Colts Snatch Former Vikings Defender
Through seven weeks of the NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts hold a 3-4 record, just like the Minnesota Vikings.
However, Indy has lost their starting QB and fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Anthony Richardson, to a shoulder injury for the remainder of the season.
They do have Gardner Minshew to help carry the offense the rest of the way, though, so not all hope is lost of a potential playoff berth. In order to help solidify the other side of the ball, the Colts snatched a former Vikings defender on Tuesday afternoon: DT Ross Blacklock.
Colts Snatch Former Vikings Defender
The signing was reported by KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who tweeted, “Colts signed Ross Blacklock to practice squad, released Henry Black.”
Blacklock was acquired by the Vikings prior to the 2022 season, being one of the first veteran trade targets Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had as Vikings GM. Minnesota sent a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for Blacklock and a 2023 seventh-rounder.
Those picks would result in the Texans selecting C Jarrett Patterson out of Notre Dame while the Vikings would trade that seventh-round pick to Philadelphia for WR Jalen Reagor. The pick eventually landed in Detroit, who took WR Antoine Green out of Illinois.
Blacklock’s 2022 season with the Vikings was a bit of a mixed bag. He played in 11 games, appearing in 139 defensive snaps as a rotational piece on the defensive line. He recorded a pair of tackles, both being tackles for loss, and a sack.
The defender would remain in Minnesota through training camp in 2023, and he recorded 7 tackles and another sack during the three preseason games. Despite the strong showing, Blacklock was one of the roster cuts that Minnesota made on the cutdown date.
After hitting free agency, Blacklock would then sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars where he played the season opener and appear in 6 defensive snaps.
Now, Blacklock heads to Indy and joins a defensive line that currently houses Kwity Paye, DeForest Buckner, Taven Bryan, Samson Ebukam, Tyquan Lewis, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Eric Johnson, and Jake Martin on the 53-man roster.
Unless the Colts and Vikings somehow meet in the Super Bowl, the two teams will not play during the 2023 season.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
