Dolphins' Alec Ingold on Dalvin Cook Rumors: 'Competition Breeds Excellence'

Alec Ingold wants to block for all the running backs.

The Miami Dolphins fullback made an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com) and discussed the possibility of his team signing Dalvin Cook and adding him to a running back group that already includes Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed, Myles Gaskin and De'Von Achane:

"Man, we've got a plethora of backs right now, especially with our second-round pick, De'Von. We've got Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed. We've got some dawgs here, so having Dalvin Cook in the mix, that competition breeds excellence, man. You want as much good quality backs as you can possibly have, especially in our offense when guys can really make something happen with it. You can get the ball, you can touch it a million different ways. You've got out of the backfield, you've got in the backfield, outside zone, inside zone. We're gonna run some routes.

"More backs! Give me all the backs! Can we have 15 running backs in the training camp room? I would love it."

The Dolphins have been connected to Cook a number of times this offseason since the Minnesota Vikings released the four-time Pro Bowler.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Thursday there is a "sense" that Miami and the New York Jets are "the top contenders" for the running back, although he also suggested the New England Patriots could be a possibility.

That would mean the Dolphins signing Cook would both boost their own ground game and keep him away from their AFC East rivals.

Miami was just 25th in the league in rushing yards last season, although that can partially be explained by a reliance on wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in the aerial attack. Still, it needs to make some strides to compete in the loaded division.

That is one reason it selected Texas A&M speedster Achane with a third-round pick. It should also help having Mostert and Wilson for an entire season.

Yet Cook has proven himself to be on a different level than Miami's other running backs. He surpassed 1,100 yards in each of the last four seasons, is physical on short-yardage runs and around the goal line, and possesses breakaway speed if holes open up along the line.

Having someone like that in the backfield with Hill and Waddle on the outside would be a daunting situation for opposing defenses, who would then have to choose whether to stack more players in the box to stop Cook or double team the pass-catchers.

It seems like Ingold is ready for that exact scenario.