Panthers News: Bryce Young, DeShawn Williams, Juston Burris and Dalvin Cook

Carolina Panthers linked with Dalvin Cook

There should be a queue of suitors for Dalvin Cook now the running back has been officially released by the Minnesota Vikings. Although the decision was surprising to many, the player's production last season didn't really justify the big salary coming his way, which left those in power with a tough choice to save themselves some cash in 2023.

Although it would appear unlikely when one factors everything into the equation, the Carolina Panthers were named as one of the best landing spots for Cook by Conor Orr, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated via Yahoo Sports. This is down in no small part to the spare cash general manager Scott Fitterer has to spend before or during the season.

"The [Carolina] Panthers still have $27 million in cap space, and while they would not be the most attractive option for [Dalvin] Cook in terms of immediate title contention, they could probably pay him more for the privilege. A running back is not necessarily the best friend of a developing quarterback, but Bryce Young would never say no to a capable backfield receiver and a backfield companion for Miles Sanders, one of the team’s most notable offseason signings. It’s clear Carolina viewed running back as a position of need. Perhaps that need is still pressing enough to make a move."

- Conor Orr, SI via Yahoo Sports

This would be nothing short of a bombshell. The benefits of placing Cook in the same backfield as Miles Sanders cannot be understated, but head coach Frank Reich seemed happy with the current dynamic within the running back room when speaking to the media last week.

One would expect the Miami Dolphins to make a serious push for Cook. But nothing has been confirmed one way or another as yet.