3 Possible Landing Spots for Cameron Dantzler

Vikings Week 16
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

Cameron Dantzler has encountered a wild three months.

Foremost, he’s 24 years old and shouldn’t be old enough to nibble at a ‘journeyman’ label. But that seems to be the case for Dantzler in recent days.

3 Possible Landing Spots for Cameron Dantzler

Back in March, the Vikings waived Dantzler, an odd move because the young defender played on an affordable rookie contract. The Washington Commanders scooped Dantzler off the waiver wire just days later — and waived him again this week.

Week 16 Vikings Injury Report
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

Ergo, Dantzler needs a new NFL home, and these are the top predictive landing spots, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = Most Likely).

3. Denver Broncos

Spots for Cameron
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Connection: George Paton (Broncos GM)

Why Dantzler Would Fit: Recently waived by two teams with meh defenses, Dantzler cannot be counted on as a starter at his next stop, so the gig in Denver would be for CB depth. The Broncos passing defense DVOA ranked seventh in the business last year, and that’s pretty stellar. They have a new coaching staff under Sean Payton, and Vance Joseph is back in the saddle as defensive coordinator. Dantzler could reasonably settle in as a CB3 or CB4.

The Existing CBs:

  • Pat Surtain II
  • Damarri Mathis
  • K’Waun Williams
  • Tremon Smith
  • Riley Moss
  • Essang Bassey
  • Delonte Hood
  • Ja’Quan McMillian
  • Faion Hicks
  • Art Green
  • Devon Kay

2. Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon speaks to the press at the Cardinals facility in Tempe on Feb. 22, 2023. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK.

The Connection: Nick Rallis (Defensive Coordinator)

Why Dantzler Would Fit: Rallis, an Edina native, came up with the Vikings in 2018 and was on the coaching staff when Dantzler was drafted. The Cardinals defense — and everything else — needs help, as the club could be embarking on a transformational year. Kyler Murray is recovering from a torn ACL suffered late in the 2022 regular season, and some combo of Colt McCoy, David Blough, and Clayton Tune will play QB1.

Dantzler makes sense in the desert chiefly because the team needs competent defenders. Arizona is also a popular landing spot for ex-Vikings defensive players.

The Existing CBs:

  • Antonio Hamilton
  • Marco Wilson
  • Garrett Williams
  • Christian Matthew
  • Kei’Trel Clark
  • Rashad Fenton
  • Kris Boyd
  • Kendell Brooks
  • Quavian White
  • Nate Hairston

1. Seattle Seahawks

1st-Rounder Joins Seahawks
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Connection: Roy Anderson (Secondary coach), Karl Scott (Defensive Passing Game coordinator)

Why Dantzler Would Fit: Anderson and Scott worked for the Vikings defensive coaching staff under Mike Zimmer when Dantzler entered the NFL. And both spent two years with Dantzler. Seattle’s passing defense DVOA ranked 17th last year and adding Dantzler couldn’t hurt.

The Existing CBs:

  • Tariq Woolen
  • Devon Witherspoon
  • Coby Bryant
  • Mike Jackson
  • Tre Brown
  • Jerrick Reed II
  • Artie Burns
  • Isaiah Dunn
  • Arquon Bush
  • Lance Boykin
  • James Campbell
  • Ty Okada

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.