Dalvin Cook Rumors: Teams Believe Vikings 'Holding Out' for Trade amid Contract Buzz

Friday marked the first day the Minnesota Vikings could release Dalvin Cook without taking a significant cap penalty, but the four-time Pro Bowl running back is still on their roster as they weigh all potential options.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on SportsCenter on Saturday morning that opposing teams believe the Vikings are still "holding out" for a trade:

"Teams I talked to believe they're open to a trade and maybe holding out for that. So, they held onto his $14 million cap hit for a while now and can do so a little bit longer in the short term. But they can save $11 million on their salary cap if they trade him now that we're past June 1. And so, should be some interest there if they can shake it out. If not, they might even have to release him or work on some sort of reworked contract for him to return. But I'm told that Cook at this point is open to a fresh start. He's now healthy as well after the shoulder surgery."

Minnesota's front office did a lot of work this offseason to clear cap space. Eric Kendricks, Adam Thielen and Cam Dantzler were released. Za'Darius Smith was traded to the Cleveland Browns.

There was speculation Harrison Smith might get cut, but he opted to restructure his deal to remain with the Vikings. Kirk Cousins also restructured his contract, but he's still set to become a free agent next offseason.

Things are at least set up for the Vikings to potentially go all-in on rebuilding after the 2023 season.

Finding a team that would be willing to take on a running back with a significant cap hit, especially at this stage of the offseason, could be a difficult task for the Vikings.

Cook is still a productive player who finished last season with 1,468 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns, but he had the worst efficiency of his NFL career. The 27-year-old averaged a career-low 4.4 yards per carry and ranked 33rd out of 42 qualified running backs in success rate.

The Vikings can release Cook at any point and save $9 million against the cap this season. He would count $8.2 million against Minnesota's cap over the next two seasons combined if the team decides to move on.

If Cook isn't with the VIkings in 2023, Alexander Mattison could be elevated to the No. 1 running back. Ty Chandler and seventh-round rookie DeWayne McBride could also compete for carries.