The Minnesota Vikings signed Blake Cashman in free agency in 2024. He lived up to his three-year, $22.5 million contract in Year 1 after three seasons wth the Houston Texans and two with the New York Jets,
Cashman earned an honorable mention among the top-10 linebackers in the NFL heading into the 2025 season.
He set a career-high with 112 tackles, 8 pass deflections, and 4.5 sacks with the Vikings in 2024.
“Extremely smart, scheme versatile, can wear the green dot or flip to WILL, good getting people aligned, plays with correct patience and timing, which mask his athleticism, but he’s fast and can cover plus add to the rush, has good range,” an anonymous NFC scout said, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on July 15.
“Couldn’t stay healthy in New York so it took him time to get his footing, but he has found his place and should continue ascending.”
Born less than 30 minutes away from Minneapolis in Eden Prairie, Cashman is an alum of the local high school.
He also attended the University of Minnesota before eventually finding his way to the Vikings.
Vikings Legend Praises ‘Underrated’ LB Blake Cashman
Cashman has endeared himself to fans and former Vikings players alike. Hall of Fame defensive end Carl Eller, who played 15 of his 16 NFL seasons with the franchise, offered high praise. Eller also expects that Cashman can post a repeat performance in 2025.
“Blake Cashman has all the tools for another big year with the Vikings,” Eller posted in June, captioning a picture alongside the current MLB in Minnesota. “Sharp instincts!”
Daily Norseman’s Doug Farrar cited Cashman’s fit with defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
“As much as Flores designs crazy schemes in which the Vikings have led the league in rushes with over six defenders and rushes with three or fewer defenders, you’re all over the place, and where you are pre-snap could be miles away from where you are post-snap,” Farrar wrote on July 11. “It’s a lot to deal with, and Blake Cashman aced just about all of it.”
“When Cashman was out there, Minnesota’s EPA allowed dropped from 0.0 to -0.08. Opponent passing EPA went from +0.13 to -0.07, and opponent rushing EPA went from -0.02 to -0.11. The Vikings’ pressure rate rose from 32.8% to 37.8% with Cashman on the field, while opponent touchdown rate dropped from 5.8% to 3.4%, and opponent interception rate went up from 1.7% to 4.4%.
Farrar called Cashman a “difference-maker” on the field, and when he had to miss time.
Blake Cashman Expects Big Season
Cashman is just as eager to have a repeat performance in 2025 as he was bout playing with the Vikings in 2024.
“It was the most fun I’ve had playing football since I was in high school,” Cashman said, per St. Cloud Live’s Andy Rennecke on July 14. “Winning makes everything better, but we firmly believe we can do the same thing this year. We have a lot of synergy as a team. There are a lot of unselfish players, coaches and individuals in our building.
“With another year in the system, both offensively and defensively, we can keep getting to the next level. The sky is the limit for us. When you read things in the media, people don’t have very high hopes for us. I think we can have just as good of a year as we did last year.”
https://x.com/NFL/status/1837902036970475907
Cashman also praised Flores and touted the Vikings’ chemistry after their 14-win season.
