Colts Sign Former Viking
The Indianapolis Colts own a 3-4 record through seven weeks, employ a backup quarterback in Gardner Minshew for the rest of the way as Anthony Richardson is out of the season, and have a 20% chance of reaching the postseason.
Colts Sign Former Viking
And via some roster maintenance Tuesday, the Colts added former Vikings defensive tackle Ross Blacklock.
KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweeted, “Colts signed Ross Blacklock to practice squad, released Henry Black.”
Blacklock will be an option for “next man up” if something happens to one of the Colts defensive tackles on the 53-man roster. The Vikings waived Blackock in August amid roster cuts, and Indianapolis represents Blacklock’s fourth team in the last three seasons.
Minnesota sent a 6th-Round pick to Houston and received Blacklock and a 7th-Rounder in return late in the summer of 2022. The TCU alumnus struggled to catch on with the Vikings and hence encountered the roster-cut fate after defenders Jonathan Bullard and Jaquelin Roy made the active roster in “Blacklock’s spot.”
Blacklock played in 11 games for the Vikings, starting none, with 139 defensive snaps alongside a meh 46.4 Pro Football Focus grade. The young defender will need a career renaissance in Indianapolis to effectuate his 2nd-Round draft stock from three years ago. And while that’s certainly still possible, he’s essentially starting near the bottom on the team’s practice squad.
During the 2020 NFL Draft lead-up, Pro Football Network described Blacklock’s skillset as “quick, explosive one-gap tackle with big upside” and someone who “plays smart, instinctive football and quickly locates the ball carrier.”
That was likely true in 2020 — and could still turn out accurate in the long run — but Blacklock has not lived up to the fancy 2nd-Round draft stock through three seasons. He produced a 50.4 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2021, his final season with the Texans. Blacklock scored a 66.4 mark via pass-rushing but a 39.0 in run-stopping. So, to date, his performance is lopsided.
These are the current DTs on the Colts roster whom Blacklock could potentially replace in the event of injury:
- DeForest Buckner
- Taven Bryan
- Adetomiwa Adebawore
- Eric Johnson
The Colts also employ former Vikings quarterback Kellen Mond on their practice squad. Indianapolis hosts the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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