Bills sign CB Cameron Dantzler to bolster secondary depth

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills signed cornerback Cameron Dantzler to a one-year deal Wednesday, the latest in a series of defensive moves.

Dantzler will have an opportunity to compete for the Bills’ No. 2 cornerback job that is up for grabs behind Tre’Davious White, who is set to start the season healthy after coming back from his torn ACL on Thanksgiving.

Signing Dantzler comes after the Bills signed defensive tackle Ed Oliver to a four-year, $68 million extension this week and added veteran pass rusher Leonard Floyd on a one-year deal. General manager Brandon Beane said Tuesday that the Bills “just worked out a couple of DBs” and had “another one coming in,” a possible reference to Dantzler.

“I think we’ve added 11 or 12, swapped out or added 11 or 12 guys since May 1,” Beane said. “We’re still churning this roster trying to make it as competitive and as strong as we can before we get to St. John Fisher. Not that we’ll stop then, but you want the best 90 you can get and go compete it out for that 53.”

Dantzler, 24, is a 2020 third-round pick by the Vikings and played in 35 games — including 26 starts — over three seasons with Minnesota. He was inactive, however, for seven of his last nine games in Minnesota and he was ultimately waived in March. He was then signed by the Commanders in March but released two months later.

While he has 17 passes defensed and three career interceptions, Dantzler’s last interception was in December 2021. Cornerback Kyler McMichael was waived in a corresponding move.

The Bills had turnover in the defensive backfield last season due to a number of injuries. There are several players competing for the second outside cornerback spot, including Dane Jackson, who started 14 games last year, 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam and 2022 sixth-round pick Christian Benford. Elam appeared to be the likely favorite for the job after progressing over the course of the 2022 season and getting more opportunities, but the Bills are looking for him to take steps forward.