Vikings notes: Ross Blacklock lands elsewhere, Mike Smith on personal leave

Defensive tackle Ross Blacklock is the latest former Viking to find a new home on someone else's practice squad this week. The 25-year-old has landed in Jacksonville, where he'll attempt to revive his NFL career.

Despite Blacklock having a solid preseason that included a sack, the Vikings waived him and chose veterans Sheldon Day and T.J. Smith to be their defensive tackles on the 16-man PS. Previously, a trio of ex-Vikings — Jalen Reagor, Esezi Otomewo, and Troy Reeder — were also signed to practice squads around the league. 

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made a pair of low-risk moves last year in trading for Reagor and Blacklock, two former top-40 draft picks in 2020 who didn't pan out with their original teams. Both lasted just 12 months in Minnesota and are now looking to fight their way back from AFC practice squads (Reagor joined the Patriots).

Despite the trades not working out, Adofo-Mensah doesn't regret the process that led him to make those moves.

"First and foremost, it’s difficult because you brought in two people," he said last week. "Ross is somebody I really enjoyed getting to know. Same with Jalen. Those conversations are hard, because when they do everything you ask of them and it might not work out for them, it’s a tough outcome. Ultimately, we are going to keep taking risks in this organization. Every pick you make is a decision that has outcomes that potentially could happen. It’s a portfolio in a sense and you have to measure the portfolio in the end. 

"When we go into these decisions, we know that we don’t think we have every answer figured out, but we are aligned in what we think the player can do and we’re going to see how that’s going to work out over the long haul. You can’t ever sweat one decision because it doesn’t work, because you have to look at it in a portfolio sense and we like a lot of the moves we made. Ultimately, not every one’s going to work out perfectly."

Mike Smith on personal leave of absence

Vikings outside linebackers coach Mike Smith is on a personal leave of absence, head coach Kevin O'Connell said on Monday. There's no timetable for his return. Smith, 42, is a former Texas Tech and Baltimore Ravens linebacker who joined O'Connell's staff in 2022 after coaching stints with the Packers, Chiefs, Jets, and two college programs. He's regarded highly as a teacher and leader by players like Danielle Hunter and other Vikings coaches.

During Smith's absence, assistant head coach Mike Pettine will fill in as OLBs coach, O'Connell said. Defensive assistant Imarjaye Albury will be chipping in with Pettine as well.