The big NFL news of the day was the announcement that the Vikings are getting set to part ways with Dalvin Cook. According to multiple reports, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will spend Thursday trying to find a trade partner for Cook, and if he’s unsuccessful he’ll release Cook on Friday.
The Bears making a deal to acquire Cooks feels out of the question at this point, but if he hits the open market could Bears GM Ryan Poles be a serious player in whatever market that develops? Probably not.
On the surface, adding Cook would make any offense better, including the Bears offense. He remains one of the most dynamic backs in the game. Cook has the rare blend of strength to break tackles, elusiveness to make guys miss and sheer speed to leave would-be tacklers in his dust. He’s put together four consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons, and he’s still in the prime of his career. Cook turns just 28 years old this August.
Cook would likely be a great fit in Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s zone rushing scheme, too. The idea is the offensive line creates a gap so that the running back can make one cut, beat one man, then take off. One of Cook’s strengths is the ability to make cutbacks like those required to have success in the system.
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There are a couple reasons why the Bears wouldn’t want to make a strong play to add Cook to the fold, however. Money and space.
Poles has proven in just over a year that he will be disciplined when it comes to managing the team’s salary cap. He’s reluctant to spend more than his evaluations dictate for free agents, and since Cook is a legit superstar he could command a contract that goes beyond Poles’ comfort level. Given reports that the Dolphins are already interested in adding Cook to their high-octane offense, a bit of a bidding war could emerge. If so, the Bears will probably want to sit on the sidelines.
Even if Cook doesn’t earn a monster contract on the open market, the Bears have already invested a lot into their running backs room this year. Poles signed D’Onta Foreman and Travis Homer in the first waves of free agency. Then, he drafted Roschon Johnson in the fourth-round of this year’s draft. Running back is considered a non-premium position in today’s NFL and Poles has said before that he takes positional value into account when allocating resources. After overhauling the position through both free agency and the draft, it doesn’t seem likely that Poles would want to spend even more.
Chicago Bears
In cases like this, the more obvious choices usually win out in the end. A homecoming in Miami to play in Mike McDaniel’s offense makes a ton of sense. The Jets could be a player since they’re in win now mode, and starter Breece Hall is coming off an ACL injury. Looking at the big picture, the Bears probably won’t emerge as the top bidders for Cook’s services.
