Panthers can look at Dalvin Cook situation with sense of relief

Christian McCaffrey could have been in the same situation as Dalvin Cook had the Carolinas Panthers not acted quickly this offseason.

The Carolina Panthers can look on at the current situation involving Dalvin Cook and the Minnesota Vikings with a sense of relief. The running back officially began his holdout earlier this week as he looks for a “reasonable offer” to keep him around long term.

Cook is arguably the most talented member of the Vikings’ offense. And the team should eventually tie down the player for his best years. However, there has been a distinct lack of urgency to give players at the position the sort of money their production demands in recent years.

This was not the case with the Carolina Panthers, who bucked the trend somewhat when they gave All-Pro Christian McCaffrey a four-year, $64 million deal that included a $21 million signing bonus and a little more than $38 million guaranteed.

McCaffrey indicated that he was willing to hold out to get the sort of deal he was after. This would have been nothing short of disastrous for a team in transition. And the Panthers avoided this in no uncertain terms by making the former first-round pick the highest-paid running back in NFL history.

If Cook holds out through training camp, it would represent a considerable problem for the Vikings and one that could impact their chances of returning to the postseason. They do have Alexander Mattison as their No. 2 option. But he is more of a downhill runner and does not contribute much to the passing game.

While the second-round selection out of Florida State shouldn’t be looking at getting McCaffrey money, it is evident he has out-produced his rookie deal. This is something that can be said for many players looking to get paid across the league.

Why the Carolina Panthers were right to extend Christian McCaffrey

New head coach Matt Rhule could easily be in the same situation that Mike Zimmer is currently having to deal with. Having the face of the franchise missing valuable preparation time during his first season at the helm had the potential to set them back considerably.

This would’ve been even more significant when one considers the lack of time together as a group the Carolina Panthers will have before the season gets underway. McCaffrey holding out could have spelled untold trouble and it would also have sent out the wrong message to the rest of the roster.

Thankfully it hasn’t come to that. And the Panthers can watch on like the rest of us to see how things eventually pan out with Cook in Minnesota.

They did right by their running back and should be commended for that. It gives the franchise a player with elite production that will be their offensive cornerstone for the foreseeable future.

The Vikings would ideally want Cook to become this sort of figure. He has a lot of similar traits to McCaffrey, although his progress has been hampered by a series of injuries. Minnesota is far worse off for not having him on the field. And this should be enough to find some sort of common ground with a new deal.

As they have done with most of their moves this offseason, the Panthers moved quicker than others. This leaves them with a bright future with McCaffrey in their backfield. And there is even the chance he can raise his game even further with a better supporting cast.