20 June 2023 , 17:58
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The NFL would be "epic" if DeAndre Hopkins ends up on the same roster as Dalvin Cook, according to the recently released running back.
Cook and Hopkins are two of the best talents to be released by their respected franchises this offseason, with both players carefully considering their options. Cook has been closely linked with the Miami Dolphins, while Hopkins has visited the New England Patriots and Stefon Diggs is keen to bring the receiver to Buffalo.
The former Minnesota Vikings running back appeared on The Adam Schefter Podcast on Monday to discuss his release and the immediate future, but made a plea for teams to consider both him and Hopkins. "If we end up on the same roster, that would be something epic for the NFL," Cook said.
"I know his mindset, and I done play against D-Hop a numerous amount of times. When I been with D-Hop, we done chill together, we done been around each other like, and it's like I kind of see the person that he is like, he want to win and that's what my mind at to.
"I want to go win. Like I said, the money gonna come and that's going to happen. But like as far as going to lift that [Vince Lombardi] Trophy up, he got the same mindset as me."
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Cook spent six seasons with the Vikings and scored 52 touchdowns in that time (47 rushing), but after trade talks fell through he was released. Cook will turn 28 in August, and was due to take up $14.1 million (£11.06m) in cap space for the Vikings in 2023.
The running back hasn't his the heights since his stunning 2020 season, where he scored 17 touchdowns (16 rushing) in just 14 games. Hopkins has seen a similar decline to Cook in the stats department, but the receiver missed the first six games of the 2022 season after violating the NFL's Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) policy.
Hopkins is assessing his options after being released by the CardinalsHopkins also had to cope without star quarterback Kyler Murray, who picked up another injury to end his 2022 season prematurely. The Cardinals contemplated trading Hopkins before the draft and after, but suddenly cut ties with him instead.
There's little doubt that both Hopkins and Cook will be signed to new teams in the near future, but whether they'll be on the same roster is uncertain. The Dolphins are Cook's hometown team, but even if they made a move for the running back it's unlikely they'd need Hopkins with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
They also wouldn't have the cap space to facilitate a deal, but one team that might is the Tennessee Titans. Hopkins visited the Titans also, and they're still not decided over the future of Derrick Henry.
It was heavily rumoured that Henry could be traded ahead of the draft at the same time as Hopkins. However, with Henry now 29 and the third-highest paid running back in the NFL it's not the easiest deal to negotiate.
The Titans would owe Henry around $10 million if they were to release him, which also is something that they'd want to avoid. Both players will be valuable assets to an NFL franchise, but doubling up seems unlikely at this stage.