Why Dalvin Cook's Offseason Shoulder Surgery Will Help, Not Hurt, His Free Agency

The Minnesota Vikings made their divorce from Dalvin Cook official on Friday, releasing the 27-year-old running back to avoid his $14.1 million cap hit this season.

Although the running back underwent left shoulder surgery this offseason, he will be ready for the start of the season and shouldn’t be limited much in training camp.

Following his surgery in mid-February, our panel of doctors broke down the impact of the surgery and what it means for this upcoming season:

• This is Cook’s third surgery on his left shoulder, he underwent surgery to repair his left front labrum in high school (prior to 2014) and had surgery to the back of his labrum in 2016.

• The surgery could help Cook maintain a role as a three-down back, as he will be able to pass protect more effectively when fully recovered from the shoulder surgery.

• The 27-year-old running back projects to be fully healthy well before the start of training camp in late July.

Dalvin Cook Fantasy Outlook

It’s hard to project how involved Cook will be in an offense before knowing his landing spot. At this time it’s important to know that his shoulder won’t hold him back from any involvement in training camp or learning a new offense.

Miami is the favorite landing spot at the moment for Cook, while the Broncos are second and the Bills are third.

Cook has rushed for over 1,000 yards and at least 6 touchdowns for the past four seasons. He finished as the RB8 overall and RB10 in fantasy points per game last season.

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