Wild – Page 4 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Sam Howell Acquisition Likely Ends Vikings QB Room Drama

Posted on April 30, 2025April 30, 2025 by David Shama

The Vikings were headed for controversy if they had added either Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins to their quarterback room this offseason.

The ultra ego Rodgers would have landed here surrounded by paparazzi, with immediate expectations to replace 22-year-old J.J. McCarthy as the 2025 season starter. Cousins would have likely been willing to be McCarthy’s backup but as soon as the inexperienced QB had a difficult stretch, fans would have been in revolt and chanting Kirk’s name.

The Vikings saved millions of dollars in payroll by not pursuing the two veterans. They also negated the potential soap opera of having a former star quarterback either replacing or at least looking over McCarthy’s shoulder. In a worst-case scenario, the tumult could have even disrupted the kumbaya in the locker room.

Instead, the Vikings made a trade last week with the Seahawks for 24-year-old Sam Howell, a rather obscure NFL player who has played in 20 games in three years, including two last season. He could walk through the airport here and no one would recognize him. And in a sense, that’s the point.

Howell is clearly arriving at TCO Performance Center to be a reserve, a guy with limited starting experience to back up McCarthy. Howell was a 2022 fifth round draft choice of the Commanders. He started one game his rookie season, then 17 in 2023 throwing 21 touchdown passes and 21 picks. He led the league in passing attempts, interceptions and sacks (65).

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and QB coach Josh McCown excel in developing quarterbacks. Just ask Sam Darnold, the journeyman who had the best NFL season of his life leading the 2024 Vikings. Now the prime students are McCarthy and Howell who played in one game for the Seahawks last season.

McCarthy’s skills have intrigued the Vikings since before they selected him No. 10 overall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Injured all of last season, he’s destined to start his first NFL games in September and to do it without a marquee name drawing attention away from him.

Howell’s career is in need of rehab. The former North Carolina QB was traded by the Commanders last year and played in two games, attempting 14 passes. With “Doctor” O’Connell, he will no doubt get a thorough evaluation from arm angle on his throws to his progressions as plays develop.

Worth Noting

The Wild lost a second consecutive overtime game to the Golden Knights last evening in Las Vegas. It looked like Minnesota would win 3-2 with a goal late in the third period only to have a video replay negate the score by Ryan Hartman. Teammate Gustav Nyquist was offside on the play.

Minnesota icon Lou Nanne was prophetic talking to Sports Headliners about the importance of “little things” prior to the game where the Wild was trying to go ahead 3-2 in the best of seven playoff series. “You gotta be sharp all the time. You gotta be thinking every time you’re on the ice. You gotta be aware of what’s going on.”

The Wild had to play the third period and overtime with Marc-Andre Fleury, the backup to Filip Gustavsson who had to leave the game because of illness. Nanne labeled Gustavsson the best goalie in the series and Kirill Kaprizov, with five goals in five games, the “best player on either team.”

Asked to compare the rosters of Vegas and Minnesota, he said the Knights are deeper and then added: “Pretty well balanced. It’s just that they are bigger and they are stronger. But I think it’s a good match for us. We have as much opportunity to win as they do.”

To win the series, the Wild will need to rally with victories Thursday night in the Twin Cities and Saturday in Las Vegas.

The Timberwolves, leading 3-1 in their playoff series against the Lakers, are about five-point underdogs tonight in Los Angeles. Worry if you wish about the Wolves blowing the series, but the NBA began in 1947 and only 13 teams have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a seven-game series.

There are fans who think the Lakers, with their storied championship legacy and huge TV market, will be given preferential calls by the officials tonight because the NBA wants the Lakers to extend the series. This kind of conspiracy has been present for decades but it’s rubbish because the NBA powers would be foolish to issue edicts about who should win games and thereby destroy the league’s credibility.

Minnesota native Ken Mauer, who refereed in the league for 37 years, told Sports Headliners yesterday “it’s make believe” to think the refs will favor the Lakers.

The officials also have a reputation to maintain. And, BTW, the NBA has admitted the officials missed a late game call in Sunday’s Minnesota win that hurt the Lakers.

Sunday’s game on ABC peaked with 10,274,000 viewers, according to Nielsen, and was the most watched NBA game of that day and evening.

Dating back to the regular season, the Wolves are 20-5 in their last 25 games.

