The Vikings defense was among the most respected in the NFL last season and in this offseason the front office made headline personnel additions like defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Can the 2025 unit be the equal of any in the NFL?
“Absolutely,” said Viking linebacker Blake Cashman. “You know, I thought that way last year, too. I think you put us up with the best and you know we’re going to give the opponent hell.
“You know, I think by the end of the (2025) year I believe that our numbers, our stats, whatever—all that data—will be up there as a top defense.”
Directed by second-year defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the Vikings last season utilized a blitzing and confusion causing scheme that excelled on the field and in NFL statistics. The defense gave up a fifth lowest 19.5 points per game and second lowest 93.4 yards rushing. Minnesota allowed a passer rating by opponents of 82.4, second best in the NFL to the Lions.
Those stats were pointed out by Rob Kleifield at Vikings.com earlier this year. He also wrote the defense was outstanding on fourth downs allowing a league-best conversion percentage of 37.1. The defense was clutch on third down conversions, too, allowing a 35.6 percentage, fourth best in the NFL.
Asked about his anticipation of the 2025 defense, Cashman said, “I am really excited about it. We’ve made really great decisions and we’re going to be a loaded team with a lot of talent. So now the question is: Can we put it all together and have success? Which I think we will do… .We have the right people in the building.”
Cashman, the Eden Prairie and Golden Gopher alum, was outstanding for the Vikings last season after signing as a free agent in the offseason. The 6-1, 235-pound Cashman had career highs in tackles (102), sacks (4.5) and passes defended (7). Two of the team’s three regular season losses came when Cashman couldn’t play because of his turf toe injury.
Cashman’s career was slow to develop with the Jets from 2019-2021, but he earned considerably more playing time in two seasons with the Texans in 2022 and 2023. After the 2023 season Pro Football Focus labeled him as a “secret super star” and because of his speed and explosive play referred to him as “a bat out of hell.” PFF gave him a grade of 83.7, fifth best among NFL linebackers.
Cashman, who should have been chosen as a Pro Bowl player after the 2024 season, turns 29 in May and wants to both improve and maintain his standard of performance in Flores’ intense pressure defense.
“…A focus for me is working on my hands and my pass rush moves. That’s something that is an art, honestly. You ask guys that rush the passer like (linebacker teammate) Jonathan Greenard, (and) they talk about it being an art. So, that’s going to be…a big focus for me.
“Honestly, just continuing to stay very fast and explosive. Obviously, as you continue to get older those things can diminish. But I still feel like I am at a really great spot and that’s just something you need to work (on) really hard and maintain every year because I feel like, for me and how I play, that’s one of my advantages.”
Cashman played on state championship teams at Eden Prairie including a 13-0 club his senior year. He was a walk-on safety at Minnesota under former head coach Jerry Kill. Then one day at practice Kill approached him and said: “Son, I am going to make you a linebacker.”
Later awarded a scholarship by head coach P.J. Fleck, Cashman was named second team All-Big Ten by the media his senior season of 2018. He was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the NFL Draft in 2019.
Asked what player over his six-year pro career was most frustrating to play against, Cashman didn’t hesitate in naming quarterback immortal Tom Brady. He said Brady stood over the line of scrimmage and not only knew what kind of blitz was coming but also from where.
Cashman remembers a Jets coach telling him in jest that Brady’s preparation and knowledge of an opponent was so thorough he knew on Tuesday what kind of “underwear” you wore.
Worth Noting
Figure the Minneapolis-St. Paul TV market will have higher ratings than a lot of big city areas tonight when Hopkins native Paige Bueckers leads her Connecticut team against USC in an Elite Eight matchup from Spokane starting about 8 p.m. on ESPN. Bueckers, the 23-year-old Hopkins alum, is closing out a college career that ranks with the best in history for women’s basketball. The do-it-all 6-foot guard scored a career high 40 points in Saturday’s NCAA Tournament win over Oklahoma.
A Big Ten men’s basketball team hasn’t won the NCAA title since 2000. This year’s teams are all from the South: Auburn, Duke, Florida and Houston. Even with an expanded league to 18 members, the Big Ten is shut out.
Ron Stolski said the Minnesota Football Coaches Association’s Tackle Cancer initiative has raised about $4.1 million over 13 years in support of the state’s cancer efforts. The executive director of the MFCA also said various communities have success stories in raising funds including Randolph, Minnesota, with a population of about 500, generating $70,000 last year.
Steve Hamilton of Elk River has been named the MFCA’s 2024 Coach of the Year. The Elks had a 12-1 record and won the Class 5A State championship last fall. The 2024 Class 5A State championship was his third as a head coach.
The MFCA held its annual clinic last week with registrations at about 1,500 and 58 vendors participating. Speakers came from not only Minnesota but places like Detroit, Georgia and Texas.
Connor Wilkie is the new head football coach at Holy Family replacing Dan O’Brien, the former Gopher assistant coach who resigned in January for personal reasons. Hall of Fame coaches Jeff Ferguson and Dave Nelson will continue on staff to assist Wilkie who comes from Augsburg where he was an assistant.
Among the biggest names in Wild history until the arrival of Kirill Kaprizov was Marian Gaborik. Wild fans have to hope history doesn’t repeat itself with Kaprizov leaving the team like Gaborik did in 2009.
Gaborik, a star right wing, turned down a long term Wild contract before the 2008-2009 season. Known as injury prone, Gaborik was rolling the dice on his financial security and sure enough he was only able to play in 17 games that season because of lower body injuries. The Wild’s interest cooled and in the 2009 offseason Gaborik, then 27, moved on to the Rangers.
Kaprizov, Minnesota’s star left wing, hasn’t played in a game since January 26 since surgery for a lower body injury. He probably won’t be back on the ice until close to playoff time. This summer Kaprizov will be eligible for a contract extension, although he has a five-year deal that runs through 2025-2026.
Kaprizov, 27, could be smart to sign a lucrative deal rather than risking lower market value if his 2025-2026 season goes haywire. Otherwise, Kaprizov and his representatives might be savvy to investigate a Lloyd’s of London policy protecting him financially if he decides to turn down the Wild this summer.
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