Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is looking to get paid. Cook posted a career best season last year playing in 14 games and rushing for 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground to go along with 53 receptions for 519 yards. All of those numbers are career highs for the second-round pick out of Florida State.
He's now entering the final year of his rookie deal and is looking to get paid.
Via ESPN's Adam Schefter:
Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook will no longer participate in any team-related activities until and unless he receives what he determines to be a "reasonable" deal, a source said Monday.
"He's out," a source told ESPN. "Without a reasonable extension, he will not be showing up for camp or beyond."
I'm all for Cook making his money and based on last year, he's earned a significant raise over the $1.3 million he's set to make this year. However, Cook has battled injuries throughout his career and never played a full 16-game schedule and if we are going just based off last year, he cooled off drastically in the second half of the season.
Cook had five games of over 100 yards rushing in his first seven games. In the seven games after that (he missed two due to injury), the most yards he ran for was 98 and his yards per carry broke 4.0 only once.
Rumors are swirling as to what exactly Cook means when he says "reasonable". There's a report that he wants north of what Christian McCaffrey is making at $16 million/year. Another report says Cook would be happy with signing a deal similar to what David Johnson signed two years ago with the Cardinals (3-years, $39 million).
Via Spotrac, the Vikings have just under $12 million in cap space this season should they try and sign Cook to a long-term deal.