2023 Was a Bust for These Former Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings saw a number of veteran players leave the team either as cap casualty cuts or through free agency last offseason.
While 2023 brought success to a few of these former Vikings, the season can be chalked up as a bust and disappointment for some others. Here are a few former Vikings who struggled to find a consistent role with a team this season.
RB Dalvin Cook
The Vikings cut ties with Dalvin Cook in May after a fourth consecutive Pro Bowl season. After battling with injuries early in his career, Cook quickly blossomed into one of the best running backs in the league during the 2019 season and remained such throughout the remainder of his tenure in Minnesota.
Cook was released to free up cap space during the latter part of the free agency period, and right before training camp, he jumped on board with the New York Jets to try and compete for a Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers.
Unfortunately, that never really worked out. Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1, and Cook totaled 67 carries for just 214 yards over the regular season. He was then released by New York prior to Week 18 and wasted no time to join the Baltimore Ravens.
As a result, there is still a chance that Cook’s season can be salvaged if Baltimore utilizes him in their backfield and makes a run to the Super Bowl, but so far, the 2023 season has been a major disappointment.
CB Cam Dantzler
Cam Dantzler’s decline really began down the stretch of the 2022 season. After starting the first eight games for the Vikings last season, he suffered an injury that landed him on injured reserve. Following his stint on IR, Dantzler started Minnesota’s Week 14 loss against the Detroit Lions, and after that, he largely rode the bench.
The Vikings then proceeded to make a surprising decision to cut Dantzler in March despite having loads of uncertainty in their secondary with both Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan entering free agency.
Unfortunately, Dantzler was never able to resurrect in 2023. Part of that was due to injuries that he suffered during the offseason, including a injury during training camp with the Buffalo Bills. Ultimately, the former third-round pick landed with the New Orleans Saints on their practice squad. He appeared in two games this season, playing exclusively on special teams before being waived again on January 1st.
Dantzler remains a free agent at this time.
CB Duke Shelley
Duke Shelley’s career arc in 2022 was the exact opposite of Dantzler’s. He began the season by being cut by the Chicago Bears and landed on Minnesota’s practice squad in September. He didn’t make his first appearance with the Vikings defense until their pivotal Week 9 game against the Buffalo Bills, and he made a key pass breakup against TE Dawson Knox to save the game.
After that, Shelley emerged as one of the best coverage cornerbacks in the league over the final half of the season and took over Dantzler’s starting role in the secondary. In total, he put together 23 tackles, eight passes defended, and an interception.
However, Shelley was unable to build upon his 2022 success this season. He began the year with the Las Vegas Raiders, but the cornerback was cut following training camp. He landed with the Los Angeles Rams, but he played just 76 defensive snaps over 11 games before heading to IR.
Shelley has since been activated from IR, and the Rams are heading into the playoffs with a Wild Card matchup against the Detroit Lions. Perhaps this is his chance to re-emerge in LA’s defense.
Editor’s Note: All statistics for this piece were found via Pro Football Reference.
2023 Was a Success for These Former Vikings
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.