Last week’s three-day NFL Draft from Green Bay was viewed by an average audience of 7.5 million people across ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and digital channels. It is the second most-watched NFL draft ever, behind only 2020 and up 27% from last year.

Top Twins prospect outfielder Walker Jenkins hasn’t played in a minor league game for Double -A Wichita since early April because of an ankle injury.

Ex-Twin Tyler Mahle is probably the biggest pitching surprise in MLB this spring. He is 3-0 for the Rangers with a gaudy 1.14 ERA, second best among starters.

The Twins traded for Mahle during the 2022 season and injuries limited his availability during parts of two seasons. In December of 2023 he signed as a free agent with the Rangers and has worked his way back from Tommy John surgery to stardom.

The Rangers signed him to a two-year $22 million contract that pays him $16.5 million this season, per MLB.com.

The college football transfer portal is closed and for a second consecutive season the Gophers have retained most of their core players. Offensive linemen Phillip Daniels and Martes Lewis could be significant transfer losses.

247Sports ranks the Minnesota transfer class as seventh best in the Big Ten. The website lists 22 incoming and 20 outgoing transfers with the program.

The Big Ten announced men’s basketball opponents yesterday for the 18 league teams for the 2025-2026 season. Each team will play 20 league games, facing 14 opponents only once. Dates and times announced later. Below is the Golden Gophers list of opponents.

Home: Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers, UCLA, USC.

Away: Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Washington.

Home/Away: Indiana, Northwestern, Wisconsin.

Tempting for this writer: A Kentucky Derby bet Saturday on a horse named Journalism, a bay colt with $600,000 in career earnings who has emerged as a Derby favorite.

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Vikings Remain on Clear Path to Build Support for J.J.

Posted on April 25, 2025April 25, 2025 by David Shama

Updated at 4:03 p.m. April 25, 2025

Enjoy a Friday notes column.

A former NFL team executive who follows the Vikings closely texted Sports Headliners with the following evaluation about Minnesota’s decision to use the No. 24 spot in the first round of last night’s NFL Draft to take an offensive lineman. (The authority asked that his name not be published).

“The Vikings selection of Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson is all about J.J. McCarthy and giving him great protection along with establishing a dominant running game to support him.

“After the interior O-line’s struggles against the Lions and Rams late last season, the Vikings were determined to upgrade this area, and they have in free agency with center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries, and now with Jackson who is a solid pick as a fine pass protector and excellent run blocker.

“There were defensive backs who surely tempted them at No. 24, and I expect them to pick a corner or safety in round 3, and probably try to obtain another pick or two via trades beyond the three remaining picks they have in this draft.”

The Vikings have a league low four total selections in the draft which continues with rounds two and three today, followed by four through seven on Saturday. Their three remaining draft spots are in the third, fifth and sixth rounds.

McCarthy has yet to play a snap in an NFL regular season game after getting hurt as a rookie in preseason in 2024. It’s evident head coach Kevin O’Connell wants to give McCarthy the strongest supporting cast possible. Jackson could start as a rookie in place of veteran Blake Brandel at left guard.

It’s to Jackson’s advantage that his teammates on the offensive line are gifted and experienced. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw has played four NFL seasons, Kelly nine, Fries four, and right tackle Brian O’Neill seven. They block for a roster of skilled playmakers including wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and running back Aaron Jones. The Vikings are loaded on offense but won’t reach their potential if McCarthy is mediocre or worse.

The Vikings wouldn’t have selected Jackson if they didn’t believe his character and talent met their standards. His evaluation on NFL/prospects.com this winter predicted the 6-4, 315-pound lineman “will eventually be (a) plus starter.”

In mock drafts this month Chad Reuter of NFL.com had the Chiefs selecting Gopher offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery in the first round. Ersery wasn’t picked by any team on opening night of the draft but still figures to be the first of several Gophers with draft hopes to be selected.

The 2025 NFL Draft should have an economic impact of $20 million for Brown County and $90 million for the state of Wisconsin, per an Associated Press story earlier this week that sourced information from Beth Jones Schnese, Greater Green Bay Chamber vice president of marketing/member engagement. The article said that equates to the amount generated by three consecutive Packer home-game weekends.

The NFL, honoring the tradition of pro football in Green Bay, awarded the draft to the area knowing it had logistical challenges with direct flights and number of hotel rooms. The 2025 draft is a driving destination for many fans who are travelling from places like Milwaukee and Madison, two hours or so away.

