German_Force » Minnesota’s Blake Cashman is instinctive and surprisingly

athletic. Is he on the Giants’ radar?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections New York Giants NewsGiants Training Camp 2016Giants vs. Eagles 2015 Eli Manning Jerseys 2019 , Week 172019 NFL DraftIs Blake Cashman the sleeper linebacker the Giants’ have been waiting for?New,21commentsMinnesota’s Blake Cashman is instinctive and surprisingly athletic. Is he on the Giants’ radar?ESTShareTweetShareShareIs Blake Cashman the sleeper linebacker the Giants’ have been waiting for?Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY SportsThe New York Giants have an eternal need for good linebacking. Quality, athletic, three-down linebackers are quite simply hard to come by, and given their plethora of needs over the course of the coming off-season, they might find themselves unable to devote the resources necessary to secure a top option. But if they are forced to look at more lowly regarded options, the 2019 NFL Draft could provide a few intriguing options. This class of off-ball linebackers proved to be surprisingly, shockingly, athletic at the Scouting Combine and are forcing scouts to go back to the tape and see what they might have missed. Perhaps none more-so than former walk-on, Blake Cashman of Minnesota. While Cashman’s instincts and football IQ were highly thought of coming out of school, his athleticism was not. So it was a complete surprise when he tested out as the third most athletic linebacker in this class, only slightly behind Devin White and Devin Bush. If a team is looking for a sleeper at the position, Blake Cashman would be a good place to start.MeasurablesProsGreat instincts and processing speed. Usually take an accurate first step. Good in zone coverage. Great closing burst.Good athleticism. Talented blitzer.Reliable tackler. Active communicator before the snap.Navigates traffic at the line of scrimmage well. Non-stop motorConsDoesn’t possess great size.Generally is a sound tackler, but not always a forceful one.Occasionally takes questionable angle to the ball.Prospect VideoWhat They’re Saying - Lance Zierlein (NFL.com - Scouting Report) Does He Fit The Giants?Cashman certainly fits the Giants’ defense. He is a smart White Odell Beckham Jerseys , athletic linebacker, three-down with versatility, and that is something the Giants need on their defense. Cashman isn’t highly regarded, but his performance at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine should make scouts return to the tape on him. In fact, his is the rare story of a player’s perceived athletic limitations being blown away by their combine testing. On tape, Cashman shows good instincts, discipline, and patience in his assignments, and that is likely responsible for the perception of athletic limitations. However, much like a running back, once Cashman feels the time is right to make a play, he opens it up and shows a strong closing burst to make a tackle or defend a pass. Cashman has a good feel for zone coverage, quickly getting into position with gliding footwork and shows a strong awareness of route concepts and where the quarterback likely wants to go with the ball. He was frequently used to cover slot receivers by Minnesota’s defense, but is probably better suited to underneath zones in the NFL. Finally Odell Beckham Jerseys 2019 , he shows that feel for the flow of the offense again as a pass rusher, timing his blitzes well to get free runs at the quarterback or using his explosiveness to deal with running backs on blitz pickup. Cashman certainly has his flaws, occasionally taking inefficient angles to the ball and finding himself out of position. And while he is a sound tackler, generally bringing ball carriers down securely, he doesn’t hit with the “thump” that you would expect from a player with his burst. But, if the Giants are looking for an under-the-radar linebacker who can play a variety of roles on all three downs, Cashman could be a gem. Jason Witten returned to the Cowboys this season after spending last season in the TV booth on ESPN. He plays on Monday Night Football this week, so it seems a natural that ESPN would want its former employee wearing a microphone.“No. No,” Witten said Friday, via Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press. “I don’t know if they [asked] or not. I don’t know. But that won’t be happening.”The Cowboys tight end has his reasons for not wanting to be mic’d up, and it has nothing to do with “seeing ghosts,” he said.“It’s probably best,” Witten said. “Early on, it was too big on the shoulder pads White Saquon Barkley Jerseys , and then I did it one other time, and I didn’t play very well. And so at halftime, I told [equipment manager Mike] McCord, ‘Take that mic off my pads.’ And we haven’t put it on ever since. That’s kind of my excuse.“No, I wasn’t seeing ghosts.”Witten answered several questions about Sam Darnold‘s bad experience with wearing a microphone in a Week Seven game against the Patriots. Darnold was shown saying he was “seeing ghosts” against the Patriots, and the Steelers and Dolphins both opted out of participating in ESPN’s “Mic’d Up” segment this week.Witten said he understands Darnold and the Jets’ response to the airing of the quarterback’s comment. He also hopes it doesn’t stop players being mic’d.“I like that, just especially from last year [working for ESPN], I know how hard networks work to get access,” Witten said. “And I think it’s important. That’s what the fans want. It’s our job, the network’s job, to give them that. And I know they work really hard to do that. We were always appreciative when guys were willing to get mic’d up and take that on.”