Chris Cook Update: Minnesota Vikings CB Comments On His Return To Team

After missing the Minnesota Vikings last 10 games in 2011 due to a domestic violence case, cornerback Chris Cook is trying to build the trust of his teammates as he participates in the Vikings offseason program. Via Jeremy Fowler of The St. Paul Pioneer Press:

"I feel like I have to earn (my teammates') trust again," Cook said Wednesday morning, May 2. "I definitely let them down last year by being in this situation I was in. ... I'm really looking forward to earning their trust and being a contributing factor on the team."

The Vikings suspended Cook with pay throughout the legal process, which ended when Cook was acquitted of the charges in March.

Cook, a second-round pick from 2010, has played in 12 NFL games, missing most of his rookie year to injury.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Minnesota Vikings Say Chris Cook Deserves To Stay With Organization After Acquittal

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook received good news on Thursday when he was acquitted of all charges after a two week trial for domestic abuse, a charge that had kept him off the team for part of 2011 on a suspended with pay basis.

The question is if the 25 year old talented CB will be able to quickly get back into football with the Vikings after tough allegations and lots of missed play time. The Vikings appear to be completely ready to welcome him back into the organization after the debacle though.

"We respect the legal process and the decision regarding Chris Cook," the Vikings said in a statement. "We have also thoroughly considered Chris' situation and how he has approached this matter. We will meet with Chris in the near future and believe he deserves the opportunity to rejoin our organization."

There is no question that Cook getting back onto the field is going to be a huge boost to the Vikings play, there's a reason they signed him to a four year contract after drafting him in the second round in 2010. Hopefully for Minnesota, the domestic abuse trial will be the last problem that they have to endure with Cook. This was his second issue after allegedly brandishing a handgun in March 2011, but those charges were also dropped.

The NFL does not expect to punish Cook for anything related to the domestic abuse debacle.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Cornerback Chris Cook Found Not Guilty On All Counts In Assault Case

The Minnesota Vikings just got a little bit of clarity regarding their cornerback position, which is seen as an area of concern heading into the 2012 NFL season. The clarity comes in the form of cornerback Chris Cook and his assault trial, which just wrapped up in Hennepin County. According to the Star Tribune, Cook was found not guilty on all counts in said trial, in which he was charged with felony domestic assault by strangulation and third-degree assault.

After about six days total in the courtroom, the jury handed down the verdict. It's definitely positive news for the Vikings, but that doesn't mean Cook's future in the NFL is set in stone. The charges of brutally choking his girlfriend, Chantel Baker, are serious, though Cook claimed that everything that happened (which apparently did not include choking, according to Baker's official testimony) was all in self defense.

Regarding all of this, the NFL has been pretty quiet. Cook ended the 2011 season suspended with pay and has not technically been re-instated, and the Vikings organization has not said much regarding the incident. They immediately looked for help at the position near the end of the 2011 season and have not made publicly made a decision regarding whether or not Cook will be brought back, even with the verdict of not guilty.

Either way, Cook is signed through 2013 and is just 25 years-old, with a lot of potential, by all accounts. It's pretty unquestionable that Cook has value at the position, especially for the Vikings, but everything is still up in the air.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

Chris Cook Will Claim Self-Defense In Felony Domestic Assault Case

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook has decided that he will claim that the charges of felony domestic assault and third-degree assault were due to self defense when the cases are officially brought to court. The charges stem from an altercation with his girlfriend the night of Oct. 21.

Cook's defense attorneys will file motions to dismiss the charges officially on Jan. 12, according to a report from the Star Tribune, because the victim has apparently changed her story. The motions will be needed because the case's judge turned down their request to dismiss the charges during a court appearance on Tuesday.

During the court appearance, Valentini asked whether prosecutors will dismiss the felony domestic assault charge since the alleged victim has supposdly recanted the strangulation. Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Sarah Hilleren replied that neither charge will be dismissed. Hilleren said afterward that she could not confirm or deny whether the woman recanted to pollice any part of her version of events.

A trial is currently scheduled to begin on March 5, but Christopher Gates suggests that the Vikings cut ties with the troubled cornerback long before this case is that far into the process.

With Chris Cook Suspended, Minnesota Vikings Looking For Cornerback Help

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook is suspended indefinitely by the Minnesota Vikings in the wake of felony domestic abuse charges, leaving the team rather thin at cornerback as Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin continue to recover from injuries. Head coach Leslie Frazier is apparently looking to change that, however, by looking at available free agents on the open market.

