Ravens Can Add 4-Time Pro Bowler to Replace Keaton Mitchell
Losing Keaton Mitchell and J.K. Dobbins to injury has left the Baltimore Ravens needing every member of the depth chart to keep their running game relevant. A real workhorse is lacking, but the Ravens can remedy that problem by signing four-time Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook.
The latter was released by the New York Jets on Tuesday, January 2. The transfer was verified by the Loyalty Above All agency, citing NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He also said Cook will now have a “opportunity to play for a playoff team.”
Cook’s ambition to catch on with a postseason contender makes the Ravens a perfect fit. The AFC’s top seed leads the NFL “in rushing yards and average 5.0 yards per carry, but there’s a case to be made for them to still add a back like Cook before making a playoff run,” according to Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports.
Sullivan emphasized how Gus Edwards and Justice Hill have been carrying the weight, but output has been on the wane.
Dalvin Cook Would Boost Ravens’ Super Bowl Hopes
Things didn’t work out for Cook with the Jets, but the 28-year-old is still a marquee back. One who has achieved four 1,000-yard rushing seasons during a productive career.
Those campaigns came with the Minnesota Vikings, when Cook established himself as a productive presence in the red zone. He scored 43 touchdowns on the run before this season, including this 81-yarder against the Buffalo Bills in 2022.
Cook can deliver game-breaking runs and move the sticks in short-yardage situations. He’s also a competent receiver who can catch passes from numerous locations throughout formations.
A fantastic illustration of Cook’s receiving skills came against the Indianapolis Colts last season. Cook lined up at wide receiver and took a screen 64 yards to the house, according Next Gen Stats.
Those things make Cook an every down back, something the Ravens don’t have heading of the playoffs.
Ravens Lack Focal Point for Running Game Without Keaton Mitchell
Mitchell injuring his ACL caused the Ravens to promote Melvin Gordon III off the practice squad, but the veteran has made little impact. Gordon rushed six times for 10 yards during Week 17’s 56-19 triumph over the Miami Dolphins.
The Ravens amassed 160 yards on the run against the Dolphins. It needed a team effort from Edwards, Hill, Gordon and quarterback Lamar Jackson. A similar group effort yielded just 3.9 yards per rush against the San Francisco 49ers one week ago, per ESPN.
Numbers have been unpredictable, but the committee system has been good enough to produce a franchise-record 26 running touchdowns. Adding a real RB1 like Cook might risk disturbing the equilibrium the Ravens have achieved on the ground, but there’s an upside.
Notably, strengthening an already depleted depth chart in time for the business end of the season. It’s not as if the Ravens aren’t looking at other running backs, with the organization hosting LSU’s Troy Carter, according Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
Having a proven commodity like Cook pound the rock in tournament football would be great. He can be the X factor that helps the Ravens avoid repeating some terrible history.
Their past disappointment includes the 2019 season, when Baltimore was also the No. 1 seed and had homefield advantage. The Ravens appeared like a lock for the Super Bowl, but the Tennessee Titans instantly destroyed their dreams at M&T Bank Stadium.
Bolstering spots impacted by injuries with known players like Cook and cornerback Marcus Peters, would assure the Ravens aren’t caught cold again.
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