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Former Gopher Traded After One Preseason Game with New Team
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- Former Gopher Traded After One Preseason Game with New Team
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The Minnesota Gophers football team has had a ton of NFL talent come through, since PJ Fleck took over the program nine seasons ago. In total, as counted by Dan Owen (247Sports) this week, the Gophers CURRENTLY have 19 alumni expected to make NFL rosters out of camp this season.
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For context, in the decade before Fleck (2007-2016), Minnesota had three different head coaches (Tim Brewster, Jerry Kill and Tracy Claeys), where they saw just 9 players total selected through the NFL Draft, most of which didn't make it beyond year two.
One of the first freshmen to step on the University of Minnesota campus, who we all knew was NFL bound almost immediately was a mammoth Australian offensive lineman named Daniel Faalele , who had only been playing American football for a few years prior, but landed in Dinkytown standing 6-8, 400 lbs.
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Faalele standing right in front of me. This man is primed for monster year at RT. pic.twitter.com/YfHfJeISey
— Greg Flugaur (@flugempire) August 9, 2019
Faalele played offensive tackle for the MN Gophers from 2018-2021 , starting 31 games of the 34 games he played over three seasons ( skipped COVID year ), including 8 starts as a true freshman.
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In April 2022, Daniel was selected in the 4th round (No. 110 overall) by the Baltimore Ravens , where he played for four seasons under head coach John Harbaugh, eventually settling in as the Ravens' starting right guard.
Former Gopher Daniel Faalele traded to Jaguars
When Harbaugh left Baltimore this offseason, after 18 years , 12 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl, and was hired by the New York Giants , Faalele followed his head coach, signing a one-year deal in NY, worth just over $1 million .
Unfortunately, after only one preseason game with his new team, the Giants are trading the former Gopher to Jacksonville for a day three draft pick — a move that comes just days after Faalele struggled mightily in New York's preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings .
Sources: The #Giants are trading OL Daniel Faalele to the #Jags in exchange for a Day 3 2027 draft pick, as @evan_b also reported. pic.twitter.com/BlzrYIFIhb
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 19, 2026
Why would John Harbaugh give up on Faalele, after he followed him to New York. From the sounds of it, Faalele was unable to seize a starting role on his new team, which jumpstarted trade talks.
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I covered Daniel Faalele in-person for most of his career at the University of Minnesota. We spoke with him rarely, but when we did, he was a gentle giant. His attitude and relationship with PJ Fleck, especially early in his college career, was a bit more complex.
What could be holding Daniel Faalele back?
From the moment he first put on pads, talent was NEVER in question . Faalele was built by God to play offensive line in the NFL. However, his attitude and drive did come into question more than once, while he was in Dinkytown.
In fact, I attended multiple Gopher football practices from 2019-2021 where I watched Faalele get scolded (sometimes screamed at) by PJ Fleck, in a way we rarely saw with other players. At least once, I even watched the head coach boot Faalele off the practice field all together.
Defense looked hungrier today imo… offense seemed to be dragging a bit. Faalele got pulled, left practice, then returned.
Annexstad tried for awhile to talk him into staying. Classic spring practice.— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) March 7, 2020
I haven't covered Faalele since he left Minnesota so I can't say whether his attitude had anything to do with his being traded this morning.
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Given his immense amount of size and talent, however, I can't help but wonder if that's why the 27-year-old has struggled to secure a legitimate starting role (or a PFF Grade above 60.0) in the NFL and why his second contract was worth less than a million dollars guaranteed.
Whatever the reason is, Daniel needs to figure it out or he'll be out of the league before he turns 30.
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