Vikings News: Ross Blacklock Departs, Mike Smith Takes Personal Leave
Blacklock is the latest former Viking to join a practice squad.
This week, former Vikings defensive tackle Ross Blacklock has found a new home on someone else’s practice squad. The 25-year-old has arrived in Jacksonville, where he will try to resurrect his NFL career.
Despite having a strong preseason, including a sack, the Vikings dismissed Blacklock and chose veterans Sheldon Day and T.J. Smith to be their defensive tackles on the 16-man roster. Previously, three ex-Vikings were signed to practice squads across the league: Jalagor, Esezi Otomewo, and Troy Reeder.
Last year, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah negotiated a pair of low-risk trades for Reagor and Blacklock, two previous top-40 draft picks in 2020 who didn’t pan out with their respective teams. Both spent only a year in Minnesota and are currently fighting their way back from AFC practice squads (Reagor joined the Patriots).
Despite the failure of the transactions, Adofo-Mensah does not regret the process that lead him to make those decisions.
“First and foremost, it’s difficult because you’ve brought in two people,” he explained last week. “I had a great time getting to know Ross.” Jalen is the same way. Those conversations are difficult because it’s a difficult outcome when they do everything you ask of them and it doesn’t work out for them. In the end, we will continue to take risks in this organization. Every choice you make represents a decision with potential outcomes. In some ways, it’s a portfolio, and the portfolio must ultimately be measured.
“When we go into these decisions, we know we don’t think we have every answer figured out, but we are aligned in what we think the player can do, and we’ll see how that works out in the long run.” You can’t ever get too worked up about one decision because it doesn’t work because you have to look at it as a whole, and we enjoy a lot of the moves we did. In the end, not everything will turn out properly.”
Mike Smith is taking a personal leave of absence.
Outside linebackers coach Mike Smith has taken a personal leave of absence from the Vikings, according to head coach Kevin O’Connell. There is no set date for his return. Smith, 42, is a former linebacker for Texas Tech and the Baltimore Ravens who joined O’Connell’s staff in 2022 after coaching stints with the Packers, Chiefs, Jets, and two college schools. Players like Danielle Hunter and other Vikings coaches hold him in high regard as a teacher and leader.
During Smith’s absence, associate head coach Mike Pettine will serve as OLBs coach, according to O’Connell. Imarjaye Albury, a defensive assistant, will also assist Pettine.
