Back in Minnesota after their win in the first preseason game over the Denver Broncos, Mike Zimmer was dissecting video from the victory with his assistant coaches, continually rewinding and watching the plays rookie Mike Hughes made.



There was the near interception on a route he seemed to understand better than the wide receiver. And there was the blitz that ended up in a tackle for loss on an unsuspecting running back. And that’s when Zimmer and his assistants began a discussion.



Zimmer coached Terence Newman in his rookie season and worked with Deion Sanders in Dallas. Defensive coordinator George Edwards worked with a young Champ Bailey with the Washington Redskins and defensive backs coach Jerry Gray held the same position with the Seattle Seahawks in 2010 when they brought in then-rookies and future Pro Bowlers Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. The trio has also helped groom Xavier Rhodes, now viewed as the NFL’s top corner.



Suddenly, they...