A little more than a third of the way into the season, the Jets hope Dalvin Cook is beginning to reach his stride.
Cook was signed in mid-August, did not participate in Organized Team Activities over the offseason and did not play in the preseason.
The 28-year-old then did not impress early, clearly looking like the inferior option to Breece Hall.
Cook ran three times for 12 yards in the Oct. 15 win over the Eagles, a game in which head coach Robert Saleh said Cook “looked [his] best running the ball” thus far.
“If you really look at it and you say, ‘OK, the guy needs about four weeks of acclimation,’ that puts you around Week 5, which is Philadelphia,” Saleh said about Cook before Wednesday’s practice. “Where you start seeing him hit his top speeds, and his GPS numbers are improving.”
Cook was a Pro Bowler each of the past four seasons with the Vikings and has been regarded as one of the best running backs in football.
But in a seven-year career with more than 1,300 rushing attempts, Cook’s best days might be over, and he has become a complement to the more explosive 22-year-old Hall.
Saleh acknowledged the transition from feature back to backup back is “really tough.”
In all, Cook has rushed 39 times for just 109 yards (2.8 per attempt).
The Jets hope the later they go into the season, the more Cook will look like the former Vikings star.
A season after Hall was lost for the year with a torn ACL, having another capable running back might prove to be important.
“I do think he’s getting better,” Saleh said. “I do think he’s getting his legs underneath him. I do think he’s running better with more violence and looking more like him.“So hopefully we can continue to springboard that, but it could be a good one-two punch obviously with Dalvin and Breece.”
Wednesday brought encouraging signs for the secondary.
CBs Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, who both missed the win over the Eagles with concussions, were full participants in Wednesday’s practice.
Before practice, Saleh said both were still in the protocol.
Partaking in practice was a positive step and could bode well for their availability Sunday.
Saleh said the Jets likely will not know whether either or both can play until game day.
CB Brandin Echols (hamstring), who missed the past two games, also was a full participant.
OL Joe Tippmann (quad), who exited the win over the Eagles early, did not practice.
“I’m always hopeful he could be available, but we’ll see,” Saleh said. “[Thursday] we’ll see how he feels and whether or not we can get him in practice.”
OL Duane Brown (hip) “looks good,” Saleh said, but the veteran will not return this week.
Brown’s practice window could open next week.
WR Randall Cobb, who has an injury to his AC joint in his shoulder, did not practice.
The Jets hope he can practice Thursday.
Bryce Huff, a blossoming defensive end who has gone from undrafted in 2020 to one of the more effective pass-rushers in the game, said there have not been contract extension talks with the Jets.
“I’m just going to continue to work and continue to help the team win,” Huff said.
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