Former Vikings Starter Promoted by Saints
Four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore is on deck to miss some time for the New Orleans Saints following a Week 10 injury at the Minnesota Vikings.
New Orleans is 5-5 heading into Week 12, atop the NFC South and beneficiaries of an unusually easy schedule.
Former Vikings Starter Promoted by Saints
And in the wake of Lattimore’s injury, former Vikings starting cornerback Cameron Dantzler was promoted to the active roster on Tuesday. He’ll round out the Saints’ CB depth chart indefinitely.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted, “With Michael Thomas out at least four games, the Saints are signing WR Marquez Callaway to the practice squad. CB Cameron Dantzler is being promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.”
Dantzler has traveled a bendy road in 2023, a part of five separate rosters. Here’s his NFL resume to date:
- Minnesota Vikings (2020–2022)
- Washington Commanders (2023)
- Buffalo Bills (2023)
- Houston Texans (2023)
- New Orleans Saints (2023–current)
Minnesota waived Dantzler on March 10th. He was scooped off waivers soon after by the Commanders, who later said sayonara to Dantzler in May. On June 7th, the Bills signed Dantzler to their 90-man roster, where he’d presumably vie for a regular season roster spot. And seven weeks later, Buffalo waived Dantzler as well. Then, during the NFL’s final roster trimdowns in August, Dantzler was an odd man out in Houston. An adventure, indeed.
Dantzler 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.
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.
Notably, Dantzler was also benched by back-to-back Vikings’ coaching regimes — Mike Zimmer’s in 2021 and Kevin O’Connell’s in 2022. Two years ago, Dantzler had a hard time grabbing playing time early in the season, even though veteran corner Bashaud Breeland struggled immensely. Then in 2022, Duke Shelley grabbed Dantzler’s job after injuries arose and didn’t surrender it.
The Saints’ passing defense ranks 10th leaguewide per DVOA after Week 11.
New Orleans also employs former Vikings linebacker Ryan Connelly, although he’s on injured reserve.
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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