The Minnesota Vikings are parting ways with Dalvin Cook just two years into a five-year extension he signed with the team in 2020. Naturally, fans and analysts alike have mentioned the Los Angeles Rams as a potential landing spot for the veteran running back.
Cook won’t be turning 28 years old until August and he’s coming off four straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Vikings. There’s no doubt that Cook would immediately become the No. 1 back for the Rams, but does it make sense for Los Angeles to bring him in?
Since the beginning of the offseason, the Rams have made it clear that they have one goal in mind: embrace the future. Trading All-Pro Jalen Ramsey and releasing marquee veterans like Bobby Wagner and Leonard Floyd aren’t moves a team that is in contention for a Super Bowl would make.
The Rams also recently traded Allen Robinson, which has given them the second-most dead cap in the NFL in 2023. With $74.2 million in dead money and only $1.49 million in cap space (according to OverTheCap), the Rams are setting their sights on having more wiggle room in future years, making Cook an unlikely signing for Sean McVay’s squad.
Signing Cook would go against what the Rams have laid out as their plan for the upcoming season. They still have Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp on the offensive side of the ball, but does Cook move the needle enough to make Los Angeles a legitimate contender?
On the defensive side of the ball, the Rams are left with Aaron Donald carrying the torch as one of the lone veterans. With all of the inexperienced players expected to start or have prominent roles, the Rams could finish with a defense that resides in the bottom half of the league.
Also, with the lack of cap space, the Rams could elect to make roster moves that free up some money. The Rams would be better off using the available cap space they have on veterans at premium positions on defense (either cornerback or edge rusher) than signing Cook.
Once again, no one is arguing that Cook wouldn’t be an upgrade over Cam Akers, Kyren Williams, or Zach Evans. But all of those guys are on rookie contracts and adding Cook on a more expensive deal doesn’t magically make the Rams Super Bowl contenders with the other holes that are still visible on their current roster.
