Although it seems like a perfect fit, it appears that the Denver Broncos will not pursue running back Dalvin Cook.
The former Minnesota Viking was released on Friday in a cost-cutting move, and is considered to be the premier running back on the market.
The Broncos have been linked as a potential suitor, but according to Mike Klis of Denver 9News, the team is not in on the dynamic tailback.
"Some may look at the Broncos' running back position and see depth concerns, the way the team's edge-rusher position looked before veteran Frank Clark and his 58.5 career sacks were brought in Thursday for a one-year, $5.5 million agreement," Klis wrote. "Yet, the Broncos do not appear to be in on newly set free running back Dalvin Cook, who is coming off four consecutive 1,100-yard rushing seasons for the Minnesota Vikings. Cook was scheduled to make $11 million this year before he was released Friday and even if he accepts a pay cut to say, $8 million, the Broncos after the Clark deal will only have about $6 million in cap space."
The Broncos currently have an inexperienced running back corps, headlined by Javonte Williams. The third-year running back rushed for 903 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2021, but suffered a torn-ACL early in 2022 and missed the final 13 games. Klis said that while Williams recovery appears to be ahead of schedule, he is still not a sure bet to be ready for Week 1.
Beyond Williams, the position room includes Samaje Perine, Tony Jones Jr, Tony Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin. Perine is the most experienced of the four, but has not eclipsed 400 rushing yards in a season since 2017. Jones Jr. has 179 career rushing yards, while Badie and McLaughlin have zero career rushing yards.
Klis reported that the team may consider adding an additional running back before the season starts, but a player of Cook's caliber is too expensive for a team with salary cap constraints and a promising young running back in Williams.