For those who follow the Golden Gophers football team to road games, the 2025 away schedule is the most intriguing in memory. All five destinations are attractive including West Coast trips to the Bay Area (Cal) and Eugene (first time at Oregon), plus border rival Iowa, Northwestern (at Wrigley Field) and defending national champion Ohio State. Creative Charters, the Stillwater-based company, has been serving roadies since 1993 and has details on 2025 packages.

Derek Burns, president of Dinkytown Athletes, texted that a recent matching campaign hit $400,000 to benefit Gopher men’s basketball NIL (name, image and likeness).

The Timberwolves will enter tonight’s Game Three against the Lakers favored by a couple of points by oddsmakers. The opinion here is the Wolves should be favored by five points or more in their first home game in the best of seven playoff series. The Wolves have the better overall roster talent and depth.

A couple of things to watch: In splitting the first two games in Los Angeles, the Wolves were behind after one quarter both times so a better start will be an improvement. Also, the Lakers, lacking depth and relying on 40-year-old LeBron James, looked fatigued and just able to hang on to a big fourth quarter lead Tuesday night. Lacking depth, and relying on a Big Three of James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves playing extensive minutes, the Lakers could be gassed late in all remaining games.

The Athletics’ NBA player survey came out Tuesday and the Wolves’ Anthony Edwards finished second in voting (13.8 percent) to the Spurs Victor Wembanyama (54.3) on the question of who will be the face of the league five years from now.

In the annual poll where players can answer questions anonymously, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert was second at 10 percent behind the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, 14.4, for most overrated.

The Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov is now only two behind Zach Parise’s franchise record of 16 playoff goals. Last night Kaprizov scored two goals to help the Wild win 5-2 in Game 3 of their best of seven opening playoff series against the Golden Knights.

The Wild, leading 2-1 in the series and hosting Game 4 Saturday afternoon, hasn’t advanced past the opening series in the playoffs since 2015.

If reserve Marc-Andre Fleury of the Wild plays in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring it will be for an 18th postseason. That would break a tie with Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy (17 postseasons) for most total playoff years among NHL goalies.

The Twins Byron Buxton is 31 and has fought off injuries for years, but he still has his speed. Twins media notes recently said his 30.2 miles per hour speed leads all MLB players.

Gopher basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit, whose team recently won the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament title in her second season, will speak to the Capital Club breakfast group May 1 at Mendakota Country Club. Another program will feature Minnesota sports columnists Chip Scoggins, LaVelle E. Neal and Charley Walters on May 14. More information about the Capital Club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com.

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Vikings Defense Prepared to give Opponents ‘Hell’ in 2025

Posted on March 31, 2025March 31, 2025 by David Shama

The Vikings defense was among the most respected in the NFL last season and in this offseason the front office made headline personnel additions like defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Can the 2025 unit be the equal of any in the NFL?

“Absolutely,” said Viking linebacker Blake Cashman. “You know, I thought that way last year, too. I think you put us up with the best and you know we’re going to give the opponent hell.

“You know, I think by the end of the (2025) year I believe that our numbers, our stats, whatever—all that data—will be up there as a top defense.”

Directed by second-year defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the Vikings last season utilized a blitzing and confusion causing scheme that excelled on the field and in NFL statistics. The defense gave up a fifth lowest 19.5 points per game and second lowest 93.4 yards rushing. Minnesota allowed a passer rating by opponents of 82.4, second best in the NFL to the Lions.

Those stats were pointed out by Rob Kleifield at Vikings.com earlier this year. He also wrote the defense was outstanding on fourth downs allowing a league-best conversion percentage of 37.1. The defense was clutch on third down conversions, too, allowing a 35.6 percentage, fourth best in the NFL.

Asked about his anticipation of the 2025 defense, Cashman said, “I am really excited about it. We’ve made really great decisions and we’re going to be a loaded team with a lot of talent. So now the question is: Can we put it all together and have success? Which I think we will do… .We have the right people in the building.”

Cashman, the Eden Prairie and Golden Gopher alum, was outstanding for the Vikings last season after signing as a free agent in the offseason. The 6-1, 235-pound Cashman had career highs in tackles (102), sacks (4.5) and passes defended (7). Two of the team’s three regular season losses came when Cashman couldn’t play because of his turf toe injury.

