Blake

Cashman

The good news is that the Vikings may be getting some reinforcements at linebacker. Blake Cashman was back on the practice field today after missing multiple games with a turf toe injury. Cashman led the Vikings in tackles before going down with the injury and Pace currently leads the team with 50 combined tackles. He also has two sacks and a scoop-and-score touchdown.

Cashman is the Vikings’ leading tackler, signing a three-year deal with the team in the offseason. The 28-year-old will miss Week 7 against the Lions while he deals with a turf toe injury and could miss extended time beyond that. Kamu Grugier-Hill is next man up for Brian Flores’ defense.

Cashman is a native of Minnesota and played his college ball with the Golden Gophers. A former fifth-round pick of the Jets in 2019, Cashman was named a full-time starter by the Texans in 2023 and broke out to the tune of 106 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and nine TFLs while also forcing one interception. Now signed to man the middle of the Vikings linebacker corps, Cashman will look to build on last year’s success under a lucrative three-year contract.

Anderson missed Week 15 with a high-ankle sprain and will likely sit out at least one more week. The rookie defensive end has five sacks and eight TFLs this season. Linebacker Blake Cashman, who also missed Week 15, did not practice on Wednesday either.

Anderson was banged up in the Texans’ Week 15 loss to the Jets. He starts out the week not practicing with an ankle injury, leaving the Texans’ pass rush without a key producer. If he cannot get some practice in later in the week, the rookie will be in danger of missing Week 15. Other Texans defenders - CB Tavierre Thomas (hamstring) and LB Blake Cashman (hamstring) joined Anderson as non-participants on Wednesday.

It’s a huge loss, as veteran Cashman has been something of a secret weapon for Houston’s defense. He went down in the first half and was ruled out after the break.

Cashman went into the medical tent and quickly retreated into the locker room. Garret Wallow has replaced him at linebacker. Cashman had three solo tackles and a pass defensed before leaving.

Cashman has made 14 appearances in three years, so this is a bizarre transaction by Houston. What else is new? Cashman spent most of 2021 on injured reserve with a groin injury. Largely a special teamer, he has had hamstring, shoulder and other groin issues in the past. We are not sure what Texans GM Nick Caserio is seeing here.

New York also sent fifth-round rookie S Jamien Sherwood on injured reserve with an Achilles injury. Because Cashman has already been on IR this year, his second stint on the list is season-ending. That’s a big hit to the Jets’ defensive depth with multiple players of them out for the year, especially considering C.J. Mosley missed Week 7 and Quincy Williams suffered a concussion.

Since this is Cashman’s second I.R. placement of 2020, he is ineligible for return. It is the third time in two seasons he has been stashed on the reserve list. The 24-year-old finishes 2020 having contributed just 48 snaps. The 2019 fifth-rounder will be on the spot for a 53-man roster spot next summer.