KEVIN O’CONNELL – Page 19 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Receiver Jalen Reagor Targets Breakout Year with Vikings

Posted on August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 by David Shama

Jalen Reagor, the reserve wide receiver who the Vikings acquired almost a year ago in a trade with the Eagles, is on the spot as he prepares in training camp for his fourth NFL season. There is no guarantee he will make the final roster and even if he does this is the final year of his contract, with free agency ahead in 2024.

Reagor is receiving opportunities in the preseason. He is tied with tight end Nick Muse for most receptions on the team with six. His 65 yards in catches is tops on the Vikings.

August is the time for the 24-year-old former first round draft choice to prove his value and set the stage for what he hopes will be a breakout season even though it will likely be as a sub behind starters Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn and Jordan Addison.

“Last year I got here the week of the first game, so it was kind of hard to adjust but having a full offseason, you know, (with) K.O. and the guys helping me I feel pretty good,” Reagor told Sports Headliners.

K.O, head coach Kevin O’Connell, is an offensive guru with a talented group of playmakers including the peerless Jefferson, veteran Osborn and promising rookie Addison. The wide receiver roster includes four former first round draft choices in Jefferson, Addison, Reagor and N’Keal Harry.

The talent in the WR room is a plus to Reagor. “It just breeds competition,” he said.

Reagor’s value to the Vikings includes his speed. He can “take the top off defenses” and he said there might not be anyone on the roster who could motor faster in the 40-yard dash. “There’s not many receivers (in the NFL) that can run like I can,” he said. “I feel like that’s what I bring to the game, and then being able to do the in between stuff, the reverses, the tosses, the little trick stuff and be a complete receiver. So I feel like all around (talent).”

Reagor’s versatility could work in his favor in being able to make the team. He has 18 career rushes for 83 yards. He also returned both punts and kickoffs for the Eagles. With the Vikings last season, he returned 26 punts for 167 yards in 17 games.

Critics have said the 5-11, 197-pound former TCU star is slowed in his routes by physical defenders and that he doesn’t block effectively. The Eagles, who drafted him in 2020 ahead of Minnesota selecting Jefferson, gave up on him when they made the August 31 trade to the Vikings in return for draft choices.

Jalen Reagor photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

This summer Jefferson was voted by his NFL peers as the No. 2 player in the league behind only quarterback Patrick Mahomes from the Chiefs. Although Jefferson is 24 also and entering his fourth NFL season, Reagor said he can learn from the team’s superstar receiver.

“Being No. 2 (ranked) as a receiver, that’s just like a receiver winning the Heisman (Trophy),” Reagor said. “He’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing. I am proud of him. It’s good to be on the team with him and watch and learn from him every day.”

The Vikings could have an explosive offense, just like last season. With a wide receiver group that wants to be the best in the NFL, a deep tight end roster, five returnees in the offensive line, a quality quarterback in Kirk Cousins and veteran running back in Alexander Mattison, the Vikings will score impressively like they did in 2022 when they won 11 one-score games and averaged 24.9 points per game.

Minnesota seemingly took a page from the NBA with a “if we have the ball last, we’ll win” approach while pulling out six fourth quarter wins. No wonder Reagor said if his offense has the last possession in a tight game “it’s going to be a problem.”

And he hopes to be part of the solution this fall.

Worth Noting

The Athletic asked its NFL writers to vote on the best stadiums in the league and U.S. Bank Stadium is No. 1. “This wasn’t even close,” Jon Machota wrote in an article posted yesterday by the Athletic. “Half of the voters placed it No. 1 in their rankings.”

SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles ranked second, with Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, third. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and Lumen Field in Seattle rounded out the top five.

Gopher senior safety Tyler Nubin is receiving a lot of preseason hype. Publicity includes second team (The Athletic) and third team (Phil Steele) All-American recognition, and listings on watch lists for three prestigious national awards honoring defensive players: Chuck Bednarik, Jim Thorpe and Bronko Nagurski.

