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EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Here he is again, Marcus Sherels, beginning his seventh season in the NFL without assurance of a roster spot with the Minnesota Vikings.Sherels long ago proved his worth as a sure-handed, soft-spoken punt returner, whose self-made career has become one of the best stories in franchise history after starting out in 2010 as an undrafted local invited to rookie camp only on a tryout basis.The depth chart at cornerback is even more crowded now, though, and Sherels isnt in the top six there. Kickoff returner Cordarelle Patterson isnt a significant contributor as a wide receiver, either.So the Vikings could be challenged next week to either keep a pair of limited-role players and hinder their depth at another position, or let go of a valuable returner such as Sherels or Patterson.Not that Sherels would acknowledge any worry about this.Thats the coaches job, he said. We just try to come in and compete.As for the pride the 5-foot-10, 175-pound product of John Marshall High School in Rochester and the University of Minnesota surely takes in lasting this long in a league with an average career thats about half of his, Sherels keeps that quiet, too.Im just taking it year by year, he said.The smile widens, and the lilt in his voice accelerates when the subject of the four former Gophers currently in camp is broached.Wide receiver Troy Stoudermire was signed this summer after three years in the Canadian Football League, and hes getting a look as a punt and kickoff returner. Sherels, naturally, has taken to a mentoring role for a player he spent two seasons with at Minnesota.Hes really talented, and hes been playing well. Im happy for him, and its fun watching him, Sherels said. I remember in college, he did everything.The smile comes freely for Sherels, too, when asked about his interception return for a touchdown last week at Seattle. This came during a trying month for him and his family, following a serious medical issue that popped up recently for his older brother, Mike Sherels, and required two surgeries.There couldnt be a better guy for that to happen to, said wide receiver Adam Thielen, another one of the seven Minnesota natives currently in camp. He works hard for it. He deserves it. Hes a heck of a football player. Obviously, good guys, good things happen to them.Game notes The Vikings will practice on Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium, their new $1.1 billion home set to debut on Sunday for the preseason game against San Diego. ... Coach Mike Zimmer said QB Taylor Heinicke, who wouldve been in line to challenge Shaun Hill for the primary backup role to Teddy Bridgewater, will probably be out another six to eight weeks. Heinicke, whos on the non-football injury list after an off-the-field accident before training camp, had surgery to repair a severed tendon in his left foot. 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Tracy Mcgrady Hawks Jersey . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . None of the calls Faf du Plessis will have to make in the next month will be as important as the one he makes this evening. The one to Graeme Smith.Im supposed to speak to Graeme a bit later, just to try to get some ideas of how he did things when he was over here because he was a very successful captain. Im looking forward to that conversation.If anyone knows how to win in Australia, it is Smith. He is the only South African captain to take a team to victory in Australia, and he did it twice. Smiths success seemed to stem from the bat, not even a broken arm getting in the way of it, but the real secret to what he achieved in Australia was in the mind.Under Smith, South Africa were no longer intimidated by an opposition that had long dominated them. They believed they could be better and they were. So much so that they even scared themselves.For a year or so, we were trying to play in the shadow of the team that was there, du Plessis admitted.The shock of Smiths retirement in 2014, and the proximity of it to Kallis retirement three months before, meant that South Africa lost significant experience in a short space of time. Although their newly-appointed captain AB de Villiers had played a decade of international cricket, he did not have any background in leadership. South Africa struggled for direction and it was only after de Villiers grew into the job and then passed it to du Plessis - albeit only temporarily - that they started to find themselves.They have created a new identity, with their own goals of what we want to achieve, and now that they are sure of what those are, they are ready to go back and seek assistance.The most important thing for me as a leader is to put your ego aside and try and ask and learn as much as you can because theres a lot of valuable information out there, du Plessis said.To that end, du Plessis has also been in touch with the regular captain and his childhood friend, de Villiers, who he says is enjoying life in South Africa but missing us. If de Villiers had given du Plessis any tips, he didnt share them with the media, but they are likely to be particularly valuable in Perth where de Villiers raced to 169 off 184 balls the last time he was here, helping South Africa build a match-winning total.The lessons of de Villiers innings will also come from Smith, who knows that without players who can provide momentum in the way de Villiers and Hashim Amla did in 2012, and Duminy did in 2008, he may never have won.dddddddddddd Similarly, without Dale Steyn, Smith would not had the firepower to fight Australia and he will remind du Plessis of the importance of managing the spearhead so he remains as sharp as possible. Smith usually waited until Steyn was fired up and ready to explode, before asking him to put on a show. If Steyn got angrier or more aggressive during the performance, Smith would not interfere. He left Steyn to own the stage and inevitably, Steyn responded.Du Plessis will probably do the same thing but he also wants Steyn to school the rest of the attack, something he has already started doing.He has really stepped up in terms of working with the young guys and in team meetings and discussions, he has led vey well, du Plessis said. Hopefully he can stay strong right through the series. We need him. Hopefully he can bowl at good intensity and for long periods of time.Smith may have tips on how to keep Steyns workloads from aggravating the shoulder problem that caused him to miss most of last summer, and about when to use him in ways he can work up both speed and swing. But the biggest tip Smith will pass on to du Plessis is that none of the above will be possible unless the team has good guidance and a strong example to follow. That example has to be du Plessis, a particularly tough ask for a young leader.When Smith first won in Australia he had already been captain for five years. Du Plessis has not even done it for five Tests. Still, he sees himself as being thrust into the role at the best time.I am older, more mature and understand myself better as a leader. I have got the balance better. I understand what it takes to be a better leader, he said.He also has the advantage of knowing what it is like to single-handedly shoulder responsibility, as he did in Adelaide and, like everyone else in his squad, he does not have any memory of losing in Australia.I havent been on the other side. I assume that it helps, du Plessis said. Confidence plays a huge role in cricket. When you come up against good teams like Australia, you need everything. My first thought walking into Perth was of winning four years ago. Youd rather have good memories than bad memories.And when he calls Smith, there will only be talk of the good ones. ' ' '