Seattle Seahawks news, rumors, links, info, interviews, analysis, and more! As they said in college, it's Thirsty Thursday - so drink these in folks.
Jake Locker - Tennessee Titans - 2011 Player Profile - Rotoworld.com: "Coach Mike Munchak confirmed that the Titans have every intention of adding a veteran quarterback "that can come in and win." Munchak is eyeing a quarterback "capable of both teaching and potentially starting." (Sounds like Matt Hasselbeck to us.) "We’re not looking for a guy that’s not capable of starting and winning games for us," said Munchak. "We need someone that can come in here and win, and then have a nice competition between him and Jake Locker and Rusty (Smith)." The Titans aren't on the lookout for a third-string type veteran. If it isn't Hasselbeck, Donovan McNabb and perhaps Marc Bulger should be high on their list."
ProFootballWeekly.com - Seahawks confident Unger can get job done at center: "They have no qualms that center is his natural position," one team insider said of Unger, who started the final three games at center his rookie year in 2009 (after starting at right guard most of the campaign) and missing practically all of last season with a toe injury. "They think he has the same kind of intangibles as (former Seahawks C) Robbie Tobeck, with the ability to see the field well and make pre-snap calls. And like (former Seahawks OG) Steve Hutchinson, Unger rarely makes the same mistake twice."
NFL.com news: Big decisions lie ahead in NFC West that's up for grabs: "Seattle Seahawks: Make an offer the Bengals can't refuse: The Cincinnati Bengals claim that they will let Carson Palmer retire and will not trade him. That sounds great, but a team like Seattle needs to make an offer the Bengals can't refuse. A player and a draft pick, which helps the present situation and the future.
Sign a defensive tackle with pass-rush skills: Last year, the Seahawks hit the jackpot when they signed Raheem Brock and he gave them solid inside pass rush. Brock and Brandon Mebane are both out of contracts, and Red Bryant is coming back from an injury. Re-signing Brock and maybe getting the Giants' Barry Cofield would do wonders for the defensive line in Seattle.
Add two players to the secondary: Seattle knows the secondary has to play better. They have a great young safety in Earl Thomas and a solid corner in Marcus Trufant, but Kelly Jennings is out of his contract, Lawyer Milloy is done and Jordan Babineaux is a free agent. The team likes Kam Chancellor, a big second-year safety from Virginia Tech, but still needs a veteran in the mix. Getting a top flight cornerback like Johnathan Joseph would be ideal, but maybe the Seahawks even look at the Browns' Eric Wright or Jets' Antonio Cromartie."
Morning links: Predicting Hawks’ QB in 2011 | Seahawks Insider: "Williamsson: "Because the Seahawks' offensive line played so poorly last season, it was difficult to analyze what Seattle has at this position. The tight ends were blocking more than anyone in the organization would have liked. Seattle has dedicated a lot of resources to the front five this offseason, though, so we might just see something from John Carlson or Cameron Morrah.
"Carlson was a force during his rookie season and again in his second year, but he has fallen off the map recently. He was blocking quite a bit, but the Seahawks still rarely looked his way. Carlson also struggles with leverage and power to move bodies. He did battle some injuries last year and could improve for a rebound season. He did average more than 600 yards and six touchdowns over his first two seasons in the league. It also must be noted, though, that Carlson sustained a brutal concussion during Seattle's playoff loss to the Bears.
"Morrah interests me. I see him as someone who could make a real impact in this offense. He can run and get downfield, and he has the natural ability you look for in a pass-catching tight end. He, too, was asked to pass block more often than the ideal last season, but he shuffles his feet well and gives excellent effort. Morrah might be an ascending player with some explosive qualities, though he did have only nine receptions last season."
NFL: Scouts Inc. breaks down the NFC West tight ends - ESPN: "Dominique Byrd and Anthony McCoy played for Pete Carroll at USC. I prefer Byrd, who is the quicker and more athletic of the two. He has never quite lived up to his potential at this level, though, and has not seen the field since 2007. He is often inactive because of poor blocking. McCoy did very little as a rookie in 2010 before being placed on injured reserve with a knee injury in late November.
Seattle also has second-year project Jameson Konz on the roster. Konz is interesting because he is vastly undersized for a traditional tight end role, but he is very gifted athletically. Perhaps he would be better used as a backup to Mike Williams at wide receiver rather than as a tight end. He missed his rookie season with a hip injury, though, and will have to bounce back strong."
NBA's Robinson could, likely still can play CB - CBSSports.com: "The 5-09, 180 pound Robinson is an extraordinary athlete whose quickness, vertical jump and surprising physicality always made him a better candidate for the NFL than the NBA, at least that was the opinion of one young NFL Draft analyst back in 2003. He certainly has been blessed with athletic genes. Father Jacque is the only player in college football history to have been named the MVP of the Rose Bowl (1982) and the Orange Bowl (1985). A running back, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the eighth round in 1985 and later played with the Philadelphia Eagles. Gil Brandt of NFL.com agrees that Robinson could play in the NFL and emphatically states, "If I were a team that needed a cornerback, I'd sure as hell give Robinson a call."Brandt, of course, prior to working with the NFL as an analyst, spent nearly 30 years as the Dallas Cowboys' Vice President of Player Personnel."
NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Give Nate Robinson a shot to make an NFL team ": "I thought Nate was an excellent athlete with exceptional quickness. When you add those traits together, you have a guy who can play in the NFL. What makes Nate’s situation so perfect is not only the fact that he’s an exceptional athlete, but the dynamics of today’s camps — with 90 players allowed on a roster — allow for a team to take a chance on a proven athlete like him. Because of the NBA lockout, Nate isn’t under contract. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to do it. At 5-foot-9, Robinson’s height isn’t ideal because he’d lose some jump balls. Everybody says, "Well, he’s got a 43-inch vertical." But don’t forget, some wide receivers have 40-inch verticals. But Robinson, who played for the Oklahoma City Thunder last season, is a well-built guy who gets from one end of the floor to another in no time at all. He has amazing quickness. Those skills alone should get him into an NFL camp."
NBA guard Nate Robinson says he may play in NFL - Sports Blog - CBS News: "The NFL lockout has spurred some players to dabble in other pro sports: Ravens safety Tommy Zbikowski has ventured into the boxing ring while Bengals' wide receiver Chad Ochocinco has seemingly tried every sport under the sun. So should we really be surprised that the NBA labor dispute has some pro basketball players weighing their athletic options?"
NFL Lockout: Five Things Every Team Needs To Do When It Ends - SBNation.com: "Jul 13, 2011 - By many accounts, the NFL lockout is entering its final weeks and we hope to soon be watching a press conference between NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith announcing the end of the work stoppage and re-entering the world of football as we knew it. Once the lockout is over, teams are going to have plenty of work to do. Here, we look at the priority list for each team once that day comes."
Brady, P. Manning, Brees: It's time for NFL deal: "Calling the players' offer "fair for both sides," star quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees - plaintiffs in an antitrust suit against the NFL - said Wednesday "it is time" to wrap up negotiations on a deal to end the league's lockout.
Brady, Manning and Brees spoke as a group publicly for the first time with talks in a critical phase, four months into the league's first work stoppage since 1987. Players and owners met Wednesday morning at a Manhattan law office for the latest round of discussions."
Players say, ‘It is time to get this deal done’ as talks continue - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports: "For the second straight week, legal teams representing the owners and players got together in a Manhattan law firm on Monday and Tuesday to hash out and eliminate the smaller details standing in the way of a new collective bargaining agreement. And for the second straight week, those owners and players are set to begin talks on Wednesday, Thursday, and later in the week if necessary. Last week, the two sides made significant [if contentious] progress toward ending the lockout that's been in place since March 11, to the point that the ruling from the Eighth Circuit Court last Friday slowed things up more from a procedural perspective [both sides had to stop to read and interpret the decision] than any sort of new leverage stand."
Brees: Deal 'very close' and 'few details' remain - CBSSports.com: "Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning issued a statement on labor negotiations recently, and as we noted earlier, it was a pretty bold statement, even though the words might seem similar to a normal press release. On Wednesday while on XX Radio 1090 in San Diego, Brees confirmed our belief about the statement, and made some even stronger noise about the current state of the lockout, pointing ou that a deal is "very close," and that "few details" remain in nailing down a labor agreement."
Brady, Manning, Brees statement a bold move - CBSSports.com: "Up to this point, plaintiffs Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees have been relatively quiet about their activity in the Brady v. NFL antitrust lawsuit and the current labor dispute between the players and the owners. However, they made their voice known on Wednesday morning in a statement released to the Associated Press that called their latest offer "fair" and said it's "time to get this deal done.""
NFL lockout: What lies ahead if there's no deal this week | NJ.com: "Even when an agreement is reached, it needs to be ratified by players and owners, a potentially time-consuming process. There are a few court cases that must be resolved, including the antitrust lawsuit brought against the league by Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and seven other players. Those plaintiffs were updated by the NFLPA on a conference call today."
Seattle Seahawks: Deciphering the Changes at Offensive Skill Positions for 2011 | Bleacher Report: "The offense is undergoing a substantial transition into 2011 with assistant head coach/offensive line coach Tom Cable and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell now jointly running ..."
NFL.com news: Out from under Favre's shadow, Jackson awaits new team: "Jackson's agent, Joel Segal, expressed eagerness for free agency to start. "Tarvaris has developed tremendously over the years, and just by backing up Brett Favre, he has become a more-savvy veteran," Segal said. "I expect a team to sign him very quickly, and I'm looking for Tarvaris to go to a club and compete to be a starting quarterback.""
Le'Ron McClain - Baltimore Ravens - 2011 Player Profile - Rotoworld.com: "Free agent FB Le'Ron McClain has lost weight and gained explosiveness this offseason in preparation for a bigger ball-carrying role in 2011. McClain "loves" the Ravens and considers Baltimore his home, but he's willing to move if he's not promised a running back role. "The sick feeling I have in my stomach is I wish I could've done more [the last two years]," said McClain. "I wish I could've been more involved." The Ravens want McClain to set his market before committing to him."
2010 Offensive Line Rankings – Part 2 | ProFootballFocus.com: "1. New York Jets (2009 Rank: 1st) Run Rank 1st, Pass Rank 1st, Penalties Rank 12th The reigning champions will reign again. You could pick out four fifths of the starters, put them on any team, and the likelihood is they’d be the best offensive lineman on it. That’s how good they are. Best Player: In any other team it would be D’Brickashaw Ferguson. But this isn’t just any other line, and Nick Mangold is a once-in-a-generation type player. Biggest Concern: The decision to move on from Damien Woody. Maybe injuries have taken their toll, but it’s going to be a tough task to fill his boots."
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