Cameron Dantzler’s Career Takes Another Strange Twist
Recently, Cameron Dantzler’s career has experienced some turmoil.
He was released by the Vikings going into free agency. Washington swooped in, onboarding the talented defender. Before even getting to training camp, though, the Commanders opted to move on. While on the open market, Dantzler ended up signing with the Buffalo Bills. Impressing the coaching staff would have given the corner a chance to stick around and compete for a Super Bowl since the Bills are widely regarded as one of the NFL’s best teams.
Unfortunately, the dream of helping the Bills get over the hump is over just as its beginning (at least for now). Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network relayed the news that Buffalo has released the corner with an injury.
Cameron Dantzler’s Career and The Bills Cut
Not too long ago, I wrote about the strange NFL odyssey for Dantzler.
In 2020, Dantzler showed plenty of promise. He made the NFL All-Rookie Team following a year that had some ups and downs, but plenty of impact plays.
In 11 games (with 10 starts), Dantzler had 601 snaps. He piled up 46 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 4 PDs. He even kicked in a fumble recovery and 3 TFLs. The more advanced assessment on PFF resulted in a rock-solid 70.9 grade. Not elite, but very good (especially for a rookie).
As a sophomore, Dantzler continued to show plenty of potential. He had 53 tackles, 8 PDs, and an INT.
A modest 54.1% of passes into his coverage went for completions. He held receivers to just 8.7 yards per reception and QBs had just a 74.7 passer rating when going after him. Even PFF joined the fun, tossing Dantlzer a 73.8 grade. True, there seemed to be a disconnect between him and Mike Zimmer, but Dantzler had certainly won over many Vikings fans.
Last year, things didn’t go particularly smoothly for the corner. Like so many others in the Ed Donatell defense, Dantzler struggled with his coverage numbers, allowing 77.4% of passes into his coverage to be completed while allowing a 111.1 passer rating. His PFF grade sunk down to 63.1.
Given his speed (or, rather, lack thereof), Dantzler did seem like an odd fit for Brian Flores. Could the 4th-year corner be left in plenty of man coverage? There was some skepticism, but the cut was still a surprise. A defense with much to prove at corner moved on from one who is only 24 and who has (at times) been an effective player.
The fact that he has been with a pair of other teams — Washington and Buffalo — and met the same fate does tell us something. Clearly, there’s an issue that prompts teams to move on from a corner with great length and who is a tremendous tackler. Seeing as how he’s still only 24, Dantzler could reasonably find another opportunity before too long.
During his career, Cameron Dantzler only has 38 snaps in the slot. As a result, he’s likely to appeal to a team that has a need for an outside corner. Hopefully, the injury that contributed to being cut will heal up in short order, allowing Dantzler to get his career going in the right direction.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and PFF helped with this piece.
