With DeAndre Hopkins agreeing to a deal with the Tennessee Titans earlier this week, the biggest name left on the free agent market is running back Dalvin Cook. Could he be picking his next destination soon as well?
A few weeks ago reports were floating around that Dalvin Cook and Hopkins could look to team up together. That won’t be happening as the Titans aren’t going to sign another running back with Derrick Henry still in the fold. But, the team that Hopkins spurned could now be turning their attention to the four-time Pro Bowler.
According to ProFootballTalk, the recent betting odds released by DraftKings have the New England Patriots as the betting favorites to land Dalvin Cook in free agency. Their odds have jumped to +150, which is an implied probability of 40 percent, but in their estimation, the race is still a very close one.
Their AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, are right behind them in odds. The Dolphins are listed at +200 and the Jets are at +400, which comes out to an implied probability of 33.3 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
There are other teams listed, but all are long shots at +1500 or longer. The teams that will draw the most attention as landing spots for Dalvin Cook in that section are the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders. Both teams failed to work out long-term deals with their franchise-tagged running backs, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs.
If either of them intends to hold out and not show up for the regular season, the teams could pivot to Dalvin Cook, working out a long-term deal with him and rescinding the franchise tags. While unlikely, the possibility does exist.
Dalvin Cook remaining a free agent speaks volumes to the current state of the running back market around the NFL. Coming off four straight Pro Bowl nods and in the prime of his career and his market has been relatively ice cold. But a 31-year-old receiver in Hopkins received a two-year deal that could be worth as much as $15 million in Year 1 despite missing 15 games the last two seasons.
