Seattle Seahawks news, rumors, links, info, interviews, analysis, and more! There's a lot of good stuff to read for you guys and gals this morning, so pace yourselves. You may need to get a second cup of coffee or another pack or two of those ciggys.
NFC West heading for December duels - NFC West Blog - ESPN: "The St. Louis Rams' 2011 schedule features no division games until Week 9. This struck me as odd, and it is. Every other team in the NFL plays between one and three division games before then. But the Rams' schedule does fit into the broader league emphasis to make late-season games more meaningful."
Offseason rewind: The money down | Seahawks Insider: "I thought we’d take a look at third down percentages from 2010 on both offense and defense to get a better understanding of how the Seattle Seahawks can improve in those situations in the upcoming season. Seattle finished 24th overall in the league defensively in getting off the field on third down, at 39.5 percent. Offensively, the Seahawks were not much better, converting 35.5 percent of third down opportunities to continue drives, good enough for 22nd overall."
Best of the NFL summer 2011 - NFC West Blog - ESPN: "Best instant legacy, Marshawn Lynch: The Seattle Seahawks' running back gave the team a hard-nosed presence on the ground at times after arriving from Buffalo via trade, but his first regular season in the Northwest was largely underwhelming. That all changed in the playoffs. Lynch's 67-yard touchdown run against New Orleans relieved all the Seahawks' frustrations at once, and without warning. Qwest Field rocked hard enough for local seismologists to take note. Lynch somehow broke eight tackles. He bulled over one defender, stiff-armed another and eluded others. Lynch was the first and only Seattle player to rush for 100 yards in a game, during a season in which the team was constantly shuffling its offensive line. No matter what happens from this point forward, Lynch's place in Seattle sports lore is secure."
Jackson embraces his uncertain future | StarTribune.com: "The former Vikings quarterback says there are no hard feelings toward his old team and that he's motivated to compete elsewhere for a starting job."
Tarvaris Jackson - Minnesota Vikings - 2011 Player Profile - Rotoworld.com: "Tom Pelissero of 1500 ESPN confirms that the Seahawks have at least "done due diligence" on free agent Tarvaris Jackson. The Jackson-Seattle connection is logical because of his familiarity with new Seahawks playcaller Darrell Bevell's offense. Bevell was Jackson's OC in Minnesota. ESPN's Adam Schefter and Trent Dilfer previously both suggested Jackson as a fit for the Seahawks. He could compete with Charlie Whitehurst there."
NFL.com news: Jackson confident in his abilities as he moves beyond Vikings: "For Tavaris Jackson, it's quite simple. The Minnesota Vikings aren't giving him a chance to be their starting quarterback, so it's time for him to find a new home. "It's probably time for a change," Jackson told The Star Tribune on Tuesday. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to play up here the last five years. ... (But) I'm not trying to be a backup. I'm trying to go somewhere where I have a chance, and I don't feel like I'd get that chance here. It's time to move on. No hard feelings or anything. It's a business.""
Thirty Acre Fortress - A Seahawks Blog: Potential WR Targets: "The Seahawks have a mediocre wide receiving corps. There, I said it. If the season were to start today, the depth chart looks like this: 1) Mike Williams, 2) Ben Obomanu, 3) Golden Tate, 4) Kris Durham, 5) Deon Butler. As fans, we have a tendency to fall in love with our players; we overlook some of their downfalls and say "but, but, don't you remember when he..." That's awesome and admirable, but let's look at the production.
Mike Williams: 65 Receptions, 751 yards, 2 touchdowns. Obomanu: 30/494/4. Tate: 21/227/0. Butler: 36/385/4. Anything jump out at you? Well, it shouldn't. Those aren't great numbers. Now, the QB play was poor, the playcalling was worse, and the youth factor can't be overlooked. No, Mike Williams is not particularly young (neither is Obo), but neither has a ton of experience in games. So, who might John Schneider and Pete Carroll turn to? In order of my personal preference:"
Thirty Acre Fortress - A Seahawks Blog: Should They Stay or Should They Go Now?: "The Seahawks have a lot of free agents -- 26, or, put another way, 49% of an NFL roster. So, who stays, who goes, and why?"
Nike President Talks NFL, Tiger & LeBron - CNBC: "Denson revealed that Nike's NFL contract begins next April and that's when Nike will start pumping out products for retail. So I asked Denson the all-important question: How much will you change it up? "We're going to be aggressive," Denson said. "Some teams are willing to go further than others." Wow. If that doesn't get the NFL fan base hurting for good product excited, I don't know what does."
Bengals Scouting Report: Johnathan Joseph - Cincy Jungle: "Joe Goodberry will be breaking down different Bengals players in scouting reports, judging their strengths, weaknesses and giving his overall impression, starting with guys who could possibly be leaving the team when the lockout ends and free agency begins."
