Former Vikings CB Cameron Dantzler Claimed on Waivers By Commanders

The Washington Commanders have claimed former Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler off of waivers, the team announced on Monday.

Dantzler was waived by the Vikings on Friday after three seasons in Minnesota. As GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell overhaul their roster, Dantzler wasn't in their 2023 plans. Now he gets a fresh start with the Commanders, where he'll look to make the roster and compete with players like Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste for playing time at outside cornerback.

Three years ago, the Vikings drafted Dantzler in the third round out of Mississippi State. He showed plenty of upside on tape, but fell to the third round in large part because he ran a 4.64 40 at the combine after bulking up to 188 pounds. Dantzler started 26 games over three seasons, demonstrating his potential at times but suffering from injuries and inconsistency. He was on the wrong side of numerous big plays during his Vikings' tenure and fell out of favor with multiple coaching staffs, getting benched in favor of Bashaud Breeland (in 2021) and Duke Shelley (last season).

Still, Dantzler is just 24 years old and has the tools to be a quality cornerback if he can stay healthy, become more consistent, and improve some things from a technique standpoint. Washington could be a good place for him to get that opportunity.

The Vikings' cornerback room, as of Monday, is comprised of two 2022 draft picks who dealt with injuries as rookies (Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans) and two practice squad-type players (Kalon Barnes and Tay Gowan). Patrick Peterson is signing with the Steelers in free agency and Duke Shelley, Chandon Sullivan, and Kris Boyd are also free agents.

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