Dalvin Cook looked in shape during his workout with the Dallas Cowboys but left without a deal.
Cook was in Dallas for a workout on Tuesday, August 27. The former Pro Bowler hasn’t had much interest as a free agent this offseason and the Cowboys were a potential fit due to their lack of depth in the backfield.
While Cook looked solid, the Cowboys were only willing to offer him a spot on the practice squad. And now he may be on his way to another audition.
“A Cowboys source said RB Dalvin Cook was in good shape but they are only interested in possibly signing him to practice squad at this point,” Clarence Hill Jr. of All City Dallas reported on Tuesday. “Cook may have another visit with Colts. He has some decisions to make.”
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also pointed out that Cook’s time with the Cowboys was a “workout,” not a “visit.”
“Dalvin Cook’s visit to the Cowboys wasn’t just a visit. Per the official NFL notice sent to all teams, Cook had a tryout on Tuesday in Dallas,” Florio said. “It’s an important distinction. A visit is more casual. A tryout entails getting out of the field and showing the team what the player can do.”
Dalvin Cook Confident He Can Still Contribute
Cook probably did not imagine a practice squad spot when he heard from the Cowboys. He isn’t far removed from being a near-perennial Pro Bowl talent.
Cook rushed for 1,173 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2022 as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. However, he failed to earn opportunities after signing with the New York Jets in free agency. Cook rushed for just 214 yards on just 67 carries over 15 games.
After being released late in the year, he joined the Baltimore Ravens but didn’t contribute much during their playoff push. Despite his recent setbacks, Cook still feels like he can be a contributor.
“I’ve got it all,” Cook said, via KPRC in May. “The tools are still here. I didn’t really get no reps last year. So, the legs are fresh, so the resume speaks for itself. I’m still Dalvin Cook. I’m still that guy. For me, I don’t like to toot my own horn. I just like to go out there, put my helmet on and line up on the grass.”
Deuce Vaughn Makes Cowboys’ 53-Man Roster
At Tuesday’s deadline, the Cowboys’ roster was down to 53 players, but they had to make some decisions to get there. Dallas cut ties with four running backs: Malik Davis, Royce Freeman, Nathaniel Peat and Snoop Connor.
That leaves Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn as the key Cowboys’ running back committee members. Vaughn was on the bubble but made the final cut with a strong preseason showing.
“I’ve always been a guy that whatever is asked of me from a program or organization, I’m gonna go and do. I’m gonna put my head down and go attack it with hard work,” Vaughn said ahead of cuts, via the Cowboys’ official site. “Whatever I have to do to give my team an opportunity to win, I’m gonna go and do.”
The Cowboys open the regular season on September 8 against the Cleveland Browns.
