The Minnesota Vikings surprised everyone with the Za’Darius Smith trade, a move that may have been done to keep Dalvin Cook around. Sources around the league long expected Minnesota to part ways with the running back, but this move could imply that the four-time Pro Bowl selection will stay with his current team.
How the Za’Darius Smith Trade Impacts Dalvin Cook
Follow the Money
At first glance, the Za’Darius Smith trade makes no sense for the Minnesota Vikings. The edge defender is getting up there in age, but he still managed to record 10 sacks last year. Despite this, the Vikings only received two fifth-round picks and had to surrender sixth- and seventh-round selections in 2025. However, once you look at the money, you can see why the Vikings did what they did.
Za’Darius Smith restructured his contract, freeing up $12.56 million in cap space for the cash-strapped Vikings. Prior to the trade, the Vikings had just over $1 million in available spending money, and some suggested that moving on from Dalvin Cook would be the best way to free up some cash. As currently structured, the Vikings could save $9 million in cap space if they designated Cook as a post-June 1st trade or cut.
Prior to the Za’Darius Smith trade, the Vikings needed to do something to clear up cap space to sign their rookie class. That is no longer a necessity, but Minnesota still might decide to move on. After all, cap space rolls over from year to year, and it’s easy to see why the Vikings might not want to take a $14.1 million cap hit for a 28-year-old running back, especially when there is a perfectly adequate starter in Alexander Mattison already on the roster.
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The Dalvin Cook Trade Market
Even at his advanced age, Dalvin Cook is still one of the better running backs in the league, and the Vikings probably won’t let him go for free. After all, the team won the NFC North last year and is in position to do it again now that Aaron Rodgers is on the Jets. However, it shouldn’t require too much trade compensation for Dalvin Cook to find a new home.
The only problem is that it’s hard to find a team willing to surrender too much in terms of draft picks. The running back is dead right now, as evidenced by the Austin Ekeler saga. The Chargers running back wants a new contract, but apparently, Los Angeles didn’t receive a single phone call from teams inquiring about his services. Cook will probably have a more robust market than that, but it’s hard to imagine the Vikings getting more than a third-round pick.
Previously, the five teams in the trade market for Dalvin Cook were the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Buffalo Bills. The Eagles and Dolphins removed themselves with the D’Andre Swift and Devon Achane acquisitions, respectively, but the other three teams should still be interested.
Isiah Pacheco is reportedly recovering from multiple surgeries, and the rest of the depth chart leaves a lot to be desired. Because of this, the Chiefs should be considered the frontrunners for a Dalvin Cook trade. The Ravens only make sense if J.K. Dobbins isn’t back to his old form, and there’s no way for anyone outside of the organization to know how current health status. The Buffalo Bills could theoretically be interested, but they could easily get by with Damien Harris and James Cook splitting touches.
Barring an injury, it appears as though a Dalvin Cook trade will not happen in the 2023 offseason. However, if anyone does go after him, it will probably be the Chiefs.
Main Photo: Matt Krohn – USA Today Sports
