Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is holding out for more money. The Vikings running back will not be playing at his current contract. He wants to be paid heading into the last year of his rookie deal. Cook is hoping to make money similar or more than what Christian McCaffrey made for the Carolina Panthers. That is a significant sum of money. Especially for a team that has barely any cap scape. Vikings could be in a world of trouble with Cook, although Cook might be smart to reconsider his plans to hold for McCaffery money.

Vikings might have seen this from a mile away. Last year, the drafted Alexander Mattison. Mattison became a fantasy darling and had some productive moments on the field with Minnesota. If Cook held out for a significant period of time, Mattison could fill in easily. Cook does not have the leverage of other running backs in the National Football League. This is the same problem that Melvin Gordon ran into last year with Austin Ekeler backing him up. Cook is better than Gordon, but still, Vikings have no reason to pay him.

It is interesting to see Cook go this route when it hasn’t worked out for so many running backs. It is an annual tradition that we have one running back who holds out and hopes that their team is dumb like the Los Angeles Rams. I can make a case for Ezekiel Elliott and McCaffrey yet they’re still likely paid too much. While we like to clown on Minnesota, they’re not a dumb team usually. Some bad moves here and there, but that’s all teams.

Vikings could truly think about dealing Cook, and I wouldn’t put it past Rick Spielman. The guy loves draft picks like I do my fiancee’s cookies. It would not surprise me in the slightest. Cook is a top tier running back, but Minnesota had his backup plan in case something like this happened.

With Green Bay’s first matchup of the year against Minnesota, this is a story to watch all summer.

Charlie.