Ex-Vikings Corner Hints at a New Gig Within his Winding Football Journey
Cameron Dantlzer, an ex-Vikings corner, wants to continue playing in the NFL. One wonders if that opportunity has come around yet again.
Most recently, he has been putting in work for the Memphis Showboats within the UFL. The corner recently went to social media, sending along a thought: “Gods giving me another chance and trust im going to take full advantage of it !!” He sent out that somewhat vague update on July 12th, just a couple days ago. Are NFL teams showing interest?
Ex-Vikings Corner Cameron Dantzler’s Journey
In theory, Dantzler could still be locking down a corner spot in Minnesota.
The defensive back is only 26. He’ll hit his 27th birthday in September, but the idea remains that we’re talking about someone who has quite a bit of youth left in his lungs and legs. Minnesota scooped him up at No. 89 back in the 2020 NFL Draft — best known as the event where Justin Jefferson got a horn slapped onto his helmet.
Mr. Jefferson is still putting in work at receiver (and doing quite well, as far as I can tell); Mr. Dantzler, likewise, could have turned into a long-term answer at a critical position.
He appeared in eleven games as a rookie, starting ten. He showed off strong abilities as a tackler, picking up 46 in total and 3 tackles for loss. So, too, did he prove capable of creating turnovers, snagging a pair of interceptions while forcing a fumble.
Dantzler’s sophomore season then involved jumping into fourteen games. There were 53 tackles to stand alongside an interception and 8 passes defended.
Cameron Dantlzer then saw things shift, surviving the initial roster carryover within the offseason where Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman were shown the door. Replacing the top two leaders were Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, a HC/GM combo that kept Dantzler around for 2022.
Ed Donatell, the new defensive coordinator, struggled. Yet again, Dantzler did some good things before failing to hang around within the starting lineup. Minnesota moved on from both after the 2022 season.
Cameron Dantzler’s NFL journey then became quite chaotic. After the Vikings, Dantzler went to the Commanders. He then went to the Bills. He then went to the Texans. He then went to the Saints.
All of this occurred in 2023 alone.
On January 1, 2024, New Orleans decided to move on. Cameron Dantzler hasn’t yet made it back to the NFL. One could look at the journey and come to at least a pair of conclusions, seemingly contradictory ones that are nevertheless coherent when understood together. Seeing Dantzler get cut by so many different teams is a sign that he had areas where he needed to improve; seeing Dantzler get so many different opportunities in the NFL points toward someone with some talent and ability.
How do those realities get sorted out after playing from within a different professional football league?
Currently, the NFL is moving through the slow portion of July. The end of the month, however, is when things get going yet again as training camps begin around the league.
The Vikings arguably need more help at corner, but seeing a deal for the ex-Vikings draft pick is very unlikely.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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