Calling Chris Cook a failure would be insulting to failure.
Untalented pariah is more fitting.
The troubled CB’s time in Minnesota is thankfully over as he signed a one-year deal with San Francisco last Friday. For the veteran minimum. Quite a fall for the Vikings first pick (34th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft a mere four seasons ago.
I personally soured on Chris when he was arrested and charged with felony domestic assault stemming from an altercation with his girlfriend in October 2011. The charges claimed that he struck and strangled her during an argument about her contacting an ex-boyfriend.
The fact that the Vikings kept him on the 53-man roster and kept paying him (after a two week without-pay suspension) for the rest of the 2011 season didn’t help the sourness. And also made me start to question Leslie Frazier’s judgment. It wouldn’t be the last time.
Even though he was acquitted of all charges in March 2012, he admitted in testimony that he struck her during the altercation (claiming self defense).
There are two things I have no tolerance for with athletes & human beings in general: drunk driving and violence towards women.
Self defense or not, you admitted you struck a woman, Chris. You’re done in my book. Guilty or not guilty.
That’s why I applauded Rick & the Vikings when they immediately cut ties with AJ Jefferson (domestic assault) and eventually did away with the less talented Henderson brother (two DUIs in 6 weeks). The Jeromes – Simpson and Felton – each of whom had a DUI in recent years, but are still on the roster after a re-signing and restructuring respectively, but that’s another fight for another day.
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We haven’t even gotten to Cook’s on the field performance yet. THAT will likely end his NFL career faster than any off the field issues. Bottomline: the man cannot play cornerback in the NFL.
The fact that his next interception will be his first NFL interception has been harkened to death (34 career games). But also, to put it bluntly, he simply is not a talented football player.
Vikings fans have lost count how many times Cook’s failed us on gameday.
His man catching a crucial pass on 3rd down, being burned for a touchdown, or having an opportunity to make a game changing play (like elite corners make routinely) but couldn’t. Either because he was out of position, unaware of his surroundings, lacked the physical skills/intelligence to capitalize, or a combination of all three.
In 2013, when not dealing with injuries, Cook was consistently out preformed at corner by much less heralded players like Shaun Prater (journeyman), Robert Blanton (converted safety), and Marcus Sherels (undrafted FA rookie from the same 2010 rookie class).
So… being the worst corner on the 32nd ranked scoring defense in the NFL. That’s a pretty low low.
Perhaps Zimmer could have polished up the turd into something presentable. He pulled off a similar feat as DC in Cincinnati with the infamous Adam “But really Pacman, no one calls him Adam” Jones.
But I contend that Pacman could have a 72-hour Make it Rain bender right before kickoff and still outperform Chris Cook – even on Chris’ best day.
Headaches are tolerable, but only if you have talent to back it up. Football is the same as life in that regard.
Mercifully, the Chris Cook stay here in Minnesota is over. Can’t say it’s been fun or we’ll cherish memories, but it’s over. And that may be the best move of the Vikings very successful offseason so far.
#GoalGlendale #AllInWithZim
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