Vikings defensive lineman Hercules Mata'afa has a labor this offseason

that may be as challenging as slaying the Nemean Lion or capturing the Cretan Bull: He’s trying to go from undrafted rookie with a torn ACL last year to starter in the NFL this year. So far Rashod Hill Jersey , he’s performing well.That’s the word from Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer, who said today on KFAN that Mata’afa has been “the surprise of camp” so far in Organized Team Activities.Mata’Afa was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and left school early to enter the 2018 NFL draft. However, he wasn’t drafted in part because he weighed in at just 254 pounds and no one was sure what position he would play at the next level. He then tore his ACL last summer and didn’t play in a game as a rookie.Zimmer says Mata’Afa is now 275 pounds and plays on the defensive line the way defensive tackle Geno Atkins played for the Bengals when Zimmer was Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator. That’s high praise; Atkins was a first-team All-Pro when playing for Zimmer.It would seem awfully premature to compare Mata’afa to Atkins, given that Mata’afa has still yet to play a snap in an NFL game. But Zimmer sounds awfully optimistic about Mata’afa’s chances of making an impact now that he’s healthy again. It happened in Florida on Monday"Back in 2016, the Minnesota Vikings made German football star Moritz Böhringer the first player drafted into the NFL that hadn’t played at a college in North America. Today, they got a look at a group of players from other countries that are hoping to follow his path to the National Football League.All 32 NFL teams were in attendance on Monday in Tampa Bay http://www.thevikingslockerroom.com/authentic-jalyn-holmes-jersey , Florida, to watch a group of seven international prospects go through their own Combine in an attempt to impress NFL front offices and scouts. The group included three players from Germany, as well as players from Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.Judging by what I’ve read about the event Womens Laquon Treadwell Jersey , the star of the show was the Aussie, Valentine Holmes. Holmes, a former National Rugby League star in his home country, has been working to make the leap as either a wide receiver or a return specialist. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds and, apparently, performed well in the other drills as well.(And Linval Joseph Jersey , let’s be honest. . .Valentine Holmes is a great name.)All of the players involved in the workouts on Monday did it as the final portion of a 12-week program that they attended called the International Player Pathway Program. As a part of that program, Böhringer and three other players were allowed to be a part of AFC North team practice squads as an 11th player that is ineligible to be activated during the season. Böhringer spent 2018 as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad.It appears that the ability to do this goes on a rotating basis to different NFL divisions. The AFC North got the honors last season, and the NFC South did so in 2017. I’m not sure if the NFC North teams will be able to take advantage of this program in 2019, but if they are it appears the Vikings are making sure they’re ready.