Will Team Glazer Suggest Dalvin Cook?

June 12th, 2023

Dalvin Cook

This was a subject over the weekend on the Ira Kaufman Podcast, but Joe held off writing about it here to see what would happen on the free agent market today.

And right on cue, superstar running back Dalvin Cook remains on the market after the Vikings booted him and his fat contract last week. Cook’s market appears to be drying up with reports that the Dolphins aren’t interested in his big contract demands and the Broncos have decided to pass.

And that brings Joe to the Bucs.

Tampa Bay has no salary cap room and seems content to roll with Rachaad White, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and newcomer veteran free agent Chase Edmonds. That gives the Bucs perhaps the least expensive running backs room in the league, and among the least experienced.

General manager Jason Licht seems to be no fan of high-mileage running backs, and Licht passed on drafting a running back this year despite many good prospects available.

So all signs point to the Bucs having absolutely no interest in Cook.

Enter Todd Bowles and Team Glazer.

Bowles needs wins desperately and it’s a very safe bet Bowles believes Cook is better than each of his running backs. Team Glazer wants to sell tickets and sponsorships, and Cook would bring sizzle and hype that would help those efforts. Cook also makes the Bucs a far more entertaining team.

So Joe wonders whether Licht might get a text tonight from Bowles or a G-man asking about the plummeting market for Cook, and whether a phone call might be in order.

It never hurts to consider all options, and last Joe checked, the Bucs have a made a bunch of moves that scream, ‘We can win this division again now.’

40 Responses to “Will Team Glazer Suggest Dalvin Cook?”

  1. Statistically Insignificant Reader Says:

    Don’t know how they would pay him. Start collecting cans and green stamps?

  2. Pelsbuc61 Says:

    As long as Bowles is HC, any talent coming in will be wasted.

  3. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Pure speculation…….until someone shows a way to come up with $8 mil or so……no chance.

    Sure, Licht can do more restructuring but that is simply moving more money down the road……we’ve done that enough.

    Let’s roll with what we have.

  4. gp Says:

    -IF- we sign him, it’ll probably be in late August.

  5. sasquatch Says:

    Well, we still haven’t figured out how to sign our top 3 draft picks… Trading Devin White would be enough to sign draft picks vaxx and sign cool to a modest contract. We could also accomplish this by extending Evans. Question is, is Cook worth it? Why would the Vikings cut him? I think they’ve got an interesting collection of backs, including the UDFAs.

  6. ElioT Says:

    Cook wants a big money deal.

    Bucs learned their lesson with Doug Martin & Lenny.

    No way!

    Let White and Vaughn show what they can do.

  7. Jason m Says:

    Please make this happen !!!!!!!!!!!!!

  8. sasquatch Says:

    Can Joe take me out of this ridiculous moderation, please. I have no idea what the offense was.

  9. Defense Rules Says:

    Convinced that Bucs will add another experienced RB, but not Dalvin Cook. Heck, we’re still trying to figure out how to pay our rookies.

    My money’s on the Bucs bringing back Fournette. His Market Value has shrunk to $2.3 mil, and he’d probably play for even less than that just to still stay in the game. Lenny’s very good at pass protection & he’s got great hands (over 80% career catch percentage & over 88% last year). Two years ago he averaged 4.5 YPC with a decent blocking OLine, and his career average is still 4.0 YPC (last year sucked, but so did all our RBs). Not to mention that we NEED a big back if we expect to wear down defenses with our ‘reinvigorated’ running attack. Yup, money’s on Lenny.

  10. K2 Says:

    Seems like the Bucs paid players like Julio Jones and Kyle Rudolph…and got very little for their money. I think Cook wants a 3 years $7-$8 million per year. I would prefer to take a chance on Sean Tucker and Ronnie Brown …very low risk and high reward potential. Enough of the Bucs buying balled tires and expecting traction.

    If Cook would do a $5 million 1 year contract…then yes!

  11. Marine Buc Says:

    Once the Bucs clear cap space by restructuring Mike Evan’s deal they will have enough cap space to sign Cook if they wan’t to win the NFC South..

    Baker is going to need a strong running back room in order to have any chance and we currently have a below average group of RBs…

  12. Marine Buc Says:

    This would be a solid RB room…

    – D. Cook
    – R. White
    – Edmonds
    – Vaughn

    I would put Ronnie Brown on the practice squad and I would put S. Tucker on IR due to his heart condition…

    If we are depending on our RBs to produce we better get some RBs that can produce…

  13. Duane Says:

    Restructure ME13 and you can get over $9 million open. You can get a similiar amount if you restructure Shaq. They have room to be flexible. Dalvin at a Lenny deal would be aight.

  14. AtlBuc Says:

    I agree with DR, bringing Lenny back would be a good move. However, I will not be mad if we picked up Cook.

  15. Tucker Says:

    My money is on them staying with what they have they will need to restructure for the players that are already on the roster that will soon no longer be rookies.

  16. optimisticbucsfan Says:

    it would be a great move to offset the qb room.

    Wish it would happen.

  17. Buc4evr Says:

    All in for Cook if we can get a reasonable deal. Otherwise, Bucs need to pass.

  18. Crickett Baker Says:

    My first thought was Sasquatch’s too. We haven’t signed our top 3 draft picks yet. Not sure why but it must be money. I think they should be a priority.

  19. Hodad Says:

    Glazers need to sell tickets? No they don’t Joe. Never wrote that. Wrote that they want to sell tickets. Big difference. –Joe The NFL shares revenue they’re making plenty of money. If they sell one ticket this year all the Glazers will still be billionaires.

