Vikings waive receiver Josh Doctson, sign linebacker Cameron Smith to active roster

Josh Doctson's brief tenure with the Vikings produced seven snaps, a hamstring injury and no targets.

The 2016 first-round pick by Washington was waived Tuesday to make room for linebacker Cameron Smith, signed from the practice squad while linebacker Ben Gedeon recovers from his second concussion of the season.

The move also indicates the Vikings — back down to four receivers on the 53-man roster — could return receiver Adam Thielen to the field on Monday in Seattle after he missed most of five games since straining his hamstring Oct. 20 in Detroit.

Doctson, 26, signed with the Vikings after preseason roster cuts and spent eight weeks on injured reserve due to a hamstring strain suffered in practice. He didn't appear in a game until the Nov. 17 win against the Broncos, when he played seven snaps without a target.

Smith, 22, is a rookie fifth-round pick out of USC now on his second stint as depth for the active roster.

The Vikings filled out the practice squad by re-signing fullback Johnny Stanton, the former UNLV quarterback who initially made the Vikings' 2018 offseason roster as a tryout player.