Cameron Dantzler is headed to a fourth team in 2023. The former Vikings draftee has gone from 2022 starter to 2023 nomad; the Texans are giving the former third-round pick another shot.
After a workout that also included former Titans defensive back Chris Jackson, Houston will add Dantzler, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Dantzler has now been both waived and signed three times this offseason. He will vie for a spot on the Texans’ active roster, though teams must decide on their final 53 players by 3pm CT on August 29.
The Vikings used Dantzler as a 26-game starter from 2020-22, doing so for nine games last season. Although the team drafted Andrew Booth in Round 2 last year, Dantzler played ahead of him opposite Patrick Peterson when healthy. But Minnesota’s defense struggled. Not long after Brian Flores took over, Dantzler was given his walking papers. The Commanders and Bills took fliers on the Mississippi State product, but each waived him — Washington in May, Buffalo in July.
Pro Football Focus graded Dantzler outside the top 60 at corner last season; the 6-foot-2 corner also spent time on injured reserve last season with a high ankle sprain. Although the soon-to-be 25-year-old defender did not exactly pan out in Minnesota, it has been surprising to see a young starter cut three times in one offseason.
With a week to go before cut day, the Texans have a deeper cornerback group than they did last season. Derek Stingley leads the way, while the team agreed to a revised deal with Steven Nelson. Desmond King and Shaquill Griffin also remain on the roster, with the Texans having re-signed Tavierre Thomas as well.
Well, I guess that you can’t argue with experience at this point in the offseason. The Vikings’ 3-4 defense that Donatell ran last year was, however, not a great fit for many of Zimmer’s players who.we’re expected to run a more zone heavy four man front. Dante Lee may be better suited for that in Houston, if Ryan’s ends up running a defense similar to San Francisco’s.
That defense was closer to Zimmer’s than what Donatell installed last year. It can be a hard transition to do-as we saw in Dallas, with the transition from Marinelli to Mike Nolan. The defense did eventually start to improve before Nolan was fired and Quinn successfully took the reigns, but those are hard differences personnel wise and they crashed quickly. Perhaps Dantzler would benefit from a change back. Or, perhaps, he really is just below average. I suppose Houston will find out.