An “Under the Radar” Dalvin Cook Landing Spot
Josh Frey
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Lately, just about every media outlet has been speculating where the remaining free agents will land in the final weeks before training camp officially begins. After the Vikings released RB Dalvin Cook back in June, headlines have been filled with rumors of where he might land this season.
As of now, the favorites for Cook seem reside in the AFC East, and it makes sense that he would go to one of these teams. Miami would mean a return home while Buffalo would allow him to team up with his brother, James. Meanwhile, the Jets allow him to compete for a Super Bowl, and the Patriots can offer him a boatload of money.
However, what if these landing spots all fall through for Cook? There is another team that, at least in your author’s humble opinion, should have their eyes on the veteran running back. It is another AFC team that sneakily could be poised to make some noise this season: the Indianapolis Colts.
Of course, much of Indy’s potential success rides on the shoulders of rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. However, the seeds have definitely been planted around the young QB for success this season. They have a budding star at receiver in Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman gives them another capable player at the position.
It may also be wise for Indy to try and put another veteran RB in their backfield to take some pressure off of Jonathan Taylor. The RB compiled nearly 1500 carries in five seasons between 2017 and 2021 (three at Wisconsin, two in Indianapolis), but with such a massive workload, the RB had injuries begin popping up in 2022 that limited him to just 11 games. When he did play, his 4.5 yards per carry was a full yard lower than the previous season.
Indianapolis did make a move midseason in 2022 to bring in Zach Moss, but he has never been much more than a borderline RB2 throughout his career. A trio of Cook, Moss, and Taylor would be an elite group of players out of the backfield, and with Richardson’s dynamic athleticism at QB, the Colts would be able to constantly keep defenses guessing.
Finally, the cap space situation for the Colts is better than just about anyone in the league, with over $25 million of salary cap remaining. This is more than any AFC East team, so the Colts can make the best financial offer for Cook of the group. Indianapolis should be taken seriously over the next few weeks as the veteran RB decides where he wants to play in 2023.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.