CBS Sports wrongly lists 49ers as destination for Dalvin Cook
By Peter Panacy
Sure, CBS Sports' idea of Dalvin Cook joining the 49ers sounds fun. But there's no serious reason why it would ever happen.
The Minnesota Vikings decided it best to get rid of one of their best offensive weapons, running back Dalvin Cook, a four-time Pro Bowler who just wrapped up his sixth season in Minnesota.
Cook, who'll turn 28 years old just before the start of the 2023 season, is the epitome of a modern tailback with dual-threat capabilities in both the run and receiving games. Naturally, given his prowess, Cook will have a share of suitors on the open market.
One of them, however, should not be the San Francisco 49ers.
Before we continue the argument we already began about the Niners saying "no" to Cook, let's acknowledge that a respected NFL writer, CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani, actually thinks Cook heading to San Francisco would be a good idea.
Let's break that down.
CBS Sports is sorely mistaken for thinking 49ers would be a Dalvin Cook suitor
In a vacuum, would the 49ers be a good landing spot for Cook?
Yes, absolutely. Cook with thrive in a run-first offense under head coach Kyle Shanahan that also places an emphasis on "positionless" football: receivers who can rush, and running backs who run routes.
Look no further than two of the Niners' best All-Pro weapons, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Christian McCaffrey.
Despite those two players' presence under Shanahan, Dajani still felt San Francisco would be a perfect landing spot for Cook:
"Cook in the 49ers' offense would be like playing Madden on rookie level for coach Kyle Shanahan. Along with giving him an embarrassment of riches on offense, Cook would also give Shanahan desired depth at running back given Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell's injury history. "
Granted, both McCaffrey and fellow running back Elijah Mitchell have injuries histories, and that is something the 49ers need to be concerned about.
But a splurge on Cook at a point where McCaffrey is fully healthy simply isn't feasible unless one of some very, very unlikely scenarios happens.
Why Dalvin Cook wouldn't choose 49ers anyway
Cap space can be perceived as fictional, and there are plenty of ways to mitigate a lowish amount of cap space. Right now, according to Over the Cap, the Niners have $10.68 million available.
Last year, Cook earned $12 million from the Vikings. He'll likely be seeking something close to that number, and it's hard to envision San Francisco spewing out the last remaining portion of its cap space for someone who'd effectively be a backup running back.
And that's the second part of the equation.
Read more: 5 underrated moves Niners made this offseason
Cook, should he sign with the 49ers, would know he's the No. 2 to McCaffrey, plain and simple. Not only would his touches diminish, but he'd also not be the go-to player in key situations. The Niners already have McCaffrey and Samuel to do that, among others.
No, instead, Cook would want to sign with a team where he'd be the bona fide top option on the ground, not a second or third "fiddle," so to speak.
At least Dajani also listed the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins as ideal landing spots, too.
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