It was a very quiet offseason for the Minnesota Vikings, as the focus was on getting rid of some of the more expensive contracts and adding younger talent, which was accomplished, but more moves could be on the way.
Pro Football Focus writer Bradley Locker suggested 15 trade candidates around the NFL going into OTAs and training camp. An interesting name Locker brought up, one no Vikings fans have even thought about, is linebacker Blake Cashman.
"Once the centerpiece of Minnesota’s fabulous defense, Cashman could be on the move after a down year. In 2025, Cashman didn’t look like the strong linebacker of the last two years. His overall PFF grade dipped from 72.0 to 63.6, punctuated by his 48.6 PFF coverage grade. Nevertheless, he was good as a downhill player with a 7.7% run stop rate and a 5.3% missed tackle clip. In light of Cashman’s decline as well as this being the final year of his contract, the Vikings drafted linebacker Jake Golday in the second round as well as extended Eric Wilson. That suggests that either he or Ivan Pace Jr. could have their days numbered in purple."
Should the Minnesota Vikings even consider trading away Blake Cashman?
Look, there are solid points made that Golday's arrival certainly puts Cashman and Pace on notice for the 2026 season. Those two will have to outperform each other in 2026 to keep their roster spots beyond this season.
With the Vikings having depth concerns at other positions, it seems premature to move on from Cashman when they could really use him. It might have been considered a down year for him, but he's still a key starter at linebacker that they need to work alongside Wilson.
Cashman most likely keeps his starting job in 2026, as Golday is not going to be rushed onto the field this season. Golday is going to be more of a special teams ace and ease into the rotation before potentially being a starter in 2027 and beyond.
Outside of Golday and Pace, the Vikings don't have much to work with when it comes to their depth at inside linebacker. Moving on from Cashman makes no sense when he is needed more than ever for the 2026 season.
The only way the Vikings would even consider a trade involving Cashman is if they get one or two really solid picks, such as a Day 2 selection. In reality, he would only be good for a Day 3 pick in the draft, and at that point, it's not worth it.
Once a new general manager gets hired for the Vikings, they should look at making a trade. Cashman would not be one they should do, though.
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