Sep 11, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler Sr. (3) reacts late during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
The relationship was brief and evidently not the right fit.
Cameron Dantzler hits the waiver wire for the second time in three months, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted Tuesday, “The Commanders released CB Cam Dantzler and placed G Andrew Norwell on the reserve/PUP list.”
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 various 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.
Minnesota waived Dantzler on March 10th, and he was claimed off waivers by the Commanders three days later. On paper, the Mississippi State alumnus was slated for a meaningful role on Ron Rivera’s team, but paper doesn’t play on Sundays, and Washington selected Emmanuel Forbes — also from Mississippi State — in Round 1 of last month’s draft. That apparently scheduled an exit ramp for Dantzler.
Vikings fans and pundits knew the offseason would entail defensive change, but Dantzler wasn’t necessarily on the list of probable cuts. He was inexpensive, young, and possessed the ‘upside’ label. The Commanders waiver, especially prior to training camp, puts a serious damper on that prognosis.
Without Dantzler, the Commanders CB room consists of these men:
And the Vikings CB room:
Last year, Dantzler scored a game-sealing fumble recovery — which was really just Dantzler yanking 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.
Nicknamed The Needle, Dantzler will await another team’s phone call for training camp. Keep an eye on the Seattle Seahawks as a possible landing spot. Current Seattle secondary coach Karl Scott was employed by the Vikings during Dantzler’s first two seasons.
Dantzler will turn 25 in September.
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.