Tag: Cam Dantzler

Twitter reacts to Vikings waiving Cam Dantzler

The Minnesota Vikings waived Cam Dantlzer Friday afternoon and it the surprising move left Twitter buzzing

The Minnesota Vikings have been making moves on the Friday before free agency. In a surprise announcement Friday afternoon, the team announced they’d be waiving cornerback Cam Dantzler.

This brings the Vikings’ total cuts up to three, as they moved on from linebacker Eric Kendricks and wide receiver Adam Thielen. While fans were prepped for the possibility of Kendricks and Theilen being released from the team, Dantzler’s departure was a major surprise, and it’s getting mixed reactions from Vikings fans.

The Draft Network sends Cam Smith to Vikings in latest mock draft

In their latest mock draft, The Draft Network has the Vikings selecting a cornerback

The Minnesota Vikings have a variety of needs as they head into the next season. While they have yet to make any free agent moves, cornerback is one position many fans and the media expect the Vikings to prioritize.

On Sunday, Joe Marino of The Draft Network helped the Vikings out by having them select South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith in his latest mock draft.

“The Minnesota Vikings stacked a bunch of wins together in 2022 with little help from their defense, which must be upgraded this offseason. Cam Smith is a versatile corner that can win in zone or man with exciting ball skills, physicality, and athleticism to be a lock-down performer in the NFL.”

The Vikings currently have Cameron Dantzler, Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr. under contract for next season, so adding Smith would be a big addition to that cornerback room.

There is still a lot that can happen between now and April, but if the Vikings come away with Smith in round one, they can feel comfortable knowing they have some youth and potential to build for the future.

These 50 Vikings players are under contract for 2023

The Vikings currently have 50 players under contract going into the 2023 offseason

Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has a lot of work to do this offseason to get the Vikings roster under the cap and ready to go for the 2023 season.

There is a lot of talk about impending free agents and potential cap casualties for the Vikings this offseason, but not so much about the other players that are under contract.

According to Over The Cap, the Vikings have 50 players currently under contract and sit $23,051,507 over the projected salary cap. Here is all 50 players under contract with the details of their current contracts.

The 33rd Team believes Patrick Peterson is the Vikings biggest decision this offseason

The 33rd Team believes Peterson is their biggest decision this offseason

Depending on who you ask, opinions may vary on who the Minnesota Vikings should prioritize when it comes to their impending free agents. On Tuesday, Ari Meriov of The 33rd Team wrote that cornerback Patrick Peterson should be atop the Vikings’ list as a player to retain this offseason.

“Peterson, who will turn 33 this offseason, is the oldest starting cornerback in the NFL. None of that mattered as he started all 17 games this past season and had five interceptions (tied for fifth in the NFL) and 15 passes defended (tied for sixth). He held QBs to a sub-70.0 passer rating on targets in his coverage. Peterson is also an admired leader in the locker room and recently said on his podcast that he would love to be back in Minnesota for a third year.”

Peterson did have a solid year for the Vikings this past season and could be an important leader for the Vikings next offseason in what’s bound to be a young cornerback room. The Vikings currently only have Akayleb Evans, Cam Dantzler, and Andrew Booth Jr. under contract for next season.

Meriov also mentioned that defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson could be another player to prioritize. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings will have a lot of decisions to make here in the coming weeks, as free agency kicks off on March 15th.

Vikings Duke Shelley is ready for Week 18 revenge game vs. Bears

After being cut by the Bears, Vikings cornerback Duke Shelley is ready face his former team in the regular season finale

Prior to the season, the Minnesota Vikings made what seemed like a minor move when they signed cornerback Duke Shelley to the practice squad after he was waived by the Chicago Bears. The signing didn’t get much attention from fans, mainly because the Vikings had a full cornerback room filled led by Patrick Peterson and two draft picks. Along with that, Shelley was on the practice squad, and practice squad players don’t get much attention.

Shelley missed out on playing his former team in week five because he was still on the practice squad due to cornerback depth at the start of the season. As injuries piled up, the Vikings needed more on the active roster. In Week 10, the Vikings elevated him to the 53-man roster.

Fast forward to now, Shelley is not only still on the active roster, but he’s starting. That means this weekend, Shelley will get to face his former team when the Vikings travel to Soldier Field for the final regular-season game. When asked about the upcoming game, Shelley stated that he’d been thinking about it since he arrived in Minnesota.

“I’ve been thinking about (this game) since I got here. I’m sure it’ll be a little emotional. I take it kind of personal (being released).”

Shelley didn’t stop there with his comments about the Bears. Shelley went on to talk about how, in Chicago, he felt like he was playing out of position and that he was much more comfortable playing outside cornerback instead of inside.

