New York Jets linebacker Blake Cashman traded to Houston Texans

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas is back on the trade market.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Jets are sending fourth-year linebacker Blake Cashman to the Houston Texans in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft.

Interestingly, the Jets traded a 2022 sixth-round pick to Houston for defensive end Shaq Lawson in August 2021, so the teams have essentially now swapped Lawson for Cashman.

A sixth-round pick is a surprisingly nice haul for the Jets – or should we say, it’s surprising there is even a haul to speak of. Cashman was a backup and special teamer who struggled mightily to stay healthy. He was not guaranteed to make the team’s opening-week roster in 2022.

Cashman, 25, was selected by New York with the 157th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. Mike Maccagnan was the Jets’ general manager at the time.

The Minnesota product had opportunities to earn playing time in a weak linebacker unit but could never stay healthy enough to get his career moving on an upward trajectory. Cashman only played 14 of a possible 49 games over three years with the Jets. He never played more than seven games in a season.

In 14 games (7 starts), Cashman collected 49 tackles, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, one fumble recovery, one pass deflection, and a half-sack.

Cashman is also useful on special teams, where he is particularly valuable as a blocker for the kickoff return unit.

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The Texans won’t miss that sixth-rounder. They are in the midst of trade talks involving quarterback Deshaun Watson, so they should have plenty of extra draft picks coming in soon. The Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, and Atlanta Falcons have all been mentioned as suitors for Watson.

Houston owns the third overall pick in this year’s draft, one slot ahead of the Jets, who are sitting in the fourth spot.