Would Dalvin Cook Boost Jets, Interested NFL Teams' Super Bowl Outlook in 2023?

It sure sounds as though four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook is getting close to landing a home for the 2023 NFL season. According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, that home might be with Aaron Rodgers as a member of the New York Jets.

"The Jets have more interest than most realize, because of running back Breece Hall's ongoing ACL recovery and because they're already gone all in by trading for quarterback Aaron Rodgers," Floria wrote. "And there's a net gain to being the team that gets him, since that team keeps him away from the other[s]."

The "others" might generally reside in the AFC, with Florio alluding to the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots as possible landing spots.

The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson reported last week that the Dolphins have offered a contract to Cook, while Florio laid out the potential New England connection.

"New England's pursuit of free-agent receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been open and obvious," he wrote. "If they're considering Cook, they're acting in more characteristic fashion, letting their plans not be known to anyone. Owner Robert Kraft has made clear he wants to win a seventh Super Bowl, now. And to the extent that there's an internal back-and-forth about spending, here's a way to prove to everyone that the Patriots can spend, baby."

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All three landing spots make some sense, among others outside of the AFC East.

Let's go through each realistic suitor and conclude how much the 27-year-old Cook would increase their Super Bowl chances in 2023.

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Jets: Wouldn't change much

Hall averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a rookie. Even if he isn't totally back from his torn ACL early in the year, Michael Carter is very capable. Zonovan Knight, who started four games for the Jets last season, is still wearing green, and they added 2023 fifth-round rookie Israel Abanikanda to the backfield as well.

Plus, there's always a chance that Cook is already on the downswing. He's carried the ball more than 1,000 times over the last four years, and last season was the first in which he didn't miss at least two games.

Unless Rodgers does a complete 180 after his numbers plummeted in his age-39 season last year with Green Bay, the Jets aren't going anywhere in the AFC East. But if he does pull that off, it probably won't matter who's lining up in the backfield.

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Dolphins: Wouldn't change anything

This doesn't make much sense. The Dolphins recommitted this offseason to Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr., both of whom were impressive in 2022. On top of that, rookie third-round pick Devon Achane has already impressed this offseason.

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Their fate will likely come down to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's on-field and health-related progress. A good-but-not-exceptional veteran running back like Cook probably wouldn't change things for Miami in 2023 either way.

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Patriots: Wouldn't put them over the top, but there's something to it

If the Pats do sign Hopkins, he and Cook could reinvigorate the locker room and help compensate for the fact that New England has less talent at quarterback than the rest of the division.

They'd also be keeping him away from their AFC East rivals, and there's something to that "we're going for it now" mentality. You know head coach Bill Belichick and new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien would also do everything in their power to maximize Cook's talent alongside Rhamondre Stevenson.

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Buffalo Bills: Everything counts when you're as close as they are

We might as well wrap up the AFC East with the Bills, who might only be in this picture to play keep-away.

James Cook, Dalvin's younger brother, averaged 5.7 yards per attempt on 89 carries for 509 yards as a rookie (and 6.0 YPA in his last seven regular-season games). The Bills also added veteran tailback Damien Harris in free agency this offseason.

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They'd be silly to trample on the younger Cook's upside with another veteran, especially one who's potentially in decline and could cost a far-from-cheap rate. But if they'd be willing to essentially cast Dalvin aside in the event James keeps taking off, it might still be a worthwhile expenditure for a Super Bowl-or-bust team. When you're at that level, anything could be a difference-maker.

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Denver Broncos: The upgrade would make a lot of sense

The Broncos' offensive backfield was hit hard by injuries last year, and they didn't invest too heavily in the position this offseason. Cook could be a worthwhile gamble for a Denver team that needs as much help as it can get for Russell Wilson as the Sean Payton era begins.

Third-year second-round pick Javonte Williams is a major question mark coming off a torn ACL. Offseason pickup Samaje Perine hasn't put up 400 rushing yards in a season since his rookie year with Washington in 2017. And the rest of the Broncos' running back depth chart is quantity over quality.

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Dallas Cowboys: Wouldn't make a big difference, unless...

The Cowboys already invested rather heavily in Tony Pollard this offseason, and they already gave up on an accomplished veteran beyond his prime with the release of Ezekiel Elliott. Cook could make sense for them if Pollard suffers a setback returning from his knee surgery, but it'll likely be too late by then. The timing isn't right here.

Realistically, Dallas is contending with this roster if Dak Prescott and his targets come up big. If that doesn't happen, Cook's presence won't help unless he's filling a void left by Pollard.

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Chicago Bears: Still at least a year away regardless

It sure seems like Cook is leaning toward a spot in which he can contend right away, and the Bears are undoubtedly still a work in progress. They had the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft for a reason, and Justin Fields has a long way to go as a passer.

Cook can help with that, but he hasn't exactly been a prolific receiver over the past few seasons. For that reason, he'd make more sense elsewhere.