, who remains a free agent as NFL teams begin training camp. But also in play here: The possibility that Cook spends part of the 2023 season under league suspension.
First to the football: Who else is in the mix, according to a FOX Sports report? The other two finalists are apparently the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets.
The Dolphins have been in play from the start; the former Minnesota Vikings standout, cut as a cap casualty, is a Miami native. The Jets are of course trying to load up on talent to support an Aaron Rodgers-led run to the playoffs.
And the Patriots? New England is supposedly shuffling money around in preparation of making a deal happen with Cook, who we've been told is seeking to make at least $10 million per year - the number range the Vikings thought to be too pricy.
Why isn't there a bigger market and why aren't there more bidders? This era of "the devaluation of the running back'' is a factor; the Giants' Saquon Barkley and the Raiders' Josh Jacobs still haven't signed their $10 million tags in protest of that movement.
But something else might be in play here. There is a lawsuit looming involving Cook's ex-girlfriend, and it is nasty business. She alleges that he assaulted her and caused severe injuries. ... and that he offered her $1 million in "hush money.'' Cook, meanwhile, is counter-suing.
Those issues logically complicate the "simple'' matter of which teams are in the Dalvin chase - especially if the Patriots and the rest now must weigh the possibility of the NFL eventually opting to punish Cook with a suspension.
Follow Patriots Country on Twitter and Facebook
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Patriots? Click Here
More Patriots coverage from Sports Illustrated here.