Nubin admits the attention “is cool” but tempers his enthusiasm. “It doesn’t really matter because like you said it’s preseason so it’s just a guess. I have to go out there and perform. …”

Nubin will be a playmaker and leader for the Gophers’ defense. So, too, will redshirt junior linebacker Cody Lindenberg. “It’s great to see his growth for sure,” Nubin said.

Lindenberg brings the “juice” to practices. “His energy, you can really feel it,” Nubin said.

Gophers’ multi-positional offensive lineman Nathan Boe, now in his sixth year with the program, comes from a family that has long followed Minnesota football including during its glory days. When coach P.J. Fleck was recruiting Boe out of Lakeville North the coach told him the Gophers were a “sleeping giant.”

That resonated with Boe whose grandfather and great grandfather listened to the Gophers on the radio. Boe said: “We have a long tradition here and it’s really fun to be part of it. …”

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, who the Gophers face in Chapel Hill September 16, is the No. 5 player in college football, per ESPN.com who rated the top 100. Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt, the Totino-Grace alum and North Oaks resident, is No. 11 on the list. Former Gopher running back Bucky Irving, who gained over 1,000 yards last season for Oregon, is No. 77.

The Twins open a two-game series in Milwaukee tonight against a Brewers team that is No. 10 in the MLB.com power rankings. The Twins are No. 13 in the latest rankings.

Trevor May, who pitched for the Twins from 2014-2020, has 12 saves while holding opponents to a .220 batting average this season with the Athletics. Will the Twins have interest in signing the 33-year-old right hander as a free agent in the offseason? He makes $7 million with Oakland, per Spotrac.com and is the highest paid player on the budget conscious team’s roster.

The Northwoods League, that includes teams from Minnesota and showcases college baseball players in the summer, set a new attendance record with a total of 1,313,916. The old record was 1, 262, 610 set in 2019.

Wild preseason and regular season tickets go on sale Thursday, with availability via Wild.com/tickets and Ticketmaster.com.

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Vikings O-Line? Experience Prompts Optimism

Posted on August 15, 2023August 15, 2023 by David Shama

Ezra Cleveland knows that in the competitive NFL there is no guarantee of having the same teammate beyond one season. The Vikings’ left guard is thinking the return of all five starters in 2023 will translate into the team’s best offensive line in years.

“It’s the same (group),” Cleveland told Sports Headliners. “Each one of us has been getting better every year. I feel like offensive linemen get better as they progress in their career. We’re all getting older. I am excited.”

Cleveland, center Garrett Bradbury and right tackle Brian O’Neill are all about to start their fourth NFL seasons. Right guard Ed Ingram is a second-year lineman, left tackle Christian Darrisaw, a third.

Those five players started much of last season until injuries hit. Ingram played well enough to be a rookie starter, O’Neill and Darrisaw looked like the Vikings’ best pair of tackles in a long time, Bradbury drew praise for his improvement and Cleveland was a solid run blocker.

“Continuity is big, having everyone back,” Cleveland said. “(The) relationships we all have is big. We’re able to coach each other out on the field and stuff like that.

“I feel like we all kind of have our own lingo. The (number) one offensive line is different than the two offensive line just cause how close we all are and how long we’ve been playing together.

“We’re going on four years with Garrett and Brian. Yeah, it’s big and it’s going to help us a lot this season.”

Ezra Cleveland photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Cleveland and Bradbury are particularly close, spending time together almost every day the last two years, including the offseason. That gives the two veterans, playing next to each other on the line of scrimmage, a special connection.

“We know each other like the back of our hand and it helps out on the field,” Cleveland said. “I know what he’s going to do and he knows what I am going to do. The o-line is the only spot where five people have to mesh together to make other people’s jobs work, and having that connection is big.”

This will be a second consecutive season under head coach Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and line coach Chris Kuper. That adds to Cleveland’s optimism about the coming season.

