Blake Cashman has seen both ends of the rookie quarterback spectrum in his young NFL career.
The Minnesota Vikings' new linebacker was a member of the New York Jets when Zach Wilson struggled through a trying first season in 2021. But Cashman also just spent last year with the Texans, witness to the magic of C.J. Stroud in a brilliant rookie campaign.
So when Cashman had some pretty glowing respect for Vikings rookie QB J.J. McCarthy recently, it came from someone who knows firsthand what he's talking about.
"[He's] 21 years old, but a great young man," Cashman said on *The Jim Rome Show*. "He's a leader. He's eager to learn.
"A lot of young guys, sometimes they can come in, be a little timid or shy, but he's walking around the locker room, big smile on his face, shaking hands, getting to know everybody."
That's certainly a quality start for McCarthy, who earned a reputation as a smart, tough, competitive quarterback at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to two playoff appearances the past two seasons, including a national championship in January.
The Vikings traded up to pick McCarthy No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He's expected to compete with vet Sam Darnold for the starting job, with head coach Kevin O'Connell saying he's hoping for a "competitive environment" in a training camp battle where none of Minnesota's quarterbacks have been promised anything yet.
Cashman admits that he's only received a snapshot of McCarthy's talent so far at minicamps and organized team activities ahead of training camp, but what he's seen to this point -- including and especially McCarthy's arm talent -- has impressed him.
"I didn't know much about his game before," Cashman said. "I knew he was an outstanding quarterback. Winning followed him at Michigan. But I didn't realize how much heat he can put on the ball.
"He's got a great long ball. And even those tight windows, where it closes fast at the next level, he can zip the ball past a linebacker or safety's head and squeeze it in those tight windows. That's very promising to see."
Predicting greatness for a rookie QB prior to taking any significant snaps can be risky business. Wilson was a fast riser through the draft process and was branded a possible star in the Patrick Mahomes role. That has yet to materialize, with Wilson now on his second NFL team. Meanwhile, there were questions about Stroud even though he was drafted No. 2 overall, cloaked by a low score on the S2 cognitive test designed to measure how quickly a QB can process information. All he did was turn in one of the great all-time seasons by a rookie quarterback.
Nonetheless, Cashman didn't limp in with his forecast for greatness with McCarthy, early as it might be.
"He's gonna be a great player for a long time, and I can't wait to continue to see his growth," Cashman said. "Not only as a quarterback with his skills, but also becoming an even smarter player."
