Why haven't the Raiders re-signed TE Jared Cook?

Why haven't the Raiders re-signed TE Jared Cook?

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Why haven't the Raiders re-signed TE Jared Cook?


One of the most surprising developments of free agency is that tight end Jared Cook is still on the market. After having a career season in Oakland, Cook made the first Pro Bowl of his career as he caught 68 passes for 896 yards and six touchdowns.

However, Cook’s market has seemingly been non-existent after only visiting with the New Orleans Saints. Shouldn’t Cook’s value be rising, especially as lesser tight ends were paid this offseason handsomely? And why haven’t the Raiders brought back their leading receiver from 2018? Doesn’t he make even more sense of the roster now with Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams?

More than likely, Cook is asking to be one of the highest-paid tight ends in the NFL. While he certainly has that right to do so considering his sacks, it’s likely teams are balking at his demands for a few reasons. The first being his age. Cook will turn 32 in April, and NFL teams generally hate giving big money to players over the age of 30, especially when their best season came during a contract year.

Another reason for his current availability could be his lack of effectiveness in the run game. According to Pro Football Focus, Cook graded out as a below-average run blocker in 2018. As we have seen in the early parts of free agency, it’s the “complete” tight ends who are getting paid and not the receiving tight ends. At this stage of his career, it’s unlikely Cook is going to change. In fact, he may only get worse as a blocker as his athleticism fades.

Oakland would like to have Cook back on the roster, but they will likely need his contract demands to drop for that to happen. However, expect the veteran tight end to be signed in the next week or so.

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