Report: RB Dalvin Cook to participate in Vikings’ voluntary program

Despite not having a contract beyond the 2020 NFL season, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook will participate in the team’s voluntary offseason program starting Monday, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.

The #Vikings begin the virtual period of their voluntary offseason program today, and star RB Dalvin Cook plans to participate while awaiting a new contract, per sources.

Cook is entering the last year of his rookie deal.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 27, 2020

Cook is entering the final year of his rookie contract after being drafted in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

In 2019, Cook had a career season, rushing for 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns to go with 53 catches for 519 yards.

Cook has a case to be paid like one of the top running backs in the league, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that he’s missed 19 games in the first three years of his career.

It seems unlikely that Cook will get a deal like Christian McCaffrey just got with the Panthers (four years, $64 million with $38 million guaranteed), but something around the $10 million annual mark with $30 million guaranteed might make sense.

Unfortunately for running backs, these types of contracts don’t favor the teams signing them very often. With that being said, it’s hard to ignore how important Cook is to Minnesota’s offense.