Blake Cashman returns to practice, Vikings sign 2 new specialists
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Vikings start practice for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Wednesday at TCO Performance Center, and linebacker Blake Cashman will be back out on the field.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Cashman will be a limited participant, and the hope is to ramp him up throughout the week to be ready for Sunday against the Jaguars. Cashman has missed three straight games with a turf toe injury suffered in London against the New York Jets. He was on the field for practice Wednesday in the portion open to media.
"Blake is really confident and just absolutely dying to get back out there with the guys," O’Connell said. "Hopefully it’s this week, we’ll see how he handles the workload."
What it means
Cashman is one of the top tacklers on the Vikings defense and has the green dot duties. They’ve gone 1-2 in his absence, losses to the Detroit Lions and L.A. Rams, and last Sunday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts. Without Cashman, more has been put on the plate for Ivan Pace Jr., Josh Metellus and Kamu Grugier-Hill.
Vikings sign kicker, long snapper
The Vikings put kicker Will Reichart (quad) and long snapper Andrew DePaola (hand) on injured reserve Tuesday, meaning two-thirds of their specialist unit will have to miss at least the next four games.
To replace them, they’ve signed John Parker Romo and long snapper Jake McQuaide. Romo was with the Vikings in the offseason, but got released during training camp. Sunday will mark Romo’s regular season debut. McQuaide is in his 14th NFL season and was with the Lions for nine games last year. He's a two-time Pro Bowl pick in 2016 and 2017 with the then St. Louis Rams.
Romo spent the 2023 season with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL. In 10 games, he was 17-of-19 on field goals before spending time with the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. O'Connell's hope is they can provide stability while Reichard and DePaola are out.
"You’re just trying to remove any and all uncertainty. I’ve got confidence in Parker just from his time here already and knowing Jake, instilling a level of calmness and execution of doing that very important job," O'Connell said. "Between the experience level of Jake and familiarity with Park, I think we did well in a unique time where you hate two see two critical guys (go out). I feel confident in both those guys coming in here and doing their jobs and helping us win."