Vikings' most important player of the 2024 season is not who you think
The 2024 offseason for the Minnesota Vikings is going to be looked at as a major turning point for the franchise. Going into his third season on the job, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had a fantastic offseason that has catapulted the Vikings to a 33-16 record through 49 games and on the precipice of both […]
The 2024 offseason for the Minnesota Vikings is going to be looked at as a major turning point for the franchise.
Going into his third season on the job, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had a fantastic offseason that has catapulted the Vikings to a 33-16 record through 49 games and on the precipice of both winning the NFC North and potentially the Super Bowl.
There were a ton of moves that could vault Adofo-Mensah into being the NFL's Executive of the Year, but one of the lower profile moves is one that has made the biggest difference for the Vikings.
Blake Cashman is the catalyst for the Vikings defense
Adofo-Mensah made a ton of changes to the Vikings' defense this offseason. The goal was to give defensive coordinator Brian Flores the type of player that he needs to operate the defense in his vision. Sometimes, getting players that fit is more important than overall talent and the success of Flores' defense epitomizes that.
The one position that the Vikings didn't have a true difference maker was inside linebacker and they found one in Blake Cashman. The 2019 fifth-round pick out of Minnesota was excellent for the Houston Texans in 2023 and it earned him a three-year, $22.5 million contract during free agency.
How Cashman has impacted the Vikings' defense can't be overstated. When he's been on the field, the defense has been excellent. They have been organized and explosive. The three games that Cashman missed? Well, that's where the two losses came from.
Watching Cashmangrow throughout the season has been an absolute joy. He started the season with the green dot and had the defense humming from the start. There was one main area that the Vikings needed to improve at: second-level disruption.
Watch how Cashman triggers downhill on this fourth down play.
That explosiveness was missing from the linebacker group over the last few years with either Eric Kendricks or Jordan Hicks at the helm. That level of burst is necessary for the Vikings' defense to really succeed.
Also in the same game, Cashman triggered so quickly downhill in coverage that he forced an interception. This is what separates Cashman from other linebackers.
The way that Cashman attacks each level of defense with his burst, intelligence and explosiveness is arguably the biggest factor of how well the Vikings have played this season. Having linebackers that can play on all three downs and do a little bit of everything has been a massive difference maker for the Vikings and Flores' unit as a whole.
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