The Philadelphia Eagles already made one massive running back signing this offseason in the form of Saquon Barkley. However, if one Eagles analyst had his way, the team would make a move to add to the room.
According to Heavy, Eagles Today writer Patrick McAvoy pushed the team on June 10 to create a “fearsome duo” with Barkley by signing running back Dalvin Cook.
“Cook has had injury problems himself but would form a fearsome duo with Barkley if signed. Both players are strong rushers who can also catch, so they would be an important layer to an already seemingly improved Eagles offense.”
Of course, adding Cook adds some risk. While the running back undoubtedly could be had for near the league minimum, his recent production indicates that he could provide a similar result.
The running back has been on a downward trend for three years now in yards per carry. As such, there is a high likelihood that the pattern continues. Put simply, an object in motion stays in motion.
Dalvin Cook set for potential uphill climb into Eagles roster
Cook’s most recent season with the New York Jets placed him behind young running back Breece Hall. In that season, Cook earned just 214 yards and averaged 3.2 yards per carry. Both were the lowest totals of his career.
While Barkley has more of a sample size than Hall, it would appear that a struggle to succeed behind Hall would indicate a struggle to succeed behind Barkley.
At this point, the Eagles signing Cook would be a gamble on whether he could show a spark in the preseason. If he can, it might be worth adding him to the lineup as a third-string running back. Otherwise, he may not make the team.
However, spending the league minimum on one of the one-time best rushers in the league might be worth the price of admission.
Currently, the Eagles have Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell, Will Shipley, and Lew Nichols in their backfield, per ESPN. It would be a tall task to unseat Gainwell, who has earned at least 4.3 yards per carry in each of the last three seasons, per Pro Football Reference.
As such, the competition likely would fall to Shipley against Cook. This would assume the running back has the gas left to challenge for a third-string spot. Above that, many NFL veterans who have tasted Cook’s heights refuse to participate in a backup battle role.
At the present moment, it appears that Cook has drawn little interest from teams around the league. If there was a massive market for the running back, he would have been signed already.
However, Dalvin Cook’s slow job search doesn’t quite mean his career is over yet. The next big window for Cook likely will be in training camp. This will likely happen as teams get a true taste of what their rosters feel like.
That, combined with the common first wave of injuries that hit early in the preseason, hand Cook one more opportunity to get on the gridiron before Week 1.
Will Cook play in 2024?
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