Insider believes Patriots should pursue four-time Pro Bowler

Since AFC East rivals could be interested in signing running back Dalvin Cook, should the New England Patriots jump in and pursue the four-time Pro Bowler?

Per Mike Florio of NBC Sports, Cook recently mentioned the Jets and Dolphins as potential landing spots. So it's logical for the Patriots to swoop in and prevent him from signing with a divisional rival.

"The Patriots could be (perhaps should be) thinking about snagging a guy who will make one of their two divisional rivals better," wrote Florio. "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 for the Patriots to prove they can spend, baby."

The Patriots finished 17th in points scored in 2022. Adding talented stars like Cook would increase firepower, helping them compete in a difficult division and navigate a challenging schedule. Per NFL Research, New England has the fourth most difficult schedule in the league this season.

Although Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 1,040 yards in 17 games last season, New England remains interested in fortifying the position.

"[The] Patriots, I believe, are intrigued to some extent on pairing another running back with Rhamondre Stevenson," Jeremy Fowler said Wednesday on "SportsCenter" (h/t: Dakota Randall of NESN).

Out of the available free-agent RBs, Cook is the best option. The 27-year-old is still in his prime after rushing for 1,173 yards and scoring 10 TDs in 17 games last season.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Cook wants a deal close to $10.4M annually. The Patriots can afford this since they have $13.2M in cap space, per Spotrac. It makes sense for New England to sign Cook, so it should try to land him.