Throughout the second half of the NFL offseason, one of the most talked-about names on the free agent market has been former Minnesota Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook. Cook has seemingly been rumored to be joining every team in the AFC East, and has visited a few of them as well.
One of the most mentioned destinations for Cook has been New York. With second-year Jets back Breece Hall still working his way back from a torn ACL, there is seemingly an opportunity for Cook to join the room and at least get a bunch of early season work.
Of course, New York also has three other running backs on the roster aside from Hall. There’s rookie fourth-round pick Israel Abanikanda out of Pittsburgh, second-year undrafted free agent Zonovan “Bam” Knight and third-year former fourth-round pick Michael Carter. And Carter doesn’t think the trio needs to pay attention to any rumors about a potential Cook signing.
“We ignore it. Talk is cheap,” Carter said, via the New York Post. “Dalvin’s a great player. Dalvin’s probably one of the best college football running backs of all time [at Florida State], in my opinion growing up in North Florida. He’s a really good player. At the same time, we feel like we’re great players, too. We’re just young in our careers. We’re all chasing greatness in terms of team and personal goals. Nothing but respect for [Cook], but we’re not really focused on that. We’re just trying to get better and grind.”
Abanikanda obviously does not have any NFL carries just yet, while Knight had 300 yards and one touchdown on 85 totes (3.5 per carry) last season. Carter has 261 career carries for 1,041 yards (4.0 per carry) and seven touchdowns, along with 77 receptions for an additional 613 yards. Realistically, even if Hall isn’t ready right away, the Jets probably have enough depth and versatility to tide them over. Maybe none of them will reach “great” like Cook, but if the line in front of them plays well enough, they should be able to get by.
Go to Source
Author: Jared Dubin
August 14, 2023 | 12:21 pm