Cashman’s career was slow to develop with the Jets from 2019-2021, but he earned considerably more playing time in two seasons with the Texans in 2022 and 2023. After the 2023 season Pro Football Focus labeled him as a “secret super star” and because of his speed and explosive play referred to him as “a bat out of hell.” PFF gave him a grade of 83.7, fifth best among NFL linebackers.

Cashman, who should have been chosen as a Pro Bowl player after the 2024 season, turns 29 in May and wants to both improve and maintain his standard of performance in Flores’ intense pressure defense.

“…A focus for me is working on my hands and my pass rush moves. That’s something that is an art, honestly. You ask guys that rush the passer like (linebacker teammate) Jonathan Greenard, (and) they talk about it being an art. So, that’s going to be…a big focus for me.

“Honestly, just continuing to stay very fast and explosive. Obviously, as you continue to get older those things can diminish. But I still feel like I am at a really great spot and that’s just something you need to work (on) really hard and maintain every year because I feel like, for me and how I play, that’s one of my advantages.”

Cashman played on state championship teams at Eden Prairie including a 13-0 club his senior year. He was a walk-on safety at Minnesota under former head coach Jerry Kill. Then one day at practice Kill approached him and said: “Son, I am going to make you a linebacker.”

Later awarded a scholarship by head coach P.J. Fleck, Cashman was named second team All-Big Ten by the media his senior season of 2018. He was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the NFL Draft in 2019.

Asked what player over his six-year pro career was most frustrating to play against, Cashman didn’t hesitate in naming quarterback immortal Tom Brady. He said Brady stood over the line of scrimmage and not only knew what kind of blitz was coming but also from where.

Cashman remembers a Jets coach telling him in jest that Brady’s preparation and knowledge of an opponent was so thorough he knew on Tuesday what kind of “underwear” you wore.

Worth Noting

Figure the Minneapolis-St. Paul TV market will have higher ratings than a lot of big city areas tonight when Hopkins native Paige Bueckers leads her Connecticut team against USC in an Elite Eight matchup from Spokane starting about 8 p.m. on ESPN. Bueckers, the 23-year-old Hopkins alum, is closing out a college career that ranks with the best in history for women’s basketball. The do-it-all 6-foot guard scored a career high 40 points in Saturday’s NCAA Tournament win over Oklahoma.

A Big Ten men’s basketball team hasn’t won the NCAA title since 2000. This year’s teams are all from the South: Auburn, Duke, Florida and Houston. Even with an expanded league to 18 members, the Big Ten is shut out.

Ron Stolski said the Minnesota Football Coaches Association’s Tackle Cancer initiative has raised about $4.1 million over 13 years in support of the state’s cancer efforts. The executive director of the MFCA also said various communities have success stories in raising funds including Randolph, Minnesota, with a population of about 500, generating $70,000 last year.

Steve Hamilton of Elk River has been named the MFCA’s 2024 Coach of the Year. The Elks had a 12-1 record and won the Class 5A State championship last fall. The 2024 Class 5A State championship was his third as a head coach.

The MFCA held its annual clinic last week with registrations at about 1,500 and 58 vendors participating. Speakers came from not only Minnesota but places like Detroit, Georgia and Texas.

Connor Wilkie is the new head football coach at Holy Family replacing Dan O’Brien, the former Gopher assistant coach who resigned in January for personal reasons. Hall of Fame coaches Jeff Ferguson and Dave Nelson will continue on staff to assist Wilkie who comes from Augsburg where he was an assistant.

Among the biggest names in Wild history until the arrival of Kirill Kaprizov was Marian Gaborik. Wild fans have to hope history doesn’t repeat itself with Kaprizov leaving the team like Gaborik did in 2009.

Gaborik, a star right wing, turned down a long term Wild contract before the 2008-2009 season. Known as injury prone, Gaborik was rolling the dice on his financial security and sure enough he was only able to play in 17 games that season because of lower body injuries. The Wild’s interest cooled and in the 2009 offseason Gaborik, then 27, moved on to the Rangers.

Kaprizov, Minnesota’s star left wing, hasn’t played in a game since January 26 since surgery for a lower body injury. He probably won’t be back on the ice until close to playoff time. This summer Kaprizov will be eligible for a contract extension, although he has a five-year deal that runs through 2025-2026.

Kaprizov, 27, could be smart to sign a lucrative deal rather than risking lower market value if his 2025-2026 season goes haywire. Otherwise, Kaprizov and his representatives might be savvy to investigate a Lloyd’s of London policy protecting him financially if he decides to turn down the Wild this summer.

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