OWINGS MILL — The Ravens will inevitably add a veteran running back to support newly signed Derrick Henry, backup Justice Hill, and Keaton Mitchell, who is still recovering from offseason knee surgery.
However, general manager Eric DeCosta will likely take his time finding a player, especially with the NFL draft just over two weeks away.
Even if the Ravens select a running back with one of their nine picks in this year’s draft, the team will add a veteran because they like to have depth for training camp and during the season to help cope with potential injuries.
Last season, DeCosta signed veteran Dalvin Cook when he cleared waivers in January to help with their playoff run that ended in the AFC Championship Game against Kansas City.
The Jets paid Cook, 28, $6.8 million last season and he carried the ball only 67 times for 214 yards, a 3.2-yard average — 1.4 yards below his career mark. He played only 202 snaps on offense.
Cook also had limited carries for the Ravens in the playoffs and finished with 23 yards rushing on eight carries, but he did show solid burst and endeared himself to coach John Harbaugh with his practice habits.
Cook could be a viable option again for the Ravens, but other teams could show interest.
He ran for more than 1,100 yards each of the past four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, who selected him in the second round (41st overall) of the 2017 NFL draft from Florida State. He was a four-time Pro Bowler from 2019 through 2022.
Cook is confident that he can help an NFL team this season,
“I’ve got it all,” Cook told KPRC in Houston. “The tools are still here. I didn’t really get no reps last year. So, the legs are fresh, so the resume speaks for itself. I’m still Dalvin Cook. I’m still that guy. For me, I don’t like to toot my own horn. I just like to go out there, put my helmet on and line up on the grass.”
The Ravens could be interested, but Cook might have to wait for the phone to ring.
