Dalvin Cook's 2023 didn't go as planned.
The former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowler signed with the New York Jets in mid-August, well into training camp. Things never got off the ground, as Cook took just 67 carries for 214 yards in 15 games. Sides parted, and he ultimately ended up on the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad before participating in a Divisional Round win over Houston.
Unsigned this offseason, Cook said Wednesday on NFL Network's The Insiders that he'd prefer to find a landing spot before training camp in July to avoid last year's struggles.
"To be honest, I had this conversation with my agent, and it's like this year I do want to go to training camp," he said. "I just want to get my legs back under me and feel like myself again. I feel like getting in front of my teammates, new coaches and showing them what I got. I can still cut and still take (the ball) 80 (yards) when it's time. I just got to get out there and show all these people that Dalvin is still Dalvin."
Last offseason, Cook was coming off surgery, and while he insisted at the time he was healthy, the running back looked slow early. He rarely broke tackles and showed little of the burst he'd shown in Minnesota.
"It just didn't pan out," he said of his time in New York. "Some situations just happen like that. It just wasn't my time to be there and make plays for the Jets. And you know it's a business, man. I've been in this thing for about eight years now, so I understand the process of going into a building and producing and being there and making plays. I didn't do that last year, but I'm ready to roll."
Cook remains a free agent and noted it's "wide open" where he might land. Still just 28 years old, he could offer a veteran option if he proves fully healthy in 2024.
"I feel great, man," Cook said of his current status. "Last year was kind of different for me because having to transition from being released and then having surgery and finding out where I want to be as far as rehabbing -- just putting everything in order, it was kind of a whirlwind for me. It's just about having everything in order this offseason and getting a jump on everything. I feel great, man. I'm ready to roll."
