The Minnesota Vikings unquestionably went through more changes this 2020 offseason than any other NFC North team. Not in a good way either. They had to release longtime staple Everson Griffen at defensive end in addition to much of their starting secondary. One could argue it was even worse for the offense as they were forced to trade star wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Not to mention starting guard Josh Kline being released.
Not that any of their division rivals including the Chicago Bears have much sympathy for them.
Well, it seems things just got worse. Adam Schefter reported earlier today that star running back Dalvin Cook is preparing to hold out. By the sounds of things, this isn’t just a message to get their attention. He fully plans to dig his heels in until they give him a “reasonable” deal. The timing of this can’t be worse. Not just for the usual reasons too.
Dalvin Cook knows he’s the focus of the Minnesota Vikings now
One has to applaud Cook’s move here. With the departure of Diggs, it’s clearer than ever what the Vikings plan to do. Promoting Gary Kubiak to offensive coordinator made it obvious they plan to run the football this season and beyond. That means a heavier workload for him. Knowing full well the shelf life of running backs in the NFL is short, his decision to hold out now is savvy.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
The team isn’t in any position to go find a replacement for him and can’t possibly expect the offense to run through Alexander Mattison.
Where it gets even worse for the Vikings is the financial situation. Despite all their cost-saving moves, they’re still not exactly swimming in cash. Recent estimates have them around $12 million in cap space. One must not forget they also are trying to work out a new deal for safety Anthony Harris too. Then there is the COVID-19 problem. Some experts believe the financial windfall of no fans in stadiums could drastically impact the 2021 salary cap. Perhaps dropping it by anywhere from $10-30 million.
That makes the idea of handing Cook a lucrative extension even less appealing. So yeah. Tough time up in Minnesota. Sad.