Why the Cowboys shouldn’t add Dalvin Cook despite questions at RB

David Helman

Dallas Cowboys Insider

It’s no fun being a wet blanket, but someone’s got to do it.

The Minnesota Vikings informed Dalvin Cook of his impending release on Thursday. Barring some last-ditch attempt to trade for him, Cook will be released to the open market heading into the weekend, meaning a four-time Pro Bowl running back is about to become available to anyone who wants him.

Normally, this is where we sound the Cowboy sirens and try to badger the Dallas front office into doing something fun. It happened just two weeks ago, when DeAndre Hopkins became a free agent under similar circumstances.

The vast majority of the time, I’m one of those who’d prefer to see the Cowboys act more aggressively. I’m just not sure this is one of those occasions. Because, outside of the obvious fact that Cook is a talented player at a thin position, I’m just not sure I see the fit.

Let’s consider why. Even without Ezekiel Elliott on their roster, the Cowboys are currently seventh in the NFL in running back spending for 2023. They’ve allocated $13.9 million to the position, which only trails teams with true bell-cow backs like Tennessee, Cleveland and the New York Giants. That’s what happens when you franchise tag Tony Pollard to the tune of $10.1 million.

That’s important for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, Cook should still command a healthy salary on the open market. Sure, he’s not going to see the same dollar figure he had in Minnesota, where he had a $12.6 million salary. At 28 years old entering this season, though, and with four-straight 1,100-yard seasons on his resume at reasonable per-carry efficiency, Cook should still be able to command a robust amount. With the added cap space from Elliott’s post-June 1 release, it’s an expense the Cowboys can afford. This is a position, however, that we repeatedly see can be effectively addressed with small expenditures.

[The Cowboys are about to double their cap space. What can they do with it?]

There’s also the issue of role. Cook has toted the rock 249 or more times in each of the last four seasons. He took 65% of the Vikings’ carries last year. And while he may not expect to get the same degree of touches, he’s still clearly capable of being a lead back.

The Cowboys have that in Pollard, who is two years younger than Cook, has 772 fewer touches on his odometer and is expected to be fully healthy for training camp. One of the benefits of Pollard often seeing reduced work behind Elliott these last few years is that he is primed to carry a larger load in his first real opportunity as the starter.

Cowboys GM, Jerry Jones has not ruled out re-signing Ezekiel Elliott

It would be naïve to say signing Cook would be unfair to Pollard, because that’s not how pro football works. But it is fair to wonder if there are enough snaps to go around for two Pro Bowl players, one of whom is already costing the team $10 million.

Hopkins’ situation is similar, which is why the Cowboys have shown no interest in pursuing him. But at least Hopkins plays a position that requires multiple significant assets. You need at least two, if not three quality receivers in the modern NFL, and Michael Gallup’s injury history combined with Brandin Cooks‘ age is just enough to make that plausible.

Here, not so much. Pollard is positioned to the Cowboys’ bell cow at least for 2023 — we’ll see about the future. Behind him, there’s an experienced (and inexpensive) backup in Ronald Jones II and a duo of intriguing prospects in Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis.

Would it be nice to have more experienced depth? Sure. Jones only carried the ball 17 times for 70 yards last season and Davis has just 38 career carries. It will be interesting to see just how much of a role Vaughn, a sixth-round pick, can carve out for himself.

But Dalvin Cook is not experienced depth; he is a starter who will expect starter-caliber money. If the Cowboys decide they want more behind Pollard, they can wait for training-camp roster cuts, or they can turn toward other veterans — Jerry Jones refuses to close the door on a reunion with Elliott, after all. The point being, there are ways to find that production without the added investment.

None of this is to say Cook is washed up. Odds are, with the full market available to him, he’s going to pick a good situation with a fitting team and excel. The point is more that, for the first time in a while, the Cowboys have a chance to get cheaper and younger at running back. There’s no sense in squandering that now.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing “Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.