Chris Cook has been away from the Minnesota Vikings' facilities for nearly three months and the team's staff, including coach Leslie Frazier, still hasn't determined the appropriate course of action with their embattled cornerback.
Cook was arrested in October for domestic abuse/strangulation after allegedly choking his girlfriend. Cook was suspended and later reinstated to the active roster, but told to stay away while he deals with the legal proceedings.
Paying Cook to stay away was an unusual decision, seemingly keeping open the possibility of the 2010 second-round pick returning to the team. For a team severely needing help in the secondary, giving up on a second-round pick just two years later would be less than ideal.
As the Vikings began offseason evaluations, Frazier said he couldn't factor Cook into the plans for next season.
"There's so many unknowns with Chris," Frazier said at his season-ending press conference on Jan. 3. "At this point Chris is not on my radar. As we are going forward and having to sit down and discuss our personnel and what we have to get done, until I know conclusively what's going to happen with Chris Cook, I can't really factor him into what we're trying to get accomplished."
Frazier and newly-promoted general manager Rick Spielman said every aspect of the team will be evaluated as Minnesota looks to make changes following a 3-13 season.
With the NFC North featuring a possible MVP in Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a 5,000 yard passer in Detroit's Matthew Stafford, and another accomplished quarterback in Chicago's Jay Cutler, the Vikings know the biggest need entering the offseason is the secondary.
The secondary — already suspect — was decimated as Minnesota continued through the season.
Adding to Cook's absence, veteran Antoine Winfield was limited to just five games due to injuries. Cedric Griffin, the starter opposite of Winfield at the start of the season, struggled to return to his previous ability after recovering from a second knee surgery.
Even Asher Allen, who opened as the fourth cornerback, eventually started nine games and was the team's top cover corner after the fall of Winfield, Griffin and Cook, missed four games because of injuries.
"You do have to take a look at your division and what's happening in your division, how can you get back in the mix," Frazier said. "So we've got to take a real hard look at a number of areas, but we definitely have to take a look at what we're doing from a defensive standpoint, and our secondary will be key to that.
"With the quarterbacks in our division along with the receivers that we face, we've got to do a good job of identifying the right people to help us to improve on defense."
Whether Cook is one of those people is perhaps one of the biggest questions of the Vikings' offseason.
He was beginning to develop into the type of tall, cover corner Minnesota had hoped for when it drafted the 6-foot-2 Cook with the 34th overall pick in the 2010 draft. He struggled with injuries his rookie season, but had played in the first six games and made three starts this season before his suspension.
Cook hasn't exactly stayed out of the spotlight during his absence. He remains active on Twitter. He's tweeted about making a fresh start and a new beginning, also cutting his long hair in the process.
On New Year's Eve, Cook tweeted, "Life is challenging !! There are tons of decisions made daily!! Guess who makes yours? YOU DO! Your choices determine your future!! #2012"
A day earlier he was preparing for the future, tweeting: "The message is consistent today! Progress is key! Never stay the same in life! No backtracking, move forward! There is better out there!"
But what does Cook's future hold?
It's clear the Vikings need Cook's presence. Minnesota's secondary allowed the 7th most passing yards in the league, a league-high 34 touchdowns and equaled the league-low with eight interceptions. Quarterbacks passed for a 68.2 percent completion rate (second highest rate in the NFL) and a 107.6 quarterback rating (highest) despite the defense posting a league-high 50 sacks.
Frazier has spoken with Cook a few different times. Frazier and Spielman are waiting for the legal situation to play out before making any decisions.
Spielman said he was part of the decision-making process when the team agreed to keep Cook on the active roster and continue to pay him, while the team played a man short. With his new role though, Spielman will have the final say on the 53-man roster.
"I think you have to have a global look at your roster and be upfront and honest and objective," Spielman said about looking at the draft. "Can we win or can't we win with this guy. If we can't we need to move on and if we're moving on what's our plan of action on how we're going to replace that guy."
While he wasn't discussing Cook specifically, Spielman's words offer insight on how the team will approach Cook's status.
Even Frazier, who personally visited Cook before the draft in 2010 to assess any character concerns, isn't sure if Cook will be with the Vikings in 2012.
"We'll have to determine if Chris is going to be a part of what we do going forward," Frazier said. "That decision still hasn't been made. We have no idea what's going to happen. Once there's some clarity, a decision will be made."
