2017 NFL Draft Rumors: Buccaneers “will strongly consider” Dalvin Cook

Two days before the 2017 NFL draft and the rumor mill is really grinding away. ESPN’s Todd McShay put together a lot of them in one post, and the only one that mentions the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: they want Dalvin Cook.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers really like Cook and will strongly consider him if he's on the board at No. 19. The concerns with Cook are who he surrounds himself with, so keeping him in the state of Florida would be a risk, considering that's where he went to college and grew up (Miami).

That’s interesting, and it does make some sense. The Bucs certainly could use a running back to replace Doug Martin, and Cook is very good. It’s not clear how the Bucs see his off-field character, but they have a history of taking players with character risks, and they did a lot of research on Cook.

Still, I’m always wary of last-second rumors when it comes to the draft, especially when they involve Jason Licht’s Buccaneers. And especially when they involve national reporters, who tend to not be as plugged-in to the team’s needs and have fewer contacts.

For an object lesson: see the reporting surrounding the Buccaneers and Johnny Manziel in 2014. Specifically, see this article, where Todd McShay says he hears the Bucs were “smitten” with Manziel, days before the draft.

Oops.