MINNEAPOLIS -- After the Minnesota Vikings traded for receiver Mike Wallace in March, coach Mike Zimmer made it clear he has no problem with Wallace demanding the ball, so long as it's backed up by enough hard work to suggest Wallace should get his opportunities.

The Vikings had enough of a history with Wallace, between running backs coach Kirby Wilson's time with him in Pittsburgh and defensive coordinator George Edwards' year with him in Miami, that they felt comfortable trading for him even though he clashed with coaches in Miami. Three months into his time with the Vikings, Wallace's competitive edge seems to have endeared him to Zimmer.

"I like Mike Wallace," Zimmer said. "He’s got some fire and he comes up to me all of the time and says, 'You can’t stop me today,' and stuff like that. Hey, I like those guys that are competitors. He works extremely hard. I think he’s developing a good relationship with everybody on the football team and not just Teddy (Bridgewater)."

It's one thing for everyone to be getting along in June, of course, and it's quite another for Wallace to be content if he has days early in the season where he's not getting the ball as much as he'd like.

But Zimmer has developed good relationships with players who might seem too brash for some coaches, including Deion Sanders or Adam Jones. The coach operated with a bit of a chip on his own shoulder, as he had to wait until age 58 to get his first shot at a head job, and there's little doubt Zimmer has a strong belief in his abilities as a coach. As long as Wallace's fiery side is used productively, it doesn't seem like the Vikings will try to squelch it under Zimmer.