The Minnesota Vikings on Friday cut ties yet another starter from last season, the third such move by the organization inside of a week.
Changes in the secondary were expected from the moment the team hired Brian Flores to run the defense, though it was veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson who was the prime suspect for the cutting room floor. As it turns out, Flores and the front office have decided to pursue a new deal for Peterson and opted instead to waive fellow starting cornerback Cameron Dantzler Sr.
The Vikings announced the move via the team’s official Twitter account on March 10.
The #Vikings have waived CB Cameron Dantzler, Sr. pic./zcOCIVyNTT
— Minnesota Vikings () March 10, 2023
“The #Vikings have waived CB Cameron Dantzler Sr.,” the post said.
Dantzler Struggled With Injury, Inconsistency During Vikings Tenure
GettyCornerback Cameron Dantzler Sr., formerly of the Minnesota Vikings, reacts against the Philadelphia Eagles after a tackle during a game at Lincoln Financial Field on September 19, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Minnesota selected Dantzler out of Mississippi State with the No. 89 overall pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He played three seasons with the Vikings as was headed into the fourth and final year of his rookie contract.
The move appears to be less about money than it is about fit for the Vikings secondary, as waiving Dantzler saves the team only a little more than $2.7 million in salary cap space, a number that pales in comparison to the $9.5 million the Vikings saved by cutting linebacker Eric Kendricks on March 6 and the $6.4 million they cut off next year’s salary cap by releasing wide receiver Adam Thielen on Friday. Minnesota was still nearly $7.5 million over the cap following the departures of Dantzler and Thielen.
Dantzler had something of a rollercoaster tenure in Minneapolis, kicking off his career with a solid rookie season but struggling with injuries and inconsistencies across his final two campaigns. He missed seven games during the 2022 regular season and was not available for the Vikings playoff loss to the New York Giants over Wild Card Weekend in January.
The cornerback leaves the organization having amassed 149 tackles, including six tackles …read more
Source:: Heavy.com