Coffee and Cigarettes

A whole new week is upon us. For those of us still left to wallow on Earth after the rapture, Football is still a nice respite. Here are some great links to sift through while you lament the fact it's Monday.

Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: Hawk Blogger Podcast: Special Guest Scott Enyeart: "Who needs an actual football season to talk ball? Not Hawk Blogger and Scott Enyeart! Download and listen to over an hour of in-depth discussion of the Seahawks, their draft, Pete Carroll, Matt Leinart and more. Scott is a long-time USC and Seahawks fan who also has coached Division I football, specializing in the offensive line. He has personal ties to some folks on the Seahawks staff, which has helped him to be one of the must-follow personalities on Twitter." 

A really good listen, anyone interested in Pete Carroll and his defensive philosophy should download it. Here's a blurb from the podcast, where Scott Enyeart talks a bit on cornerbacks in Pete Carroll's defensive philosophy:

Corner is probably the least significant position in this defense. One, because you see a lot of cover-two being run, and in cover two, your corners are playing up. They're not getting deep, they've usually got a safety deep overtop. When you look at, and I've shared this on twitter, with you, and I think with some others, but obviously 140 characters limits you; when you look at the defenses that Pete had at USC, and all the players that were put into the NFL, very rarely was a DB an All-American, or a star player ever in the NFL. He always had, just kind of no-name, solid guys,... there weren't really any standout DBs in the Carroll era...

...At the safety position, it's critical in this defense. Carroll didn't use Polomalu the same ways that he used Mays, in the sense of, what their role as a safety was. Polomalu played up a lot, he could do a lot of different things in space that Taylor Mays wasn't able to do. But, their ability to be that center field kind of safety, just to deter people from even trying to go deep, and just the presence that they were as hitters, is what was critical to the defensive scheme, and what made them successful, and really what made them stand out.

So, you can kind of get those unassuming cornerback types that can be solid, but safey is key and that's why you saw them take Earl Thomas last year.

The Story of a little known Youtube video. " Where Random and Sport Collide: This is a really funny little anecdote about Field Gulls and the Mark LeGree video with a Miley Cyrus soundtrack. Check it out, this had me cracking up.

NFL: John Clayton examines 10 deals that need to get done when the lockout finally ends - ESPN: John "The Professor" Clayton for ESPN Insider. If you don't have insider access, here is what he says about NFC West teams:  Kevin Kolb to the Arizona Cardinals: It's starting to sound like Marc Bulger, an East Coast guy with family considerations, might not be lured to Phoenix by the chance to be the Cardinals' starter. That may be the reason we're hearing more about a trade that could bring Kolb to Arizona. The Eagles want at least a first-round pick in return for Kolb, but the Cardinals might be willing to part with two second-rounders instead. Adding Kolb would be the most important addition in the quarterback-starved NFC West, and his presence could move the Cards back toward the top of the division. 

Matt Hasselbeck re-signing with the Seattle Seahawks: Alex Smith's expected return to the San Francisco 49ers may not be exciting, but it was necessary. Jim Harbaugh was hired to foster a winning culture in San Francisco, and with no offseason to train players it makes sense to bring back Smith because Harbaugh won't have time to break in a new quarterback. The argument could be made that the Cardinals could be just a quarterback (Kolb) away from a 10-11 win season. Hasselbeck is aging but managed to get Pete Carroll a playoff win last season, and the Seahawks are more than a quarterback away from 10 wins. Giving up draft picks in a trade for a signal-caller would rob Carroll of the chance to draft key players for the long term, so bringing Hasselbeck back is the best option for Seattle.

FP - Its Been Great: Jerry Jones, yes, the owner of the Cowboys, has a little note pre-rapture. If you'd like to interact with Ole Jerry, sign up and go here.

Interview with Lawrence Jackson, DE Detroit Lions | ProFootballFocus.com: Interesting interview with Lawrence Jackson. Jackson seems like a good guy, it's too bad he didn't work out here in Seattle. Regardless, a good read.

Breaking down the 2012 CB class | National Football Post: Wes Bunting's series takes a look at the cornerbacks to watch this fall on Saturdays.

Breaking down the 2012 LB class | National Football Post: More from Bunting, this time on linebackers to keep an eye on.

NFP Sunday Blitz | National Football Post: Always a good read from Dan Pompei; another version of MMQB but not written by Peter King.

Charley Walters: Matt Hasselbeck might be a good fit as the Vikings' QB in 2011 - TwinCities.com: "Its beginning to look as though Seattle Seahawks free agent Matt Hasselbeck might be the Vikings best option to quarterback next season."

NFL lockout is affect quarterback situations around the league - Andrew Perloff - SI.com: "The Seahawks could re-sign Matt Hasselbeck, but they weren't able to complete a deal before the lockout. They also could have drafted a quarterback in the first round -- Dalton and Kaepernick were sitting there at No. 25. Instead, coach Pete Carroll may seriously explore free agency or a trade. The more time he has to do this before games start, the better off Seattle will be. Would Carroll rely on his college experience to fill this spot and turn to Matt Leinart? Or perhaps rely on a player who beat him in college, Vince Young (although V.Y. might not be a great fit in Seattle's West Coast system). Carson Palmer's name has been mentioned for the Seahawks as well, but the Bengals don't seem inclined to trade him."

NFL Lockout Keeping Drew Stanton's Status For 2011 Up In The Air - Pride Of Detroit: Drew Stanton is another guy that some people have linked to the Hawks. He showed a little bit last season to make people think he's the real deal and the Hawks and Lions have a rich history of wheeling and dealing so don't be surprised if they inquire about the QB.

Rookie QBs suffer most by lockout-prohibited work, teaching - NFL - CBSSports.com Football: ""Bottom line," said an NFC head coach, "if you're a rookie quarterback, and you're looking to start, your back is against the wall.""

Report: Browns will not pursue Kevin Kolb - Rotoworld.com/Twitter / @Mary Kay Cabot: One report says that the Browns are not going to enter the Kevin Kolb auction once the lockout lifts.

NFL.com news: Lombardi sees possibility of Kolb in Cleveland -- at a price: Michael Lombardi gives his take on the Kolb to Browns rumor.

Roger Goodell: 'We are planning for a full season' | National Football Post: "I can't predict where we are going to come out other than I can tell you the intention and the preparations we are making are for a full season so I can't give you assurances on it other than we are going to continue to work as hard as we can," said Goodell, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We know the uncertainty affects everybody, including the game and the fans."

And Goodell said no drop-dead date has been set. The first objective obviously is to have a full season," Goodell said. "We have scheduled a full season. We are planning for a full season. It is certainly our intent. If for any reason we are not capable of doing that, we obviously would play as many games as possible and we would want to finish the season with the Super Bowl. That would be our intent."

Players label NFL a 'cartel' in filing, lament threat of missed games - NFL - CBSSports.com Football: "NFL players who sued the league for alleged antitrust violations liken the league to a 'cartel' in their latest court filing, again urging an appeals court to lift the lockout."

Appeal ruling boils down to recognition of union - CBSSports.com: "The NFLPA filed their brief in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals case just before midnight Friday, and led with a strong statement: "The NFL is a cartel." But for as many zingers and strong language that exists in the brief, the argument that the panel of judges in St. Louis are really considering is this: "Are the players still a union?"

21st to 30th Offensive Prospects - Mocking The Draft - MTD continuing series on future prospects.

11th to 20th Defensive prospects - Mocking The Draft - MTD continuing series on future prospects.