Bills Pilfer Ex-Vikings Defender
Dustin Baker
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Three teams in three months.
That’s the latest state of play for cornerback Cameron Dantzler, a member of the Minnesota Vikings from 2020 to 2022.
Bills Pilfer Ex-Vikings Defender
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted Wednesday, “Bills sign veteran CB Cam Dantzler. Busy few days for Buffalo, including the Ed Oliver extension to Leonard Floyd signing.”
Out of the blue, the Vikings waived Dantzler in March, cleaning house at cornerback with exits involving Dantzler, Patrick Peterson, Duke Shelley, Chandon Sullivan, and Kris Boyd. Dantzler’s departure was the weirdest because he played on an affordable rookie deal, and most believed he’d finish the contract. No cigar.
After Minnesota waived Dantzler, he latched on to the Washington Commanders, but the relationship was short-lived. The Mississippi State alumnus was waived — again — on May 30th, some 2.5 months following the Commanders initial claim.
The young cornerback was a Vikings starter last year before an injury paved the way for Duke Shelley to take over. And that same Shelley now plays for the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s newcomers galore in the Vikings cornerback room at the moment.
Dantzler, 24, showed several flashes of productivity since entering the NFL as a 3rd-Round draft pick in 2020 but finished three straight seasons with a whimper due to injury or otherwise. Dantzler fired up a praiseworthy 70.9 Pro Football Focus grade as a rookie, followed by an even better 73.8 score in 2021. Yet, after getting injured midseason in 2022, Dantzler never seemed to recover and lost his starting job.
In Buffalo, Dantzler joins cornerbacks Tre’Davious White, Kaiir Elam, Taron Johnson, Christian Benford, Dane Jackson, Siran Neal, Alex Austin, Cam Lewis, and Ja’Marcus Ingram. That’s 10 total corners, and Dantzler must survive an August 29th roster cut down to five or six.
Last year, Dantzler scored a game-sealing fumble recovery — which was really just Dantzler stealing a football away from former teammate Ihmir Smith-Marsette — over the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. It turned out to be his biggest highlight of the season and perhaps his career.
Dantzler also joins a shoo-in contender in Buffalo. Barring a nasty injury to quarterback Josh Allen — Madden‘s new cover athlete — the Bills will be in the mix for Super Bowl contention, a perk that has followed the club for about four straight offseasons.
Dantzler will become a free agent next March at age 25.
Other former Vikings on the Bills roster included Zach Davidson (TE), Stefon Diggs (WR), Greg Mancz (C), and Latavius Murray (RB). Dalvin Cook’s brother, James, also plays running back in Buffalo.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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