Vikings’ free-agent breakdown: Linebacker Blake Cashman

Linebacker Blake Cashman said he was overwhelmed with support after returning home this month with a three-year deal to join the Vikings, ensuring the former Eden Prairie and Gophers star would play football at every level in his home state.

But Cashman was also quickly envisioning life on the field again with former Texans teammate Jonathan Greenard, the edge rusher who agreed to join the Vikings on the same day.

“Believe it or not, before I called my mom, my dad, my brother, I was on the phone with this guy right here,” Cashman said, motioning to Greenard during their Vikings introductory news conference. “We immediately were just sharing our excitement, congratulating each other, talking about what kind of mentality we’re going into this with, and we’re going to make this a great year.”

“We both came off probably our best seasons,” Cashman added.

After his first prolonged run as an NFL starter last season, Cashman arrives as the Vikings’ replacement for veteran linebacker Jordan Hicks. A review of his breakout year shows how he could help fill those shoes.

Vikings free agency tracker

Age: 28 in May

Height: 6-1

Weight: 235 pounds

Contract: 3 years, $25.5 million with $9.5 million guaranteed at signing

At a glance: Appeared in 46 of 85 NFL games, including two playoff games; 19 tackles for losses, eight pass deflections, 6.5 sacks and an interception. Last season, Cashman led the Texans with 106 combined tackles (56 solo) in his first full season as a starter.

Injury history: Despite playing in 50 games over four Gophers seasons as a former walk-on, Cashman suffered various injuries that undercut his NFL start. He missed most of his first three NFL seasons because of shoulder, groin and hamstring issues. In the two years since, he has played in 32 of 36 games for the Texans.

Cashman began last season in a familiar place: the sideline. A hamstring injury followed him from August into September, when he missed the Texans’ season opener. He returned in Week 2 playing on all four special teams phases. Then linebacker Denzel Perryman went down with an injury. That opened the door for Cashman, who seized the opportunity.

On third down, Cashman dropped into zone coverage over the middle of the field and read Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s eyes. Cashman slid toward Lawrence’s vision and undercut a deep in route by the slot receiver on his side of the field. The pick gave Houston the ball in Jaguars territory, and eventually a three-score lead, in the Week 3 win.

“He did a really good job in coverage,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told Houston reporters afterward. “But most importantly, Blake did a great job of attacking the football, and that’s what changed this game. ... An excellent interception — big-time catch by him. Just an instinctive, heads-up play, great awareness, great feel for route concepts.”

In the video below, you’ll see Cashman’s interception.

Cashman’s role continued to grow as coaches trusted the results he provided on the field. For the first time since his 2019 rookie season, he played every defensive snap in the Texans’ Week 6 win over the Saints. Houston held New Orleans to 13 points. Cashman led every defender with 15 tackles (nine solo), including two for losses.

“The more opportunities he’s gotten, he continues to show up and make plays,” Ryans told Houston reporters afterward. “He was always productive on the ball and it showed in training camp, so it’s kind of no surprise that he gets into the game and he has [pass breakups], big-time plays, and continues to show up. Blake has done a great job with what he’s been given. ... He’s earned the right to get more time.”

In the video below, you’ll see three plays: Cashman diagnoses an Alvin Kamara run and tackles him for a loss; he rallies in coverage against Taysom Hill for a pass breakup; on fourth down, he pairs with Shaquill Griffin, now also with the Vikings, to tackle Kamara for a fourth-down stop.

Cashman isn’t the biggest player, but much like Eric Kendricks before him, he plays with a vision, pace and preparedness that allows him to slither into running lanes and track the ball in coverage. Cashman also isn’t the fastest player, but his closing speed allows him to recover ground in a hurry. There will be some inherent mismatches for him in coverage against bigger or faster players, but he has the recognition and speed for the Vikings’ off-zone coverage that asks linebackers to close quickly underneath.

As a blitzer, Cashman led the Texans’ off-ball players in pass rushes (47), but he wasn’t very effective. He had two sacks within nine QB pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, for a lackluster pressure rate.

He spearheaded one of the NFL’s best run defenses, tying a team-high 26 run stops with Christian Harris and Perryman. Cashman not only led the Texans in tackles but did so with the second-lowest missed tackle rate among their full-time defenders.

What clicked last season?

“I would just say staying healthy and getting the opportunity that Houston and the coaching staff gave me,” Cashman said. “It was great to be able to play multiple spots at the linebacker level. I think that really allowed me to showcase my versatility and my IQ of the game.”

Cashman’s football intelligence will be tested in coordinator Brian Flores’ defense, where flexibility manifests through a Rolodex of presnap adjustments.

And Cashman could be the new maestro on the field.

Vikings coaches train multiple linebackers to relay defensive play calls in the huddle, but Cashman could help take over for Hicks, who previously had the in-helmet speaker that received the call from Flores during games.

Cashman took over those duties last season, too, when injuries continued to thin Texans linebackers. By a Week 11 win against the Cardinals, Cashman had the “green-dot” helmet (there’s only one allowed on the field at a time), and his production did not suffer despite the added communication. He was all over the field with a career-high 19 tackles (13 solo), a sack and a pass deflection in the win.

“Really credit Cashman for stepping in at the Mike linebacker spot, which he hasn’t played all year,” Ryans told Houston reporters afterward. “The way he stepped in, the way he communicated in those pressure moments. It was awesome to see him step up and play big for us.”

Greenard, Cashman’s Texans teammate the last two years, echoed his former coach.

“We had our best games when he was our communicator,” Greenard said. “I feel like at that time he made everybody kind of calm down and not get too stressed in loud environments, which we’re going to be in playing in U.S. Bank.”

By season’s end, Cashman had earned time as the defensive leader. He rotated with Perryman, a ninth-year veteran, even when everyone was healthy.

“We’re shuffling that in and out a little bit,” Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said Jan. 17. “Him and Denzel having to like — ‘Who’s got the helmet? Who’s not? Who’s running the huddle?’ Those guys have done a really good job of sort of fitting in together.”