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The Jacksonville Jaguars are signing second-year running back Roc Thomas, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The Minnesota Vikings waived their 23-year-old back a day after they learned Thomas would be suspended the first three games of the upcoming 2019 NFL season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Thomas will travel with the Jaguars to Baltimore to participate in the two teams' joint practice, Schefter adds.
Thomas, a 5-foot-10 RB, signed with the Vikings in 2018 following going undrafted in last year's draft. He appeared in five regular-season games for the Twin Cities franchise, rushing for 30 total yards on eight attempts.
The Jacksonville State product returns to the city, looking to carve out a role in the backfield for the crowded running-back corps of the Jaguars. The team is headlined by 2017 fourth-overall pick Leonard Fournette out of LSU, who rushed for 1,479 yards in his brief, two-year tenure so far. The Jaguars also have rostered former Houston Texans back Alfred Blue, ex-Chicago Bears RB Benny Cunningham, Thomas Rawls, and Devante Mays.
The Jaguars are relatively thin behind Fournette and Blue, with the former looking again like he'll be the work horse in the Jacksonville offense. However, with new quarterback Nick Foles, who was signed to a four-year deal in the offseason, perhaps the Jags' O will be revitalized with a dynamic passing game. Nevertheless, Thomas, despite being suspended the first three games of the season, has a chance to prove himself in August with a strong training camp and preseason with the Jags.
Jacksonville opens their preseason schedule with an August 8th bout with the Baltimore Ravens.
