Dalvin Cook is still unsigned on the NFL free agent market, but at least one team has made him an offer.
The Miami Dolphins have extended a contract offer to the former Minnesota Vikings running back, but according to ESPN's Jeff Darlington, it's not good enough for the 27-year-old veteran to sign right now.
"We have nothing urgent right now in terms of Cook's decision, because ultimately he still wants to get a little bit closer to training camp to really nail this down," Darlington said last Friday on ESPN show "NFL Live."
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"The one thing I would point out is that the Dolphins remain interested. They still have an offer on the table, one though that Cook is not willing to accept. I can see him certainly trying to draw up other leverage. He is still interested in joining the Dolphins. But at this point, again, not willing to commit to the deal that they have on the table."
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When could Cook sign? We could potentially see some movement after July 17, as Darlington explains.
"The one thing that interests me here in terms of a timeline is July 17," Darlington said on "NFL Live." "That's the deadline for players like Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs to get their deals done. It has nothing to do with Cook, but if Barkley and Jacobs reset the market with a deal of their own, perhaps it would give the Dolphins and Cook or another team some idea of what his pay should be. ..."
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Cook going to the Dolphins would make the Patriots' challenge of competing in the AFC East even tougher. The Patriots are already seen as the fourth-best team in the loaded division. Cook would be a great fit in Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel's offense as a great pass-catcher out of the back field and a reliable third-down option. Miami was 24th in third-down percentage last season.
The Patriots reportedly are "intrigued" by the idea of signing Cook. They could use another running back to complement starter Rhamondre Stevenson. After releasing James Robinson last month, the Patriots just have two second-year running backs in Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong Jr. as depth behind Stevenson. Adding another veteran at that position would be a smart move.
Cook was released by the Vikings in early June. He ran for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns, in addition to tallying 39 receptions for 295 receiving yards and two more touchdowns in 17 games with the Vikings last season.