Nov 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) sneaks a peak into the backfield against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.
When the Minnesota Vikings entered the offseason, they needed to replace some departing defensive starters. Ivan Pace Jr., an undrafted free agent, helped shore up a linebacker spot.
His talent shined last year, and he was already going to be an asset for Brian Flores. However, it was obvious he needed a running mate.
Minnesota fans are more than familiar with Blake Cashman. The Eden Prairie native played for the Minnesota Gophers before being a fifth-round draft pick by the New York Jets. His career had largely been marred by injury, and it wasn’t until the last two seasons with the Houston Texans that he really showed off what he could do.
This year, the Vikings have seen Cashman miss time due to a turf toe injury, but what he has done when he was healthy has been beyond unexpected. Not only does Cashman pair incredibly well with Pace Jr. in the middle, but he looks the part of a top-tier linebacker across the league. Flores has put him in advantageous positions, and Cashman continues to rise above almost every occasion.
Cashman has tied his career-high in sacks through just seven games this year. He has five passes defended and is trending towards a second-straight season with at least 100 tackles. To say that the signing has gone well for Minnesota would be putting it lightly.
Of course, whenever you bring in a free agent, you’d love to see positive results. That’s not always how things go, though; even the best-laid plans can still be a disaster. That’s not been the case for Cashman, and if he can stay healthy the rest of the way, then Minnesota’s linebacking group will continue to be a force to be reckoned with.
It’s always a fun story when you can bring a guy with local ties back to the state. This is a professional game, though, and the juice has to be worth more than just that bit of squeeze. Cashman isn’t just a good story; he isn’t just Vikings good either. While wearing the green dot and quarterbacking the defense, he has been part of a necessary turnaround for a team that has one of the better units across the entire league.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.