NFL.com news: NFL owners, players will rejoin Goodell, Smith in labor talks: "But owners and players will return to the proceedings Thursday. Players arrived in Minneapolis on Wednesday for the talks, and a number of owners were expected to arrive later in the evening. That will lead into a set of talks Thursday that will include NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, the legal teams and players. The parties are only scheduled to meet Thursday for now, but preparations are being made to continue into Friday if it's deemed necessary, with the league-imposed lockout in its fourth month."
Andrew's answers: labor mailbag | National Football Post: "As we – hopefully – enter a critical time in our long-running labor dispute, NFL and NFLPA representatives are meeting for the fifth week back where the lawsuit of Brady v. NFL began: near the courthouse of the Minnesota District Court for four days of talks. We can only hope that the Secret Negotiation Tour ’11 -- having made tour stops in Chicago, New York, Maryland and Boston makes its last and final stop at the chambers of Judge Nelson -- who must review and approve any settlement of Brady v. NFL -- only minutes away from these current meetings. With that and having received so many questions over the past week, here are a few of the most common, with my best attempt to answer them:"
NFL.com news: More than symbolic? Goodell, Smith address rookies together: ""We took a break because we felt it was important to be down here with the players. We both have great respect for the players and this is an important few days… And we're going to get back to work.""
NFL strike of 1987 was full of drama and hilarity - BostonHerald.com: "It’s the fall of 1987. NFL players are on strike and Houston Oilers coach Jerry Glanville is sitting in a room with officers from the Houston Police Department. They’re about to watch a surveillance video of two alleged Oilers leaving the picket line to smash the windows out on a bus that brought Houston’s replacement players to their first practice. "The police say to me, ’Coach, if you can identify these guys, we’ll arrest them and they’ll be in jail within two hours,’" Glanville said last month. "I said, ’OK, boys, let’s do this.’ So we look at the video and I’ll be damned. It’s my two starting safeties.""
Lockout: Roger Goodell, DeMaurice Smith brief rookies, return to NFL talks - ESPN New York: "SARASOTA, Fla. -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith talked to rookies attending a symposium Wednesday, and were flying back to Minneapolis together to resume labor negotiations aimed at ending the league's four-month old lockout. Goodell and Smith had breakfast together, then spent about an hour with the 155 rookies at the symposium put on by the players' association. They took questions, almost all concerning the labor dispute, then climbed into an SUV and headed to the airport. Seifert: Positive Sign? The symbolism from Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith sitting side by side and addressing the NFL's rookies is unmistakable and obvious, ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert writes. Blog • Sando: Two quick thoughts Smith said both sides are "continuing to work hard" to end the lockout and reach agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement."
Goodell, Smith and rookie players' wallets - NFC West Blog - ESPN: "The symbolism is meaningful. Consider this another indication the NFL and its players are moving toward a labor agreement. I'm still curious to see whether lawyers get in the way. Might players' attorneys want to drag this out while hoping to latch onto any momentum NBA players might gain in their brewing labor battle? Might owners' attorneys want to parlay an expected victory in the appellate courts into a more decisive victory? Here's hoping Goodell and Smith can keep the attorneys from stunting what appears to be real progress."
Receiver preview part 3: Mohamed Sanu & Juron Criner " Seahawks Draft Blog: "Sanu is one of my favorite prospects who will be available for next year’s draft. For me, he’s one of the most explosive playmakers in college football and a potential top-20 pick. I watched him several times as a freshman in 2009 and he absolutely blew me away with elite athleticism, perfect size and all-round playmaking ability. He showed sure hands catching the ball, an ability to create separation, blazing speed and a competitive streak when asked to block. Quite aside from that, he offered a real threat as a wildcat quarterback, often taking direct snaps and running for big gains (755 rushing yards in 2009-10)."
Report: Rutgers' Mohamed Sanu going pro after season - Mocking The Draft: "Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net and SI.com is reporting that Rutgers wide receiver Mohamed Sanu is expected to enter the NFL Draft following his junior season. Sanu is an incredibly athletic do-it-all player for the Scarlet Knights. He's run the Wildcat and been the team's primary wide receiver. As a freshman, he played safety during the spring before being moved to offense."
2011 NFL Free Agents: Colts Should Target Brendon Mebane, DT, Seahawks - Stampede Blue: "Therefore, they need to turn to free agency, and one of the best free agent DTs to hit the market in some time will be available for Chris Polian to sign. It's Brendon Mebane, the 26-year-old tackle from Cal. At 6'1, 311 pounds, he's built and bred to dominate at the DT spot in a Tampa-2 defense."
Fuzzy math from Scouts Inc. on Terrelle Pryor - Mocking The Draft: "Admittedly, analyzing an analysis is pretty silly. However, reading the Scouts Inc. scouting report on former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has me confused. I'm not confused about their analysis or expectation that Pryor's ability to may not transition smoothly to the NFL. After all, this isn't high literature here. It's the scouting-based numbers that are confusing. Read all about it after the jump."
Video: Herm's message to NFL rookies - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston: "In the video above, ESPN NFL analyst (and former player and coach) Herm Edwards addressed rookies at the NFLPA symposium earlier today. "