The Houston Texans are one game away from their first playoff berth since 2019. All they need to do is beat the Indianapolis Colts, and they’ll either make the postseason as a wildcard team or as the AFC South champion.
But with a week left in the regular season, there are still moves to be made to fortify the team ahead of a possible playoff game. One such move could be to claim veteran running back Dalvin Cook, who was just waived by the New York Jets after less than one season with the team.
Cook will be subject to waivers, where any team can claim him and his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Houston has a middle-of-the-pack waiver pick but may opt not to claim him with running backs Devin Singletary and Dameon Pierce already on the roster.
Here are the pros and cons of claiming Cook, as well as a verdict on what the Texans should do.
Pro: Fresh legs
It’s not often that a four-time Pro Bowl running back can be claimed at the end of a season, and its even better when he has only touched the ball 82 times in a season. Cook had four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons before the Vikings cut him this offseason, but the Jets opted not to use him much this year behind second-year running back Breece Hall.
Con: Inefficient when he did play
Cook never made the most of his opportunities with the Jets. Whether that was because of the offensive line, the coaching or Cook himself, his production speaks for itself: 214 yards on 67 carries for a 3.2 yards per carry average. He also caught 15 receptions for 78 yards. The Texans wouldn’t need Cook to start, but they would prefer him to be productive when he did play.
Pro: Hungry for action
Cook’s frustrations with his role on the Jets were obvious throughout the season. He spoke about joining a team as a key contributor before the year, and yet was rarely used on the Jets offense. Cook sounds like a player ready to sink his teeth into an opportunity and run with it.
Con: Crowded RB room
The Texans already have two younger running backs in Singletary and Pierce. Singletary has been better the better back with 835 rushing yards and a healthy 4.3 yards per carry average, while Pierce is still a bruiser who can bang between the tackles. Cook would likely steal some touches from Pierce, but otherwise wouldn’t truly have a role on this team unless an injury to either running back popped up.
Verdict: Pass
Cook would be a luxury the Texans don’t need to pay for, and would perhaps be more of a headache than he’s worth for offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. The offense looks good with Singletary and Pierce as the lead running backs, and Cook hasn’t shown the burst he had with the Vikings in his limited time with the Jets. Cook’s playoff experience is nice, but Singletary has actually seen more postseason snaps during his time with the Buffalo Bills.
