Vikings' Dalvin Cook Should Be Bills' Top RB Priority amid Latest NFL Trade Rumors

The Buffalo Bills are one of the top teams in the AFC, but they have some needs that must be addressed this offseason.

As general manager Brandon Beane noted after Buffalo's loss in the divisional round, star quarterback Josh Allen could use an upgraded supporting cast.

"I'd love to have the perfect line, and I'd love to get as many weapons," Beane told reporters.

With running back Devin Singletary headed to free agency, the Bills could look for an upgrade at that position. Buffalo ranked seventh in rushing yards last season, but it's worth noting that 762 of the team's 2232 rushing yards (34.1 percent) came from Allen.

If Buffalo is eager to add more playmaking ability to its backfield, Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings should be its top priority. The Vikings might be interested in Cook, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"The Vikings are open for business as well. They've released three veteran players thus far—including legacy player Adam Thielen—and multiple teams believe Minnesota has had trade talks centered around running back Dalvin Cook," Fowler wrote on Sunday.

This potential pairing would make a ton of sense—and not simply because it would unite Dalvin Cook with his brother and Bills running back James Cook.

Dalvin Cook is coming off his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season and his fourth straight Pro Bowl appearance. He's a dynamic playmaker who can break long runs, make defenders miss in traffic and catch the ball out of the backfield.

With all due respect to Singletary, Cook is the sort of do-it-all bell cow that Buffalo hasn't had since peak LeSean McCoy.

An argument can be made that Buffalo should dip into the draft pool for its next running back. The 2023 class is expected to be deep at the position—15 of the top 150 players on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's latest big board are RBs—but the Bills have other needs to address.

It would behoove Buffalo to improve its offensive line and a pass rush that sagged following Von Miller's season-ending ACL tear.

Cook is a proven player, and he might not be overly costly in a trade. If Minnesota is going to move him, it will do so to save cap space. According to ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, releasing Cook for that purpose may not be an option:

"Complicating the situation of the Vikings is the fact that $2 million of Cook's salary becomes fully-guarantee on Friday. Because Cook, we're told, can't currently pass a physical due to his lingering shoulder issue (he played through it in 2022), the Vikings would have a hard time avoiding that obligation, if he were released."

Minnesota may be willing to make a bargain if it moves Cook before Friday.

Cook's $10.4 million base salary would be problematic for the Bills, but cap relief appears to be on the way:

The Bills may also be able to get Diggs to restructure his contract to join his brother and chase a championship in Buffalo.

Buffalo has other intriguing options. There is the draft, and the Bills could chase strong runners like Jamaal Williams and D'Onta Foreman in free agency. However, Cook is a top-tier star, and he'd be dangerous in a backfield with Allen.

If the Bills are interested in Cook, though, they must move quickly. Friday is rapidly approaching, and Minnesota will be incentivized to make a move before then.

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*Cap and contract information via Spotrac.