If one thing is for sure about the New York Jets heading into the 2023 season it is that they are all in. After acquiring Aaron Rodgers in a trade from the Green Bay Packers, it feels like it is a Super Bowl or bust mentality for Gang Green. They are hoping the future Hall of Famer can help lead the team to at least one title before retiring.
That means that New York should leave no stone unturned when it comes to upgrading the roster. If the opportunity presents itself to further improve the roster, they should think long and hard about it.
One player that the Jets can consider making a deal for is Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. New York was mentioned as a landing spot for the four-time Pro Bowler, and the fit would make sense.
The Vikings are in a tough spot when it comes to their salary cap as Cook is the third highest-paid running back in the NFL; only Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamar earn more annually. He was approached about taking a pay cut but balked at that and who could blame him? Cook is one of the most productive running backs in the league.
This upcoming season, Cook has a cap hit of $14.1 million, which rises to $15.6 million in 2024. Fitting that onto the salary cap is no small task, as the Jets would have to clear some cap space to fit him on the roster. But, that is something they should be willing to do, especially with 2022 second-round pick Breece Hall working his way back from a knee injury.
What could a deal between the Jets and Vikings look like? A suggested trade would be New York sending a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to Minnesota in exchange for Cook. For the Vikings, they clear a lot of cap space but don’t lose much in the backfield.
Cook is an excellent player, but when given the chance at being the lead back, Alexander Mattison has thrived. Owed a fraction of the price that Cook is, the Vikings would be comfortable turning things over to him. Getting an early Day 3 pick is likely the best they can do given how expensive his contract is.
For the Jets, they dive even deeper into the all-in territory. Getting a player of Cook’s caliber for only a fourth-round pick is a great deal even with the salary cap gymnastics that will have to ensue to make it work.
New York added some insurance in the 2023 NFL Draft selecting Brooklyn native Israel Abanikanda out of Pittsburgh in the fifth round. He possesses some big-play ability and would make for a nice pairing along with Cook should Hall need more time to recover.
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