The Peculiar Vikings Odyssey of Cam Dantzler
Maybe it was just a Mike Zimmer issue. The talented Cam Dantzler seldom got the chance to stick around the starting lineup due to a mixture of injury and coach quibbles.
Kevin O’Connell came to town and brought a ton of optimism in tow. Young, charming, and positive, O’Connell promised to breathe new life into the Vikings’ roster. Minnesota beefed up the corner competition by opting for Andrew Booth and Akayleb Evans in the NFL Draft, and yet the returning veterans — Patrick Peterson and Dantzler — had a fresh shot at re-asserting themselves.
Once again, though, Dantzler struggled to stick in the lineup. Surprisingly, the Vikings waived Dantzler during the offseason.
Cam Dantzler and The Corner Who Never Fulfilled the Promise
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hasn’t been shy about moving on from Rick Spielman’s players. Last offseason, a pile of Spielman’s guys got the axe, so the simple decision to cut yet another isn’t that strange.
Cutting a corner with promise, though? Odd.
Most fans will tell you that the corner position is among the least impressive on the Vikings’ roster. Yes, Booth and Evans remain, but it’s hard to be overly optimistic about what they can do given their struggles to stay healthy as rookies. The plan is simply to hope for better health in 2023.
Meanwhile, the Vikings did sign free agents Byron Murphy (the CB1), Joejuan Williams, and John Reid. Partner those veterans with Mekhi Blackmon and Jay Ward in the draft and Minnesota has enough players to launch a robust offseason competition.
Wouldn’t it have been worthwhile to retain Cam Dantzler to allow him to hop into the competition? If he failed to distinguish himself, then a cut would still be an option.
As a rookie, Dantzler showed plenty of promise. He made the NFL All-Rookie Team following a year that had some ups and downs but robust stats — and plenty of impact plays.
In 11 games played and 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 suggested that he was the league’s 22nd-best corner, finishing with a rock-solid 70.9 grade.
As a sophomore, Dantzler continued to show plenty of potential. 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, slotting Dantlzer is as their 17th-best corner with a 73.8 grade.
Last year, Dantzler couldn’t match these promising numbers. But, to be sure, he wasn’t alone. The entire Vikings defense underperformed, and more than a few fans and analysts are pinning a good portion of the blame on Ed Donatell.
Brian Flores wants to play more man coverage, and Dantzler’s speed did raise concerns about fit (he ran a 4.64 forty leading up to the draft, prompting the fall into the 3rd round). Nevertheless, waiving him was still a curious move, especially given his youth as a 24-year-old playing a premium position.
Kwesi cleared Dantzler off the books, allowing other NFL teams to give him a fresh opportunity.
Adding onto the strange odyssey that has been Dantlzer’s career is that he was scooped up by the Washington Commanders. Left untouched, a simple waiver claim that involves Dantlzer going to the nation’s capital isn’t weird. What is weird is that Washington cut the corner after less than 2 months.
Dantzler didn’t even make it into training camp practices for his team, so he once again had to look for employment. Not long after becoming available, the Buffalo Bills came to an agreement with the 24-year-old defensive back.
Hopefully, Dantzler gets the chance to assert himself in Buffalo. He’s an excellent tackler and does have great length. Meanwhile, Vikings fans will be left wondering about what went wrong as the team simply moved on from the corner (just like Washington).
Going into 2023, Cam Dantzler carries a cap hit of $1,010,000. None of it is guaranteed.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
