Free agent with Mike Zimmer ties flirts with Cowboys after Eric Kendricks stunner

It's fitting that the Dallas Cowboys first free-agent signing came courtesy of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. Let's face, it there's no way Jerry or Stephen Jones would have pushed the envelope to bring in an outside free agent.

Nevertheless, the Cowboys have made a big-time upgrade to their linebacker corps in the form of Eric Kendricks. It's a shocking move on multiple fronts. Chief among them is the fact that Kendricks agreed to a one-year deal with the 49ers. The move was never officially announced, however, and Zimmer continued pushing hard for Kendricks behind the scenes.

Reports indicate the Cowboys' new defensive run-game coordinator Paul Guenther also had major influence in signing Kendricks.

With the Joneses refusing to address Dallas' cap situation, fans might have to depend on Zimmer to recruit other free agents. Well, not long after the Kendricks signing was reported, a former Zimmer disciple began openly flirting with the Cowboys on social media.

The free agent in question is none other than Dalvin Cook.

Dalvin Cook flirts with Cowboys on social media after Eric Kendricks signing

In the wake of Kendricks spurning the 49ers for Dallas, Cook followed a cluster of prominent Cowboys personalities on Twitter. The former Vikings running back is even liking tweets from Jane Slater about the Cowboys' free agency plans and liked Michael Gehklen's post that broke the Kendricks news.

The Cowboys are desperate for a RB after Tony Pollard signed with the Titans. Last season's backup Rico Dowdle remains a free agent as well. Deuce Vaughn, who averaged less than 2.0 yards per carry as a rookie, is currently the team's lead back. Malik Davis might have something to say about that, but the point remains.

Despite all of that, Dallas can't fall for Cook's flirtation. He seemingly wants to be a Cowboys and his ties to Zimmer make him an interesting target. However, Cook was arguably the worst running back in the NFL last season.

Among 62 running backs that logged at least 60 carries, Cook's 51.5 rushing grade was dead-last, according to Pro Football Focus. He also had the second-fewest yards after contact per rush attempt and ranked in the bottom five in rushing success rate, EPA per rush, yards created and explosive rush rate.

The term "washed up" is thrown around too casually these days, but Cook seemingly has very little juice left entering his age-29 season. A former second-round pick of Zimmer's Vikings in 2017, Cook logged close to 1,300 carries across six years in Minnesota. He's also played one full season in his career, so he's no stranger to injuries.

Cook's intentions are obvious, but the Cowboys should steer clear of reuniting the former Pro Bowler with Zimmer and Kendricks.

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