Former Vikings RB Dalvin Cook Set to Visit Jets and Maybe Patriots

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Former Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook might be pairing up with a longtime NFC North rival soon.
Cook, who has been a free agent for nearly two months now, is headed to visit the Jets this weekend, according to multiple reports. New York is set to contend this year after acquiring former Packers QB and four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. Adding Cook to an offense that already features Rodgers, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall would only make the Jets more dangerous.
It's not a done deal just yet. Cook is also in talks with the Patriots about a possible visit, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. His hometown Dolphins also can't be ruled out until he actually signs elsewhere.
The Jets sure seem like the favorites, though. Rodgers notably took a $35 million pay cut this week, adjusting his prior contract to give his new team more financial flexibility over the next two years. That creates plenty of room for a Cook signing. And with Hall coming off a torn ACL that ended his incredible rookie season, adding Cook would raise both the floor and ceiling for the Jets at running back. He could handle a heavy workload early in the season before settling into maybe the league's best RB duo once Hall is back to full speed.
Cook made his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl last season, but his advanced metrics were putrid as the Vikings' running game struggled to maintain any sort of efficiency. Still, he had consistently been one of the NFL's top RBs over the previous three seasons. Cook is a home run hitter who could be in line for a bounce-back campaign after getting his bothersome shoulder fixed this offseason.
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Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.
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