Ranking Top NFL Playoff Contender Landing Spots for Dalvin Cook After Leaving Jets

Ranking Top NFL Playoff Contender Landing Spots for Dalvin Cook After Leaving Jets0 of 6

Running back Dalvin CookSteve Marcus/Getty Images

Playoff-bound NFL teams rarely have the opportunity to add a Pro Bowl-level talent just before the start of the postseason. However, the recent release of New York Jets running back Dalvin Cook isn’t a typical situation.

The Jets and Cook have mutually agreed to part ways, giving the 28-year-old a chance to land with a contender ahead of the playoffs. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cook is restructuring his contract and forfeiting remaining guarantees to make the move happen.

While Cook struggled to make an impact for the Jets (292 scrimmage yards, 3.2 yards per carry), he’s still a four-time Pro Bowler who tallied 1,468 scrimmage yards last season. Cook was also rarely used in New York, meaning he should be as fresh as a veteran ball-carrier could be in January.

Cook should have options. Below, we’ll rank the top six landing spots for him based on factors like team need, roster makeup and scheme fit.

6. San Francisco 49ers1 of 6

49ers head coach Kyle ShanahanMichael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

The big question surrounding Cook is whether he can still be the Pro Bowl player he was a year ago. He seemed to lack burst with the Jets, though it’s entirely fair to wonder if his lack of production was the product of New York’s bad offensive line and underwhelming offense.

Cook wouldn’t face such issues with the San Francisco 49ers. The left side of San Francisco’s offensive line is tremendous, and Kyle Shanahan can scheme open running lanes with the best of them.

As a runner and receiver, Cook would have a legitimate chance to shine with the 49ers.

However, running back isn’t the biggest need for San Francisco. They have a star in Christian McCaffrey and a capable backup in Elijah Mitchell. Of course, depth never hurts, and the 49ers are set to rest McCaffrey in Week 18 because of a calf injury.

“We’re happy that they’ll take care of him this week and hopefully he’ll
start getting to go [in practice] during our off week,” 49ers head
coach Kyle Shanahan said, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.

There are worse things to be than a third running back on a Super Bowl roster.

5. Cleveland Browns2 of 6

Browns QB Joe FlaccoCooper Neill/Getty Images

The Cleveland Browns lost star running back Nick Chubb to a season-ending knee injury back in Week 2. If Cook can be the same player he was a year ago, he’d be a mighty attractive option for Cleveland.

While the tandem of Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt has been serviceable for the Browns, it has not been able to replicate Chubb’s offensive impact. Cleveland ranks 11th in rushing yards but only 25th in yards per carry (3.9).

The Browns have also been more than willing to accept new faces into their locker room, as frequent bites from the injury bug have made it necessary.

The biggest potential issue for Cook in Cleveland is the fact that the offense has become a pass-first unit with Joe Flacco under center. Head coach Kevin Stefanski still does a fantastic job of mixing in screens and timely runs, but he’s now leaning on Flacco’s arm to attack downfield.

With Ford and Hunt already settled into defined roles—Ford is the top dual-threat, while Hunt gets the short-yardage and goal-line work—Cook might not get the chance to make an instant impact.

4. Miami Dolphins3 of 6

Dolphins head coach Mike McDanielMegan Briggs/Getty Images

While Stefanski has rightfully earned a reputation as a quality play-caller, Mike McDaniel is a more attractive coach for Cook. He rivals even Shanahan in his ability to create open running lanes and generate big plays on the ground.

The fact that De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. have all averaged 4.5 yards per carry or more for the Miami Dolphins shows just how explosive McDaniel’s offense can be.

Cook was initially attracted to McDaniel’s offense before he chose the Jets in the offseason.

“As a running back you look for a certain scheme and I know the scheme that I’m good in, and that’s outside zone, and that’s what the Miami Dolphins run,” Cook told SiriusXM NFL Radio in June (h/t ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio).

It’s also worth noting that the Dolphins are Cook’s hometown team.

The caveat here is that Miami has Achane, Mostert and Wilson on the roster and doesn’t necessarily need backfield help. With Mostert battling knee and ankle injuries, the Dolphins could use depth, but they might not be able to offer Cook a standout role.

If Cook is comfortable with a backup role, the team that just blew out the Dolphins on Sunday should be far more attractive.

3. Baltimore Ravens4 of 6

Ravens QB Lamar JacksonRob Carr/Getty Images

Most players would jump at the chance to play for the Baltimore Ravens and likely MVP Lamar Jackson. After losing both J.K. Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell to injuries during the regular season, Baltimore should also be open to adding running-back depth.

If Cook’s top priority is playing in a Super Bowl, the Ravens should be at the top of his list.

However, if Cook is seeking a prominent role, Baltimore might not be the right landing spot for him.

The Ravens are a run-first team (first in rushing attempts, 31st in pass attempts), but Jackson leads the charge with a committee backfield behind him. The duo of Gus Edwards and Justice Hill has been more than serviceable for Baltimore, so Cook could find himself with only a minor role.

This would only likely change if Cook can prove he still has the explosiveness he showcased early in his career. Mitchell provided a breakaway threat in the backfield that the Ravens lack without him.

2. Buffalo Bills5 of 6

Bills RB James CookRyan Kang/Getty Images

The Buffalo Bills could offer Cook two things that could be important to the running back. They’re playoff contenders who have gotten hot late in the season—they can win the AFC East by beating Miami in Week 18—and they employ Cook’s brother, James Cook.

Dalvin Cook discussed the idea of playing with his brother during the offseason.

“That’d be exciting. That’d be exciting for me and my family. It would,” he told The Rich Eisen Show (begins at the 20-second mark).

Buffalo has become a more run-oriented team down the stretch under interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady. James Cook has emerged as a star as a result. And while the incumbent Cook would likely remain Buffalo’s high-volume back, the Bills don’t have a ton of depth behind him.

Latavius Murray is third on the team behind James Cook and quarterback Josh Allen with a mere 300 rushing yards. Dalvin Cook’s skill set is very similar to his brother’s, and he could provide seamless in-game transitions in Buffalo’s backfield.

The only real problem with joining the Bills is that they’re not even guaranteed to reach the postseason. If Buffalo loses to the Dolphins on Sunday, it runs the risk of missing out on a wild-card berth.

1. Dallas Cowboys6 of 6

Cowboys QB Dak PrescottRon Jenkins/Getty Images

The Dallas Cowboys have already secured their playoff spot, and if they beat the Washington Commanders on Sunday, they’ll be NFC East champions and the NFC’s No. 2 seed as well.

That’s one reason Dallas should be at the top of Cook’s list. The other is that the Cowboys have a dire need for a quality ball-carrier. Their offense has been plenty potent with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb leading the charge, but the Cowboys have struggled to consistently move the ball on the ground.

Tony Pollard has been a terrific dual-threat in Mike McCarthy’s offense, but he’s averaging just 4.0 yards per carry. As a team, the Cowboys rank 19th in yards per carry (4.1), and there isn’t a running back who has averaged more than Pollard for the Cowboys this season.

Cook could help fill the inside-running role that Ezekiel Elliott held while splitting time with Pollard last season. McCarthy’s system also uses a lot of principles of the West Coast offense, for which Cook’s running-receiving skill set would be ideal.

Dallas might not be viewed in the same light as Baltimore or San Francisco. However, it will be a tough out in the playoffs if it claims the No. 2 seed and doesn’t face a road game until, potentially, the NFC title game. The Cowboys can offer Cook both an immediate on-field opportunity and a realistic shot at reaching Super Bowl LVIII.