Do Ravens 'Need' Dalvin Cook in Playoffs?
The rich are getting richer in the NFL.
Just days after clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC and homefield advantage throughout the entire playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens went ahead and signed four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook to the practice squad.
While Cook has quite the resume, his first year away from the Minnesota Vikings has been a dud. Cook has carried the ball 67 times for 214 yards without scoring a touchdown in 15 games with the New York Jets. When the Jets were eliminated from the playoffs, Cook asked for his release, and he subsequently signed with the Ravens.
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Cook, 28, has three games of playoff experience under his belt, which is valuable, but will he even need to play for the Ravens in the postseason?
While the Ravens have been decimated once again at the running back position, losing Keaton Mitchell and JK Dobbins to season-ending injuries, the team still employs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, both of whom have had stronger seasons than Cook.
The team also has Melvin Gordon on the practice squad, and he's expected to potentially have a role in the Ravens backfield this postseason.
Depth is super important in the NFL, especially in the playoffs, but this is an absolute luxury signing for the Ravens. Perhaps the biggest benefit from signing Cook is so other contenders, like the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins, can't have him.
There's a difference between "want" and "need," and it's clear that the Ravens wanted Cook. Will they need him? That's a different story.
