Former Vikings Corner Wants Back In, Boasts of Added Weight and Health on Social Media
A former Vikings corner wants back in.
Cameron Dantzler, drafted during the Mike Zimmer/Rick Spielman era, didn’t survive too long in Minnesota after the regime change. The corner played for Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for a single season before being shown the door, a relatively unexpected move given the emphasis on acquiring young talent for the secondary. Dantzler is now outside of the NFL but is looking to get back in.
Former Vikings Corner Wants Back Into the NFL
Yesterday, Dantzler offered this thought on social media: “Mannnn I’m 195 and healthy. Can’t wait to get back on the field this spring.” A few words to decode what he’s saying.
For starters, there’s the basic update about his size and health. Dantlzer has always offered good length as a corner who stands at 6’2″. Part of the issue is that he was listed at 188, making him quite skinny. Adding a bit more muscle could help to keep him healthy (he has been to the IR a time or two in his career).
And then there’s the mention of spring. Following the 2025 NFL Draft — taking place in Green Bay from April 24-26 — teams will get together for spring workouts and practices. Dantzler is looking for a shot to get involved to prove that he’s worth keeping around for training camp, the preseason, and beyond.
Turn back the clock and there was once quite a bit of optimism about Cameron Dantzler.
Drafted at No. 89 back in 2020, the major concern for Dantzler was his speed, or lack thereof. He ran a 4.64 forty, suggesting he would struggle to hang with receivers at the pro level, especially down the field. What he did offer, though, was good size alongside a willingness to tackle.
His rookie season featured 46 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 4 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. As a sophomore, Dantzler snagged 53 tackles, 1 interception, 8 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble.
Part of the issue, though, is that a spot like PFF always seemed to be higher on Dantzler than the team’s head coach. Zimmer never seemed to fully warm up to young corner. Meanwhile, PFF was telling regular folks that the corner was playing well, giving him healthy grades (70.9 in 2020, 73.8 in 2021).
The journey that has followed Dantzler in recent seasons, though, would seem to confirm some of the Zimmer concerns.
After getting cut by the new Vikings leadership group, Cameron Dantlzer went to the Washington Commanders. He then became a Buffalo Bill before giving the Houston Texans a shot. Next up were the New Orleans Saints. All of this team shuffling took place in 2023 alone.
Somehow, Mr. Dantzler is still only 26. Don’t be surprised if there’s a team out there willing to give him another shot, especially if he really has added on some good weight and is healthy. Teams always want more corner talent.
The Vikings have a major need at the position but a reunion with their former employee is unlikely.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.