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Chris Polk 2012 NFL Draft prospect notes - Mocking The Draft - First word: One could argue that we are seeing a tough time for running backs. The majority of NFL teams implement a two back system limiting their dependence on just one player. Running backs are lucky if they remain productive after they reach the age of 30. These issues have led to a drop in running back's draft stock.
End of the line for Vernon Gholston? | National Football Post - Talking to Bears personnel down at training camp earlier this month, I asked around about Vernon Gholston. The responses were lukewarm at best. But the one constant I kept hearing throughout the day was obvious: if Gholston was going to produce (and stick in the NFL) this was the ideal scheme for him in Chicago.
NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Updated salary-cap space numbers for all 32 teams " - Listed below are the most recent salary-cap space numbers for all 32 NFL teams, from highest to lowest, according to a league source.
NFL.com news: Seahawks send CB Jennings to Bengals for DT McDonald - The Seattle Seahawks have traded former first-round draft pick Kelly Jennings to the Cincinnati Bengals for defensive tackle Clinton McDonald, the teams announced Monday.
Seahawks.com Blog | Honing in on the home games " - So, which of the Seahawks’ regular-season home games most excites you? The defending NFC West champions will play at CenturyLink Field only three times in the first two months, but that also means the Seahawks will be home five times in the final eight weeks. Here’s a closer look at a Top Five of those games to help you decide:
Seahawks.com Blog | Rank ‘n file " - Don’t look now, but the final game of the preseason it seemed never would arrive is Friday night, when the Seahawks host the Oakland Raiders at CenturyLink Field.
NFL Trade Rumors: Carson Palmer Speculation Returns - SB Nation Seattle - I'm not even sure what this is, other than speculation based on the fact that Carson Palmer has yet to officially send in his retirement papers. And because Palmer hasn't officially retired, trade rumors have popped back up, with the Seattle Seahawks at the forefront again. Is there anything to it? Nobody knows, but Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio is ready to speculate.
An alternative take on the 2012 quarterback class " Seahawks Draft Blog - Guest blogger Daniel gives us an insight into this year’s group of college quarterbacks… Hey everyone, you may be familiar with me as the guy from North Carolina who made a brief appearance last year to tell you the team with #1 pick would shy away from taking Cam Newton. Since that turned out so brilliantly I’m back to provide you with more excellent advice. In truth, I’m just a fan who like many of you watched his team put off any attempt at developing a prospect at the position in favor of hanging onto an aging veteran who holds the franchise record for all time passing yards and had lead them to post season success – a Super Bowl appearance, even. A team leader and great guy by all accounts who, in spite of all the plaudits just mentioned, you aren’t entirely upset to see move on at this stage of his career.
Curry, Carlson and Seahawks' ticking clock - NFC West Blog - ESPN - Playing connect-the-dots with prominent Seattle draft choices predating the Seahawks' current leadership, which arrived in 2010:
Mike Florio thinks QB Carson Palmer could still be an option for the Seahawks - Blog - MyNorthwest.com - "I think he specifically hasn't retired because he wants to retain the ability to show up out of the blue next week," Florio told "Brock & Salk" on Monday. "And if he shows up out of the blue next week -- Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday -- the Bengals have to decide pretty quickly to keep him and pay him what will become, as of Week 1, a guaranteed salary of $11.5 million, or get rid of him. "And then the question becomes: How hard-headed is Mike Brown? Is he so willing to prove a point with Carson Palmer that he would pay him $11.5 million guaranteed even though Carson Palmer isn't really ready to come in and play? Or would Mike Brown say, 'See you later?'"
On the Seahawks' Kelly Jennings trade - NFC West Blog - ESPN - Five quick notes/thoughts on the Seattle Seahawks' trading cornerback Kelly Jennings to Cincinnati for defensive tackle Clinton McDonald:
Seahawks Blog | Seahawks trade Kelly Jennings to Bengals for DT | Seattle Times Newspaper - The Seahawks have traded cornerback Kelly Jennings to Cincinnati. They will receive defensive tackle Clinton McDonald, a seventh-round draft choice in 2009 who matriculated from the Bengals' practice squad to the regular-season roster in 2010.
Not sure why Tarvaris Jackson is the Seahawks' starter - Blog - MyNorthwest.com - We are constantly reminded that these are preseason games – outcomes don't necessarily suggest what will happen in the regular season. But the only time we get these reminders is when the team you're following is absolutely awful. Such has been the case with the Seahawks. If it weren't for those reminders, you'd think they were headed for an 0-16 season, which would at least result in the acquisition of Andrew Luck.
