Cowboys rumors: Dallas plays waiting game with Ezekiel Elliott replacement

The Cowboys can take their time adding a true replacement for Ezekiel Elliott as the Vikings ponder cutting Dalvin Cook on June 1.

Dalvin Cook has been one of the top running backs in the NFL for the past four years but the combination of his dipping efficiency and the Vikings cap issues make him a cut candidate this June unless the team can get a trade done.

The Cowboys know something about cutting bait on a once-great back who just wouldn’t be worth the cost, designating Ezekiel Elliot to be cut on June 1.

The question of who could replace Elliott has remained uncertain but the answer could also be plain as day. Why not wait for Cook and the inevitable?

Could the Cowboys be waiting to replace Ezekiel Elliott with Dalvin Cook?

It does feel like an inevitability Cook will be cut once the league crosses the June 1 threshold. ESPN analysts like Diana Russini have outright reported that “all signs” point to the Vikings moving on from the running back.

Meanwhile, the “Bad Boy of Scoops” Justin Cohen of the Tallahassee Journal suggested that the “Vikings have informed [Cook] that he will be released.”

Whether you believe Cohen or not, the possibility of Cook being available as a free agent this June feels pretty darn high. And the Cowboys must know that.

Of course, being interested in Cook and bringing him in are two different equations. Dallas has Tony Pollard on the franchise tag this year and will pay him $10.09 million. However, he’s coming off an injury and the team may need someone to carry the load early in the season while he ramps back up.

Cook would need to be willing to take a considerable pay cut, but if he had interest in joining the Cowboys, it could be a fruitful partnership.

At the same time, Dallas doesn’t need Cook with Pollard figuring in their longterm plans and Ronald Jones II joining as a free agent on a cheap one-year deal. They also just drafted Deuce Vaughn out of Kansas State.