Free agent running back Dalvin Cook has broken his silence on his release from the Minnesota Vikings earlier this month.
Friday marks two weeks since the Vikings released the four-time Pro Bowler from his contract. Despite recording a fourth straight 1,000 rushing yard season, the 27-year-old Cook remains a free agent.
During an appearance on “The Adam Schefter Podcast” (h/t Trevor Squire of Heavy.com), Cook offered his first comments on the release from the Vikings. There, Cook admitted that the Vikings’ offensive scheme under head coach Kevin O’Connell wasn’t the best fit for him, and that he’d like to join a different type of offense:
“I’m a three-down back. Running the ball, outside zone, inside zone, that’s what I do. That’s my bread and butter. That’s not their scheme. They want to get the ball out wide to the guys outside, and they want to toss the ball around, and that’s not what I’m looking (for)…
I want somebody that’s going to ground and pound, and we’re going to make plays on the outside, and I’m going to help somebody win.”
The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins have been widely cited as front-runners for Cook’s services. Earlier this month, New York head coach Robert Saleh didn’t even try to hide the team’s interest in Cook.
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Cook left the Vikings as their third all-time leading rusher (5,993), behind only Robert Smith (6,818) and future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson (11,747). Only Peterson, Chuck Foreman and Bill Brown have more career rushing TDs as a Viking than Cook (47).
The No. 41 selection of the 2017 NFL Draft was limited to 15 games over his first two seasons. He finally broke out in 2019 with 1,135 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Cook went on to cross 1,100 yards rushing in each of the next three years.
