Linebacker Blake Cashman is set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time.
He’s coming off a career year where he led the Houston Texans with 106 combined tackles. Cashman also tallied two sacks and has five total sacks since the New York Jets traded him to the Texans in 2022.
Houston reportedly wants to keep Cashman and the brain trust of general manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans have spoken highly of the veteran linebacker. But it’s unclear if he’ll re-sign with the Texans or take his chances on the open market.
When asked about his future, Cashman told ESPN’s D.J. Bien-Aime on March 2 that he’s “excited” to hear from teams and hopes to have good conversations with the Texans about a potential reunion.
“I’m excited to hear what different teams have to say, and hopefully the Texans come back and have a good conversation with me,” Cashman said. “There’s a lot to look forward to – whether that be in Houston or another team. I’m excited for my greatest opportunity I’ve had in my entire football career. I hope to walk in and be looked at and valued as a guy who will be a starting linebacker.”
Houston has the money to re-sign Cashman, but it depends on the contract he’s looking for as well as what the team wants from the position. The Texans could look at adding a new inside linebacker in the draft or sign a bigger name in free agency – Bien-Aime recently named Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen as a potential player.
While Cashman has remained mostly injury-free during his time in Houston, those concerns remain. He missed three games this season with a hamstring injury and played in just 17 games during his first three years with the Jets. There is risk involved with Cashman, but he proved to be a tremendous asset to Ryans and Matt Burke’s defense in 2023.