Among offensive linemen, there was some hesitation in a new system last season. “Hemming and hawing” is the way Cleveland described the learning curve and uncertainty. “We always ended up on the right guys but it might have been right at the last second where we figured out what to do. ….When you’re playing fast and not really thinking, that’s when the best football is played I think.”

Cleveland sees another factor that makes him upbeat about the coming season and it’s the presence of new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The new defense is aggressive and it’s a challenge to figure out what’s coming. “Flo’s defense is very, very difficult,” Cleveland said.

Dealing with last second adjustments in practice should help during the season as well as seeing different schemes in joint practices with the Titans and Cardinals this summer.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins, who threw 29 touchdown passes in 17 games last season, was sacked a career high 46 times. His total passing attempts of 643 was also third highest in the NFL as the Vikings became a more pass-focused offense. So that contributed to the 46 sacks but it’s no secret the Vikings must improve at pass blocking.

“…The whole line is like, okay, we gotta protect this guy,” Cleveland said. “Be firm and he’ll make stuff happen.”

Cleveland’s reputation is that of a better run blocker than pass protector. Does he agree? “Not necessarily. Run blocking is easy because there’s not really that much stress. You just have to go to the guy that is ID’d (to block). And in pass blocking these guys are paid a lot of money to beat us, but, no, I don’t think so.”

Cleveland has played left tackle and right guard for the Vikings. Because he played left tackle at Boise State he feels comfortable playing on the left side of the line and prefers his present position. He said fans don’t understand the difficulty switching from one side of the line to the other, comparing it to “like writing with your other hand.”

Worth Noting

Cleveland, listed by the Vikings at 6-6 and 312 pounds, was born three weeks prematurely but weighed 11 pounds.

Former Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen, 35, is retired, living in a Minneapolis suburb and working on his golf game.

The Gophers play five teams ranked in the Associated Press preseason college football top 25 poll: No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 19 Wisconsin, No. 21 North Carolina and No. 25 Iowa.

Chris Autman-Bell, coming off a knee injury that caused him to miss the last 10 games of the 2022 season, was running fluidly in practice today and made a challenging touchdown catch.

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said after practice he likes the depth and complimentary skills of his running backs roster, and multiple personnel will be used in games. “It’s definitely going to be a committee approach,” Fleck said.

Fleck talking about redshirt defensive lineman Anthony Smith who has been turning heads in practice: “NFL scouts come up (and go), ‘Hey, who is that guy?’ You can’t touch him just yet.”

The 247Sports ranking of the Gophers Athan Kaliakmanis as the worst quarterback in the Big Ten and a ranking of No. 67 out of 69 Power Five at the position is ridiculous. His performance in late season wins over Wisconsin and Syracuse were impressive. BTW, Lindy’s Big Ten preview rates the Gophers’ QB unit as No. 8 in the 14-team league.

The Athletic yesterday named its preseason All-American teams and included Gophers’ safety Tyler Nubin on the second defensive unit. Joe Alt, the Totino-Grace alum and North Oaks resident, is a first-team offensive tackle. In 2022 Alt was named first-team All-American by five organizations.

Casey O’Brien, the former Gopher football player who has courageously battled cancer for years, had clean scans today and is cancer free for the last nine months, according to a post today on X from his father Dan O’Brien. Casey is coaching quarterbacks at Holy Family Catholic High School where his dad is preparing for his first season as head coach.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Noah Hills recently reported that each of the 85 scholarship players on the Pittsburgh football team will receive Name, Image and Likeness money through the Alliance 412 collective. Each player, on average, will receive five figures of compensation for performing charity work, per the story. Former Gophers quarterback Tim Salem is the tight ends coach for the Panthers.

Mike Grimm is approaching his 13^th season as the radio voice of Gophers football and 18^th for men’s basketball. No word yet on who will replace Spencer Tollackson as color commentator on basketball games.

Infielder Royce Lewis, who missed the last 36 Twins games with an oblique strain, was reinstated by the club today and to make room on the 26-man roster put utility player Willi Castro on the 10-day disabled list with a mild oblique strain.

