Just six weeks separate the Houston Texans from the sweet release of the end of the season after what seems like a lifetime of disappointment that was packed into a few months. The team has struggled mightily in 2022, and despite all the adversity they’ve faced, Houston’s linebackers coach Miles Smith is excited to find new ways for players under his watch to succeed in their last remaining opportunities of the year.
In his comments to the media on Thursday, he addressed what he has seen from one contributor in particular, fourth-year linebacker Blake Cashman. The budding playmaker just re-signed with the team earlier in the week, and Smith made it clear that he likes what he has seen from him in the Texans’ latest campaign.
“He’s a little bit like Christian Harris in that he’s an elite athlete,” Smith told reporters. “He’s able to run down plays. He’s been playing a little more third down for us, rushing a little bit more than some other linebackers are doing. Just his outward athleticism, you need to find way to get players like that on the field. As we continue to go, we’re going to do that more and more.”
Cashman came into the league as a fifth-round selection by the Jets in 2019 and has developed into a steady figure on the Texans’ defense since joining the team earlier this season. He has flown under the radar of the national media and casual fans who haven’t been following Houston this year but is considered to be a lynchpin in the team’s defense and a key part of their roadmap to rebuild in 2023.
With strong showings to end the season, Cashman could prove to be one of the more consistent pieces on the Texans’ roster who could turn into a bonafide star in the years to come.