Vikings Think Dalvin Cook “Could be Special”
Joe Johnson
|
I know there’s a joke in there somewhere for Packers fans, but, I won’t take the bait! I’ll only mention it.
Even the most ardent supporters of Adrian Peterson were ready for him to go this off-season, it’d been just too much, too much drama, too much money, not enough on-field contributions (as of late). So, when the Vikings were faced with the possibility of paying the 32 year old back $18 million dollars in 2017, they made the right choice. The question then became, who do they bring in to succeed the best running back in team history?
At first that question seemed to be answered when the Vikings went after arguably the best (Or at least the youngest of the best) running back in free agency in Latavius Murray earlier this off-season. Murray, a stand-out from the Oakland Raiders, was everything Peterson was not, a pass catcher, a blocker, and all around back. But, was he able to provide that next level that Peterson could that would keep defenses honest and open up the pass game? Apparently the Vikings didn’t think so, as they went out and drafted one of the top three running backs in this year’s draft, Dalvin Cook, who fell out of the first round based on a combination of a lesser interest in running backs in the NFL and character concerns.
According to Zimmer, that investment may be paying off.
“I think he’s got a chance to be special,” Zimmer said, via ESPN.com. “There was a play yesterday that, Xavier Rhodes is trying to catch him, and he’s hauling now. I just think this guy has got a chance to be pretty good. Now, he’s got some things he’s got to work on, like all young backs, but I’ve been very impressed with him this spring.”
Keep in mind that Xavier Rhodes was just named a top 5 fastest player from the 2016 season, and you get why this is an even bigger deal than it otherwise would be. Or the fact that Zimmer rarely praises rookies, or at least hasn’t historically (He’s been working on becoming a better players coach, so maybe this is the new Zim, Now with brand new cornea!). If the Vikings hit a home run with Cook, they’ll have one of the more varied and deep offenses in the entire NFL this year. That’s a far-cry from the patchwork offense they had in 2016 and combined with their defense, could make them a contender at the perfect time.
Even if Cook takes some time to acclimate to the speed and physicality of the NFL, the Vikings have Murray and Jerick McKinnon to help shoulder the load/mentor him. Murray is on schedule to be ready for Training Camp, per reports from this morning as well, so it’s looking like the Vikings have everything coming together. Yet again. Something tells me that they may not blow it this time.