MLB.com’s top 100 prospects, posted last Friday, includes three Twins talents in No. 16 Walter Jenkins, No. 18 Brooks Lee and No. 53 Emmanuel Rodriguez. Jenkins and Rodriguez, both outfielders, are projected to arrive in the bigs in 2026 and 2025 respectively. Lee, already in AAA with the Saints, is predicted to play for the Twins next season.

Former Twins World Series champion manager Tom Kelly turns 73 today.

Weather advisory for the more optimistic of Twins fans planning to attend postseason games at Target Field: the World Series starts October 27 and potentially goes through November 4, so prepare your fall-winter wardrobe.

In a recent YouTube interview with Graham Bensinger, former Minnesota governor and pro wrestler Jesse Ventura said Muhammad Ali was his idol and among his prize possessions are autographed boxing gloves from Ali presented to him years ago by prominent Minneapolis businessman and author Harvey Mackay. Ali and Mackay were close friends for decades until the champ passed away in 2016.

The St. Thomas men’s basketball team will be in Italy August 20-30 to play three games against professional teams. This will be the Tommies’ first international trip as a Division I program.

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22’s ‘Crib’ Source of Wisdom for New Minnesota Viking CB

Posted on August 1, 2023August 1, 2023 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

Faces change in the Vikings’ secondary from season to season except for one. Safety Harrison Smith, 34 and with 11 past seasons of NFL experience, provides continuity and leadership to a unit in flux.

As safeties and cornerbacks compete in training camp and beyond for playing time, they know Smith sets an example with his performance and leadership. It didn’t take long for new cornerback Joejuan Williams, a 2023 free agent signing, to seek out Smith who wears jersey No. 22. Williams is in competition to be one of the team’s two new starting cornerbacks.

Joejuan Williams photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

“Even though there’s a huge age difference, at the end of the day, that’s a leader right there,” the 25-year-old Williams told Sports Headliners. “I’ve picked his brain first time I went over to his crib. Everybody sittin’ (and) chillin’ having fun and I am asking him 20 questions. I felt like I was annoying him. Just asking him (about) his leadership skills, how he’s done it for so long. I love to pick people’s brains like that and so, yeah, he’s been a great help.”

Here’s what Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said stands out about Williams, a second round pick of the Patriots in 2019 who stayed with New England through 2019: “First and foremost, his size (6-3, 212 pounds). I’ve always known as an offensive guy, you know those bigger corners, just because they’re long, they can play physical.

“I think he’s done a really…great job since he’s gotten here, physically preparing himself as a bigger corner. He’s a very strong player. He’ll cause a lot of problems for us around the line of scrimmage with reroutes and rhythm and timing of passing games. He’s savvy, a smart player, very instinctive. …”

Williams, the tallest of the Vikings’ safeties and corners, is part of a group that includes Andrew Booth Jr., the 2022 second round pick who has often been injured during his career. This could be a pivotal season for Booth.

Williams is taking a willing attitude to help with the 22-year-old Booth. “I know he’s coming out with a chip on his shoulder, and so I am going to help him every step of the way,” Williams said.

Who become the starters and first players off the bench in the secondary will be determined the way coaches always decide these things and regardless of the position they play, per Nick Mullens. The Vikings’ backup quarterback said it’s all about dependability and trust, disciplined play, who works hard and is a good teammate.

Mullens joined the Vikings via trade in late August of last year “Coming into year two is big,” he said regarding more knowledge and comfort with the offensive system.

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said yesterday the competition to determine the starters on the offensive line at right tackle and left guard will be “the battle of camp.” Redshirt junior Martes Lewis and redshirt senior JJ Guedet are competing at right tackle, while hoping to start at left guard are sixth-year senior Karter Shaw and redshirt senior Tyler Cooper.

Minneapolis native and cornerback Craig McDonald is awaiting a waiver ruling from the NCAA to be eligible for the Gophers this season. The waiver approval is necessary because McDonald has transferred twice in his college career, having been first at Iowa State and later Auburn. McDonald would have three years of eligibility with the Gophers and Fleck is upbeat about his potential contribution.

