In last spring’s NFL Draft the Vikings used their fourth round pick to select Western Michigan offensive tackle Willie Beavers. One round later the Colts chose former Brainerd and North Dakota State offensive lineman Joe Haeg.
There has to be some head-scratching in Brainerd and Fargo over why the Vikings chose Beavers over Haeg. Beavers has yet to see the field on game days, while Haeg is earning praise in Indianapolis.
The Vikings have been reshuffling their offensive line for months trying to put together a cohesive unit that can run block, and protect quarterback Sam Bradford in the pocket. The task is ongoing with the latest effort last Sunday when the Vikings gave 31-year-old tackle Jake Long game action just days after signing him.
Part of the Vikings’ struggles are attributable to the retirement of veteran offensive tackle Phil Loadholt and the decline of center John Sullivan who was released prior to the season. Injuries to starting tackles Matt Kalil and Andre Smith have been a bigger part of the storyline. But in Indianapolis injuries have allowed Haeg to get an early start to his NFL career while playing guard and tackle.
Here’s what an online story in the October 26 Indianapolis Star said: “Fifth-round pick Joe Haeg has been invaluable for the Colts in just seven games as a pro. He’s now started games at three completely separate positions: right guard, right tackle and left guard. He’s become a jack of all trades and embodies the mantra of flexibility the Colts preach to their offensive linemen.”
Haeg, born in Minneapolis, was an All-American for the Bison and close observers could see his potential coming out of Brainerd High School. University of St. Thomas coach Glenn Caruso watched Haeg as a prep player and evaluated him as a “diamond in the rough.” Now Caruso has seen Haeg playing for the Colts. “It’s no surprise seeing his name on the back of a Colts jersey,” Caruso said.
While Vikings fans may wonder about acquiring a big salary veteran lineman like Joe Thomas from the Browns, they could have had Haeg for a rookie’s salary. Instead, they have Beavers who seven months ago Pro Football Focus ranked No. 2 among the “10 most overrated 2016 NFL Draft Prospects.” …
The Vikings gave up six sacks in their loss last week to the Eagles, and head coach Mike Zimmer complained about his team’s blocking. Will the Vikings vary their formations and at times use extra blockers in future games? “That’s a possibility,” Zimmer said. …
Veteran Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is in his eighth season with the Bears and neither he nor the team have fulfilled expectations since Chicago acquired him in a trade with the Broncos. When the Bears made their move for Cutler in the spring of 2009 the Vikings had a quarterback problem and Minnesota media were envious of Chicago’s deal. Later that year the Vikings convinced Brett Favre to come out of retirement. Cutler is expected to start for the 1-6 Bears Monday night in their game in Chicago against the Vikings. …
Kansas and head coach Bill Self might be in the lead to eventually sign nationally sought Rochester John Marshall power forward Matthew Hurt. Hurt is a sophomore and consensus five-star prospect.
Hurt’s brother Michael is a freshman forward for the Gophers and one of the team’s best potential shooters. The Hurt brothers attended Gophers games at Williams Arena as grade schoolers. …
There is no doubting the parity in college football. The Gophers, for example, won by only one point against Big Ten winless Rutgers a week ago Saturday afternoon. Unranked Penn State upset No. 2 Ohio State that night. Yesterday Associated Press top 10 ranked Baylor and West Virginia lost games. Gophers coach Tracy Claeys said there are often eight to 10 games each weekend with surprise endings. In his opinion the parity trend has been ongoing for about 10 years, and he thinks social media may play a role.
“Sometimes kids read things and try to make up their mind about the game…who is going to win or lose, and that can affect your preparation during the week. But I’m not for sure on all of it.
“I do think that kids are being trained better in high school, and are stronger. So I do think there’s a good core of players out there coming out of high school, and everybody’s getting their share of good ones.” …
Injuries have kept Gophers junior tight end Brandon Lingen sidelined for most of the season. Quarterback Mitch Leidner acknowledged Lingen’s absence has limited the passing game. The potential All-Big Ten receiver’s route running, speed and 6-5 height create more possibilities for Leidner, who compared Lingen to former teammate and 2014 All-American tight end Maxx Williams.
“He’s probably a little bit better of a route runner than Maxx was,” Leidner said. “He doesn’t have, I think, as great a hands as Maxx had, but I think he is a better route runner (than) when Maxx was here. I’d say they’re both probably pretty similar in speed.” …
Jared Weyler, the Gophers redshirt sophomore guard, said the offensive line is told on Fridays the unit’s goals include no sacks or hits on the quarterback for the next day’s game. Another goal is 300 yards rushing. In yesterday’s 40-17 win over Illinois, Minnesota gave up two sacks and rushed for 171 net yards. …
John Cunningham, a key hire earlier this year by new Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle, is a name to watch. A U alum and critic of the athletic department raved about Cunningham in a conversation with Sports Headliners. Cunningham, the Gophers deputy athletics director for administration, impressed the alum with his intelligence and personality. Cunningham has a law degree and his administrative skills include extensive experience with NCAA rules compliance. …
Former Timberwolves assistant coach Eric Musselman could be in for a successful season in his second year coaching Nevada. A preseason Mountain West Conference media poll predicts the Wolf Pack will finish second to San Diego State. Nevada went from a nine win team to 24 victories last season and won the College Basketball Invitational Championship.
Look for media and friends of Musselman here to push his name if the Gophers change head coaches next year. …
Dick Mattson, honored earlier this month by the Gophers with a Distinguished Service Award for his nearly 50 years as an athletic equipment manager, was a fiery supporter of U teams. During the Lou Holtz era he vigorously waved a hockey stick to fire up crowds before games at the Metrodome. …
A Sports Headliners reader emailed after last Monday’s column that Gophers Don Lucia is not only the winningest men’s hockey coach ever, but he also has lost the most games. Lucia’s record since taking over the Gophers for the 1999-2000 season is 418-221-69. He has coached the most games in Gophers’ history. …
When baseball was truly the nation’s pastime, MLB games were shorter and Americans were more patient. Times for the first games of the World Series have been 3:37, 4:04, 3:33 and 3:16. A lot of sports fans are too restless to watch for long. …
It’s been another special fall for St. Thomas football. A week ago Saturday head coach Glenn Caruso earned his 100th win at UST, while the Tommies program got its 600th victory. The first season of Tommies football was 1904.
The undefeated Tommies have been top five-ranked by D3football.com and could be headed back to the Division III national championship game. Caruso said the 2015 team was his best since starting with the Tommies in 2009. The coach said that was a selfless group, although not as athletic as Caruso’s 2011 and 2012 teams.
The Tommies are without injured All-American running back Jordan Roberts who has played in just two games. Caruso said pro scouts are showing interest in Roberts who will return to the Tommies next season. …
Bethel’s Steve Johnson also achieved a milestone victory in October, winning his 200th game at the school. He became the 78th coach among all divisions (12th active) to reach 200 wins, and the 33rd to do that at one school and the 10th in Division III. Johnson is in his 28th season at Bethel and his 200th win placed him third among active NCAA Division III coaches in career victories.
Bethel, 3-5 overall and 3-3 in MIAC games, lost 27-6 to St. Thomas yesterday. The Tommies are 8-0 and 6-0. …
Lou Nanne’s American Grill, the Edina restaurant that opened earlier this year for lunch and dinner, is now serving breakfast. A direct mail promotion was sent this month offering a $10 breakfast gift card. …
The milder than normal temps for much of October have extended the season for Twin Cities recreational players. A nine-hole course in the Minneapolis western suburbs was charging $10 to play nine holes this month, with $5 the cost to play nine more.