Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said Thursday that Cook (knee) is going to be "pretty close" to being ready for Organized Team Activities in the spring, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.
Cook was placed on injured reserve in early October after undergoing surgery to address a torn ACL, spelling an end to what was shaping up as a spectacular rookie campaign through the Vikings' first four games. With Zimmer indicating that Vikings head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman has informed him Cook will be "good as new" upon returning to the field, the 22-year-old should slot back into the lead-back role uncontested, even though Latavious Murray performed admirably in his stead last season. If the Vikings retain Murray for 2018, he may be limited to a low-usage complementary role behind Cook, who displayed three-down abilities as a rookie.