The Gophers have started practice for their season opener against Nebraska at home Thursday, August 31. Two free open practices are available to fans, starting with this Saturday’s 7 p.m. event at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Tuesday, August 15 practice is also open to the public and starts at 3:30 p.m. at the team’s practice facility at the Athletes Village.

Saturday’s gathering is the annual Family Day Practice and will feature a fan fest on the West Plaza. Fans are encouraged to bring diapers and donate them to the Diaper Bank of Minnesota. Also, as in the past, fans can bring decorated oars to adorn the stadium hallway the Gophers travel from their locker room to the field on game days.

Former Gophers head football coach Jerry Kill turns 62 on August 24 and is healthy as he prepares his New Mexico State team for a second season under his leadership. The Aggies are picked for fifth in their new league home, Conference USA, but Kill teams have a way of surprising. Public season tickets to see the Aggies start at $70.

When Dawn Plitzuweit was considering becoming the women’s basketball coach for the Gophers earlier this year, she spoke with Richard Pitino about what it is like to work under Minnesota AD Mark Coyle. “I am not exactly sure how they got connected but I was surprised and also excited that she did talk to Richard because I knew she was interested (in Minnesota), and I knew Richard—how he felt about this place—that it would be a good conversation.”

Pitino, who left his job as Minnesota’s men’s coach in March of 2021 to take over at New Mexico, has long had a solid relationship with Coyle. “…We just have a really good friendship and really thankful for that friendship,” Coyle said.

The Twins, who face the MLB trade deadline later today at 5 p.m., have lost five consecutive games including three straight over the weekend to the lowly Royals (.299 winning percentage). The two teams don’t play again until next season when they open the regular season March 28-31 in Kansas City. The Twins were 6-1 in Minneapolis against the Royals but only 3-3 in Kansas City.

Former Twin Luiz Arraez enters August hitting a gaudy .381 through 107 games for the Marlins. MLB.com points out today that after 107 games in 1941 and 82 fewer at bats Ted Williams was hitting .411 for the Red Sox. Williams, who once played for the Minneapolis Millers, was the last MLB hitter to average .400 for a season (he hit .406 in 1941).

Minnesota hockey icon Lou Nanne is spending a lot of time at his lake place near Balsam Lake, Wisconsin and not playing much golf. He just had a pickle ball court installed in his barn.

Jonathan Mekonnen, the Eastview class of 2024 basketball wing, verbally committed to Colorado State last week where the program is led by native Minnesotan Niko Medved.

The 2023-2024 season will be the first for a 35-second shot clock in Minnesota boys and girls high school basketball games.

Billy Robertson, the former WCHA and USHL commissioner, discussed his over four-decades career in sports on the latest episode of “Behind the Game.” He talked about his many memorable experiences including characters he has known over the years. You can see the show at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfPHTGHLF_Y&t=4s

The fifth annual Taste Fore The Tour presented by Tradition Capital Bank at Interlachen Country Club last week was a sold-out fundraiser for Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP), the Twin Cities’ largest food pantry. VEAP provides food, social services, and financial assistance to people in south Hennepin County. While dollars are still being counted from the event, donations are expected to allow VEAP to offer 800,000 new meals. To date, Taste Fore The Tour reports donating the equivalent of 3.2 million meals for local people.

Special hosts for the event July 24 included Michele Tafoya, Matt Birk and Ben Leber. Celebrities also included Rachel Banham, Bobby Bell, Matt Boldy, Devan Dubnyk, P.J. Fleck, Justin Gaard, Andre Hollins, Kent Hrbek, Ben Johnson, Glen Mason, Randall McDaniel, Zach Parise, Mark Parrish, John Randle, Laura Schara, Ron Schara, Drew Stafford, Scott Studwell, Darrell Thompson, Carrie Tollefson, and Jason Zucker.

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