Which 2011 first-round picks are starting - NFC West Blog - ESPN - Seattle's James Carpenter is the only one from the NFC West to start so far. He has struggled in pass protection while showing promise in the running game. Like some other rookie offensive linemen -- Green Bay's Derek Sherrod comes to mind -- Carpenter is facing growing pains in his transition to the NFL.
The "Team" approach to any successful passing play: A Seahawk Pre-Season problem " The Matchups Zone - I tend to avoid post game wrap ups because as football fans we have 2,000,000,000 different resources out there and I’m just adding to the echo chamber. However, I find it deeply troubling that the TV Broadcast failed to show what really happened last night on almost every passing play the Seahawks ran. It’s very easy as fans to blame one player or position for the failure of a play. The NFL has a horrible problem with analysts feeding this hysteria by the way they speak on air and edit replays. Football is a TEAM sport so when something goes wrong, it’s usually a myriad of things. For now, let’s discuss the ingredients that go into any positive passing play.
Breaking down Broncos vs. Seahawks - NFL Nation Blog - ESPN - I know some folks are going to be excited that Tim Tebow led the Broncos to the game-winning field goal. But the real story in Denver was the pass rush.
Breaking down Hall's 'pick-six' vs. Baltimore | National Football Post - Let’s talk technique at the CB position today using the DeAngelo Hall’s interception vs. the Ravens from Thursday night as an example. A good opportunity to learn about reading through the route scheme and making a play on the football. Check out the video replay and then we will get into some detailed coaching points…
Ranking the NFC West quarterbacks - NFC West Blog - ESPN - Tarvaris Jackson over Charlie Whitehurst? Yes, and it's not even close in these rankings, which were put together before the preseason games. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. has subsequently called Jackson the worst starting quarterback in the league, and a player he wouldn't want even as a backup. Jackson, like the 49ers' Smith, has suffered behind shaky pass protection this summer. In quickly naming Jackson their starter, the Seahawks have gone out of their way as an organization to give him the support he needs. He's getting the opposite treatment on the field, which cannot be good for his confidence.
ProFootballWeekly.com - Packers' Sherrod falling short at multiple positions - Our sources in Seattle tell us the Seahawks like the veteran presence that ex-Packers S Atari Bigby adds to their otherwise very youthful secondary. Said one team insider, "They might have preferred 'Babs' (Jordan Babineaux, a free agent who signed with the Titans), but unlike Lawyer Milloy (who was released), Bigby was willing to be a backup." • Most of the QB focus in Seattle is on Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst. But we hear third-stringer Josh Portis continues to open eyes. "Pete Carroll has liked him since his high school days," said one team source of Portis. "He has a live arm and good feet and is a good fit in an offense that likes to feature lots of rollouts and play-action."
A mile-high noisemaker - Doug Baldwin, a rookie free agent from Stanford, slapped an exclamation point on his already-impressive preseason with a 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on Saturday night.
Seahawks' QB Tarvaris Jackson enduring peril in pocket | Seattle Seahawks - The News Tribune - One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi… Every quarterback in the NFL has an internal clock that lets them know when they need to get rid of the ball before the pass rush closes in. For Tarvaris Jackson, playing behind an inexperienced offensive line with five guys playing together for the first time, that internal clock has sped up considerably. And the results have not been pretty.
Terrelle Pryor To Play Preseason Finale vs. Seahawks - SB Nation Bay Area - The "Terrelle Pryor in the NFL" show begins this weekend when the Oakland Raiders take on the Seattle Seahawks this Friday at Qwest Field. NBC's Sunday Night Football confirmed that Pryor will not play tonight, but should be ready for action to take up scrub duty in the finale of the NFL preseason.
Y! SPORTS - The new kickoff rule that has teams booting the ball from their own 35-yard line as opposed to the 30 has had a dramatic effect on the game through the preseason . In Week 1, there were 61 touchbacks on 306 kickoffs (20 percent), and in Week 2, there were 103 touchbacks on 278 kickoffs (37.7 percent). The average return hasn't been affected, but the frequency of the touchback has increased drastically.
Revamped Seahawks O-line tries to unblock potential – USATODAY.com - The Seattle Seahawks have built an offensive line loaded with upside … but for now it needs to keep quarterback Tarvaris Jackson off his backside and the running game on the positive side of the line of scrimmage.