Dalvin Cook admits Dolphins would be ‘perfect fit’ for him, won’t rule out another AFC East team

Ever since the Vikings released Dalvin Cook, the Dolphins have widely been considered favorites to pursue the Pro Bowl running back. Cook has only fueled the fire, from social media farewells in Hard Rock Stadium to publicly admitting he’d play for the franchise.

The only running back to rush for 1,000 yards in each of the last four seasons, Cook made his public pitch for the Dolphins to sign him. He wanted to play in the Dolphins’ outside zone run scheme. 

“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. So it’s like, you know, it’d be a perfect fit,” Cook said Thursday on Sirius XM NFL Radio, via the Miami Herald. “And the roster, like you said, speaks for itself.”

Cook also admitted the Dolphins wouldn’t be the only team he’d play for. He wants to be in the right situation at the end of the day. 

“You know, a lot of people got me pegged going back home (to the Dolphins). A lot of people got me going to the Jets. It’s all over the place right now, but what’s gonna be important for me is just going to that right situation and helping somebody turn the page,” Cook said. “I want to go and be the piece that can just help somebody win and get over the hump and whatever that situation comes with, if it comes with me taking less reps, but me being in the perfect situation to hold up that trophy, I don’t mind. 

“I just wanna go somewhere I can just get the ball and just help somebody win, and turn the next page.”

Cook did use social media this week to suggest the Jets are also on his radar, and vice versa. Hence where the jets interest comes in.

Though Cook is reportedly in no rush to sign with a new team as he seeks close to $10 million per year, the seven-year veteran shared and liked multiple tweets Wednesday that indicated interest in New York. In addition to reposting an ESPN segment in which panelists deem him a logical fit for the Jets, Cook also liked a “Pat McAfee Show” clip suggesting the same thing. He also liked a fan’s tweet claiming ESPN has reported the Jets are “doing their homework” on the running back.

Cook has engaged similar proposals regarding a potential Dolphins team-up, even liking a fan’s mockup of him wearing Miami’s colors as recently as this week. He previously shared an image of himself at the Dolphins’ stadium on Instagram, just after his release. But it’s safe to say, at least in his eyes, Miami isn’t the only logical destination in the AFC East.

Funny enough, both the Bills and Patriots have also been connected to Cook. His younger brother, James, plays for Buffalo, and the Bills have done plenty of RB shuffling since Devin Singletary’s departure in free agency. New England, meanwhile, just released veteran James Robinson and hosted wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on a free-agent visit; Cook recently told ESPN that it’d be “epic” to join the same team as Hopkins, who was released by the Cardinals earlier this offseason.

The Jets, for what it’s worth, don’t necessarily have a dire need at RB, with promising 2022 rookie Breece Hall atop the depth chart. Hall is recovering from an ACL tear, however, leaving reserves Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight and fifth-round rookie Israel Abanikanda as the top alternatives.