  20. Jeff’s grandpa Says:

    Not a chance

  21. Jay Says:

    So living in the twin cities I can honestly say there was no pushback from fans about the departure of Cook. Viking players don’t do much media either so I can’t say there’s much said from players. Just an observation

  22. TOMMY MORDUE Says:

    JASON LIGHT, YOU NEED TO WORK YOUR ASSOCIATES SALARY CAP MAGIC..WE NEED TO SIGN DALVIN COOK ASAP ! TEAMS WILL AUTOMATICALLY RESPECT OUR RUNNING GAME 1-2 PUNCH WITH RACHAD WHITE, THE PASSING GAME WILL OPEN UP BECAUSE OF THIS & OUR OFFENSE WILL BE DYNAMIC WITH A WELL TRAINED TO THE NEW SYSTEM BAKER MAYFIELD LEADING THE WAY AT QUARTERBACK FOR DAVE CANALES…KEEPING THE CHAINS MOVING & RESTING THE DEFENSE, KEEPING THEM FRESH FOR THE ENTIRE GAME..OVER 1100 YD’S RUSHING THE LAST 4 CONSECUTIVE YEARS ! & CAN CATCH THE BALL TOO !…LET’S SIGN HIM & OUR 1ST 3 DRAFT PICKS & HIT THE GROUND RUNNING (AGAINST HIS OLD TEAM THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS ! ! !

  23. Rand Says:

    If Cook would lower his expectations then other clubs would be all of a sudden interested, and I’m sure Cook wouldn’t pick the Bucs over a playoff contender. It ain’t happening Joe, move on.

  24. Rand Says:

    WHAT??????????????????????????????????????????????????????
    TOMMY??????????????????????????????????????????????????????

  25. Fansince76 Says:

    Would be great if it happened that guy is freakin great.
    Salary cap for this year will probably prevent it.

  26. Hammerhead Says:

    Top not notch running backs should need to to make an important decision. Running Back or linebacker.

  27. sasquatch Says:

    HEY CAPSLOCK TOMMY, STOP YELLING! TURN OFF YOUR PHOUENCKING CAPSLOCK!

  28. Samuel727bucsfan Says:

    Its a very simple move to make salary cap space for dalvin cook. They would cut shaq barrett and save 13 million against the cap. Barrett ruptured his achilles and there is no guarantee at all that he will ever be the same player that signed that contract.

  29. ModHairKen Says:

    I like Cook. But does he really sell tickets? Who cares. It’s about winning. With this new Offense, having a savvy veteran with breakaway speed and proven skills would be huge.

    Retool Mike Evans. Make him a Buc for life and bring in Cook.

    With this draft and the new speed and plan on Offense, this team will compete for a SB in two years — if Bowles can muster his inner Dungy.

  30. Ko Kiefer Says:

    Horrendous idea. Yes, he’s still a solid player but we have a high draft capital invested in that position with White and Vaughn. Let’s roll.

  31. DBS Says:

    Rand. Trun your volumn down if it bothers you so badly

    And as far as still trying to figure out how to pay our rookies? LOL!! WHO. On this board is in the offices a @One Buc that has any clue what is going on inside those walls? I truly believe they have more of an idea what is happening and what the plan is than anyone here.

  32. Joe Says:

    My first thought was Sasquatch’s too. We haven’t signed our top 3 draft picks yet. Not sure why but it must be money. I think they should be a priority.

    Eh. Salaries for rookies are slotted in the NFL.

  33. DalvinCookRules Says:

    Would love to have Cook, and he’d instantly be the greatest RB in Bucs history from the first day he sets foot on the field, but that said, you don’t produce great offense with RBs, you produce them with the QB. Cook will never be on the level of Barry Sanders– and how many championships did Sanders win?

    This team must figure out the QB position first. With only an average QB, you would need a great OL, great receivers, and a great RB. With a great QB (and great OL), you could be average at the other two units.

  34. sasquatch Says:

    Joe Says:
    June 12th, 2023 at 10:35 pm

    Eh. Salaries for rookies are slotted in the NFL.

    And that’s not relevant to the conversation because we do not currently have the cap space even for the remaining picks. Our remaining 3 will command salaries in our top 51, thus increasing cap dollars committed. A move has to be made to sign them, such as extending Evans or trading Diva. Cook, if he’s worth it, is a secondary consideration.

  35. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Glazers won’t. They don’t make personnel decisions.

  36. garro Says:

    Interesting but contradictory to the team trying to get out of cap hell for the future. I doubt Cook will be much interested in playing for cheap on a one year deal. Licht is a very smart GM and is less interested in Bowles future than the teams future and thus his own. Lichts job is not in jeopardy ATM. ATM…

    Besides we have already passed on some needed upgrades in the free agent market. What reason would suddenly make them deviate from that? Cook is not that big a game changer.

    Go Bucs!

  37. HC Grover Says:

    The more desperate Bowles becomes, the more Blunders he will commit.

  38. Hunter's Crack Pipe Says:

    Statistically Insignificant Reader Says:
    “Start collecting… green stamps?”
    .
    .

    Blast from the past! That was Publix, wasn’t it?

  39. Jeffrey Brodbeck Says:

    Rather use the money to resign Wirfs which is being to be a big $ contract plus I think evans final contract is coming up soon.

  40. WVBuc Says:

    Green stamps were everywhere