As the days tick by and it becomes more and more apparent that free agent running back formally with Minnesota Vikings, Dalvin Cook was only using the Jets to get a bigger offer from the Miami Dolphins, his true desired destination, it’s time for the Jets and GM Joe Douglas to play the game right back at Cook.

There are growing reports that the Jets, along with the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys are interested in signing former two time All Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott.

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, all three teams are considering signing Elliott with the Patriots being "highly interested" in his services after he visited New England at the end of July. 

Ezekiel Elliott makes much more sense for the Jets than Dalvin Cook. For starters, as I said above, Cook doesn’t want to be with the Jets. He wants to be with the Dolphins. The Jets had Cook in for a visit early in training camp and laid out the red carpet for him. He left without signing a deal,

Cook even went on a media blitz before his visit with the Jets publicly talking about how much he would love to play in New York. It was all a farce, and his real intentions were to get Miami to commit to the running back for more money. Does that mean the Jets won’t sign Cook? No, it just means he isn’t going to sign with the Jets until he must.

Zeke, on the other hand, needs a job. His stock is in the toilet after a bad last season in Dallas. While Dalvin Cook is still premier player in his prime, Zeke is a player who is looking to bounce back and prove that he still has a lot left in the tank.

Elliott is a low-risk high-reward player. He is a former two-time All Pro and three-time Pro-Bowler. His ceiling is still very high if he can find the right situation to return to form.

Dalvin Cook will very likely want a multi-year contract when he eventually signs, Zeke and his representatives know that a multi-year deal probably isn’t in the cards. He will likely be looking at a one-year prove it type of deal. That makes Elliott a low risk signing.

While Zeke is 28-years-old and Cook is 27, their usage the last few seasons are very similar as they both split carries last season for the most part.

From the Jets side, it seems like the point of signing a running back this late in the game is as insurance for second-year man Breece Hall as he continues to rehab from knee surgery in October. If that is the case, why not bring in the guy on a “prove it” deal instead of the guy who is going to want to be the feature back?

At this point, I do not believe that Elliott is a better running back than Dalvin Cook, but I do believe he is a better fit for what the New York Jets should be looking for at this point. Instead of bringing in the high-profile flashy free agent, bring in the motivated player who knows his career could be on the line for one year.

Jets: Dalvin Cook leaves without a deal

The Jets brought in their guy, showed him around and the watched him leave without a deal in place. He may never return. Dalvin Cook has a decision to make, and the Jets might have made it too easy for him to say “no, thank you” to them by letting him leave the facility without […]

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