"I think we have to," Frazier said Tuesday morning on the Judd & Phun Show. "I think we have to just explore every avenue. We're pretty thin there now whether it be by injury or other circumstances. We've got to continue to monitor what's available and what can help us if anything out there can."

The Vikings are still, as of Monday, considering all of their options on what exactly they are going to do with Cook. One of the options brought up Tuesday, though, is just to wait and let NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hand don a suspension from the league office rather than cutting Cook and losing his rights.

Either way, this is a messy situation.

Minnesota Vikings Considering Options With CB Chris Cook

Presently, the Minnesota Vikings have cornerback Chris Cook suspended without pay following his arrest in a domestic abuse incident. Cook was charged with felony strangulation and, according to ESPN, the team is typically allowed to keep Cook suspended for about four weeks. It looks like the team is going to consider their options and potentially do something much sooner, however.

During a Monday press conference, Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier was asked if Cook could be cut, and responded with "We've got a lot of things to talk about." Cook's next court date isn't until Nov. 22 and based on those words, it seems like the Vikings are taking it very seriously. A decision may be coming before the date, and the decision will be a big one.

Cook has been earning his way into the starting role, and was looking better just about each game. He's just 24-years old and was the team's top pick in 2010. Losing him would be a big blow to a team in transition, but the charges against him are serious and the Vikings don't want to show that acting out as Cook did is alright. 

Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier On CB Chris Cook's Arrest

Minnesota Vikings' cornerback Chris Cook, who is facing felony domestic assault charges and was suspended indefinitely by the team for said alleged conduct, is facing three years in jail and a fine. Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier sounded off on the team's best cornerback's situation to the media on Wednesday night [via Fox Sports North]:

"It is something we are highly concerned about and very disturbed about, and any matter that affects our team in a light that we don’t feel is a positive light, we’re going to try and address those situations as soon as we can," Frazier said. "We’ve done that in this case and there could be other things forthcoming as we go forward."

The accusations against Cook are obviously very serious, but there's not much else the Vikings can do to fairly discipline the cornerback until all the facts are straightened out and he receives a fair trial. 

Chris Cook Arrested: Minnesota Vikings Cornerback Suspended Indefinitely By Minnesota Vikings

Cornerback Chris Cook has been suspended indefinitely by the Minnesota Vikings after he was charged with felony assault. Cook was charged on Tuesday with felony domestic assault by strangulation in an incident with his girlfriend that left her bloodied:

The team issued a statement late Tuesday announcing the suspension and describing the allegations as "very disturbing and disappointing" but declined to comment further "until the appropriate time."

Cook is suspended without pay and has been released on $40,000 bail. He is facing up to 3 years in jail and a $5,000 fine, while state guidelines call for a year and a day in jail. Cook has been the Vikings' best cornerback so far on the season, but he missed Sunday's game while in jail for the incident that occurred early on Saturday. The penalty for strangulation was upgraded to a felony by the Minnesota State Legislature in 2005, and as a result Cook is facing a much stiffer penalty.

Chris Cook Could Face NFL Suspension After Vikings CB Charged With Felony

Chris Cook was officially charged with felony domestic assault on Tuesday afternoon. The Minnesota Vikings cornerback took to Twitter shortly after being released from the justice system's shackles, apologizing to everyone he could think of, but it sounds like there's still a chance the NFL might decide to suspend him for the incident.

It was the second incident Cook's been involved in over the past year -- the first being a gun incident early in the offseason. That is a huge issue, especially under the watchful eye of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, as the Star Tribune's Paul Walsh reported earlier Tuesday. 

Regardless of what happens with the legal proceedings, Cook is almost certain to face punishment from the NFL for being in violation of the league's personal conduct policy. Greg Aiello, the NFL's senior vice president of public relations, told the Star Tribune that the league is reviewing the matter with Cook but declined to discuss a timetable for a resolution.

In part, the league's personal conduct policy reads: "It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. Instead, as an employee of the NFL or a member club, you are held to a higher standard and expected to conduct yourself in a way that is responsible, promotes the values upon which the League is based, and is lawful. Persons who fail to live up to this standard of conduct are guilty of conduct detrimental and subject to discipline, even where the conduct itself does not result in conviction of a crime."

When the time comes for the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell to issue a ruling on Cook, they will consider everything from fines to suspension to a potential probationary period.

This certainly isn't a good look for anyone involved in the incident. If Cook is guilty of the crimes he's being alleged to have committed, however, no one should be upset if Cook has the book thrown at him.

Minnesota Vikings CB Chris Cook Arrested For Domestic Assault