Vikings GM Foreshadows Dalvin Cook's Exit With Latest Comments

It's that time of year where several big-name veterans are discussed as potential cap casualties ahead of free agency. One Minnesota Vikings player potentially on the chopping block is running back Dalvin Cook, who's slated for a $14.1 million cap hit in 2023.

Some have wondered if Minnesota would actually part ways with the star RB. Well, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah appears to already be setting the stage for just that.

2/ No direct answer when asked if he anticipated RB Dalvin Cook would remain on the roster. Noted "great player and great leader" but "in the NFL, you have a lot of constraints, salary cap different things, and we're trying to figure out how we can operate in those things."
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) February 28, 2023

Adofo-Mensah spoke with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday. He dodged a question regarding Cook's roster spot for this upcoming year, noting that while the back is a "great player," there's "a lot of constraints" a team must manage.

Suffice it to say, the GM's comments seem like strong foreshadowing. Highlighting the team's salary cap situation in his answer, it's obvious Cook's contract is major obstacle to keeping him around in 2023.

The four-time Pro Bowler was great once again this past season, recording 1,468 yards from scrimmage and playing in every game for the first time in his career. After years as the team's workhorse, though, there's legitimate concerns about this newfound durability holding up.

It's possible Cook and the team are able to work on a restructure that lowers his immediate cap hit. For now, this situation seems to be on a very shaky ground.

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