“My whole career I’d been playing outside corner. When I got drafted I thought I’d get a chance to play outside, but they slotted me in as a nickel. But I’m more comfortable on the outside I’m just glad it ended up working out.”

Shelley has had a remarkable journey this season with the Vikings, and he continues to impress week in and week out. He’s currently Pro Football Focus’ 12th-ranked coverage cornerback on the season, and he is second in the NFL over the last six weeks with seven pass breakups. This Sunday, Shelley will finally get his revenge and show the Bears what they let go.

Vikings vs. Giants: 5 players to watch on Christmas Eve

These players could be game-changers on Saturday

This Christmas Eve, the Minnesota Vikings are playing host to the New York Giants after they just completed the biggest comeback in NFL history one week ago.

The Vikings are 11-3 and are slated to host at least one playoff game since they won the division, but this game still holds plenty of weight. The Vikings are trying to hold off the 49ers for the number two seed and, even though the odds are slim, there still is a chance the Vikings can snag the number one seed in the NFC.

Let’s look ahead to this week’s matchup for some players to keep an eye on.

Vikings vs. Bills: First injury report has four names

The Vikings could be without three players on Sunday

The Minnesota Vikings are getting ready to face the Buffalo Bills in New York on Sunday afternoon. The game could be marred by injuries as Bills quarterback Josh Allen has his status up in the air.

[lawrence-related id=68766,68759]

For the Vikings, they had four players on their first injury report with only one of them seeing any practice time.

Dalvin Tomlinson and Cameron Dantzler are not surprises to see not practicing. Tomlinson missed Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders and Dantzler left the game against the Commanders and was seen in a walking boot.

[lawrence-related id=68716]

Garrett Bradbury left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury but did return at the start of the third quarter.

Adam Thielen ended up limited with an ankle injury. He did appear to get banged up against the Commanders but this is something to monitor.

Tomorrow’s injury report will give us more information.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyjpbajmjvnqmj player_id=none image=https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=68721]

Vikings rookie Andrew Booth Jr. faces serious roadblock in Cam Dantzler

The position battle between Dantzler and Booth could be the main attraction at training camp.

The path to a starting job in the NFL could take a few twists and turns for Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., thanks to all of the yield signs with Cam Dantzler’s face on them.

If the season started today, Dantzler would clearly be the man playing opposite of legendary cornerback Patrick Peterson. He’s a young, ascending defensive back in his own right with much more experience than the incoming rookie second-round draft pick.

Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell has preached about a chameleon-style defense all offseason. It’s a defense that’ll be wholly dependent on brainpower, experience and versatility as much, if not more, than just straight up athletic ability.

That isn’t to say Booth isn’t doing the homework or he’s incapable of picking up the complex Vic Fangio-style concepts at the next level. Quite the contrary, the former First-Team All-ACC defender made a name for himself at the collegiate level for being one of the more cerebral players in the country.

But he was also unable to participate fully in the spring practices after undergoing a sports hernia surgery back in March. There’s hope that he’ll be ready to hit the ground running by training camp at the end of July, but of course, it’s all dependent on how well his body responds to a full workload.

So Booth is already facing an uphill battle when attempting to compete with Dantzler for the starting job. This isn’t a situation where the cupboard is barren for the Vikings, either.

They trust Dantzler and look to him as one of the young players to help carry the franchise into the future. And there’s a strong possibility Booth is viewed the same way, too.

But his time could come at a later date.

When that day comes, we could be witnessing Dantzler and Booth leading the depth chart with rookie fourth-round pick Akayleb Evans getting in on the action as well.

Not every roadblock is a bad thing, particularly if it paves the way for a brighter future. Such is the case for a Vikings team that could potentially blow everything up if they ultimately fail at the proposed win-now season.

Highlights and notes from Week 2 Vikings OTAs

Another week in the books for the Vikings

Another week is in the books for the Minnesota Vikings’ organized team activities.

Last week was all about integrating the rookies and veterans on the field together in helmets and shorts. This week consisted of more drills and an attempt towards putting a pretty bow on everything by seeing new concepts in action.

You still have to be careful to not overreact to some of the things emanating out of OTAs since it’s still so early in the process. We’ll have a real sense of where players are at once they’ve actually had time to digest things and the pads come on.

But the buzz in Minnesota right now is undeniable. There’s a different level of excitement surrounding this Vikings team—and for good reason. The hope is that big things are ahead under the guidance of head coach Kevin O’Connell, who knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl. And it all begins with preparation.

Here are some highlights and notes from Week 2 of OTAs.