Texans Sign Another Former Viking

So far this offseason, the Houston Texans have signed Mike Boone (RB), Jacky Chen (OT), and Case Keenum (QB) to contracts, a trio of former Minnesota Vikings.
Texans Sign Another Former Viking
And on Tuesday, Texans general manager Nick Caserio made it four ex-Vikings, adding cornerback Cameron Dantzler, according to KPRC2‘s Aaron Wilson.

Wilson tweeted, “Sources: Texans signing former Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler. Former Vikings third-round pick from Mississippi State who has 149 career tackles and three interceptions. Played 75 percent of the defensive snaps last year.”
Dantzler, 24, joins his fourth NFL team in the last six months.

Here’s the formal timeline for Dantzler’s offseason:
- March 10: Waived by Vikings
- March 13: Claimed by Commanders
- May 30: Waived by Commanders
- June 7: Signed by Bills
- July 28: Waived by Bills with injury designation
- July 29: Unclaimed leaguewide, reverted to Bills IR
- July 30: Waived by Bills with injury settlement
- August 22: Signed by Texans
Dantzler showed several flashes of optimism since joining the Vikings as a 3rd-Round draft pick in 2020 but finished three straight seasons with a whimper due to injury or otherwise. Dantzler fired up an admirable 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 to Duke Shelley.

Vikings fans and pundits knew the 2023 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 and Bills waivers, especially prior to the preseason, put a severe damper on that prognosis. He’ll hope to remain attached to Houston’s roster for longer than weeks or months.
Minnesota severed ties with five veteran CBs since March: Patrick Peterson (Steelers), Duke Shelley (Raiders), Chandon Sullivan (Steelers), Kris Boyd (Cardinals) — and Dantzler.
Last year, Dantzler scored a game-sealing fumble recovery — which was really just Dantzler robbing 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 will contend for a 53-man roster spot among these Texans CBs:
- Derek Stingley Jr.
- Steven Nelson
- Desmond King II
- Shaquill Griffin
- Darius Phillips
- Tavierre Thomas
- D’Angelo Ross
- Ka’dar Hamilton
- Garret Wallow
The Texans are projected by sportsbooks to win 6.5 games in 2023. Regular season rosters will be announced on August 29th.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.