Minnesota gives Cook some TLC
MANKATO, Minn.—When the NFL draft resumed for the second round on April 28, all eyes were on Florida State running back Dalvin Cook.
A first-round talent with top10 production, Cook dropped down the board amid character concerns from several off-thefield incidents in high school and college. That led several league observers to believe the more miles he could put between himself and his chaotic home base in South Florida, the better chance he had to realize his incredible potential.
It’s hard to get much farther away than the land of ice and snow in Minnesota, and as Cook looked around the Division II Minnesota State University dorm the Vikings call home for training camp, he said a comfort level has quickly formed.
“I am feeling everything out,” Cook said. “My teammates are making me feel real comfortable and I just think the unique thing about this situation is that we have some good vets that welcome everybody with open arms. They are doing a great job of that and they are making the rookies feel real comfortable, so I am pretty comfortable with my situation.”
The Vikings have long taken pride in establishing a culture for bringing in a player with past concerns and helping him mature and develop into a reliable and productive player. They have done it recently with defensive end Everson Griffen and also brought in veteran receiver Michael Floyd this offseason. Randy Moss, Percy Harvin, Cris Carter ... the list goes on and on.
Coach Mike Zimmer talks often about building a roster of focused, hard-working veterans, creating an environment that can nurture a player who may need extra guidance. The Vikings brought in veteran running back Latavius Murray to both compete with Cook for the starting job and show him the ropes. Griffen, tight end Kyle Rudolph, safety Harrison Smith and cornerback Terence Newman are among other veteran leaders in the locker room.
“We’ve got some really good guys on this team,” Zimmer said. “They want to help guys get better because they know it’ll help them and help the team.”
Cook was so impressive during team practices in May and June that Murray acknowledged he needed to get on the field as soon as possible.