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Eye Catching Tweets From NFL Camps 8/3 " The Rookie Scouting Portfolio: Zach Miller:
@Greg Cosell tweets, " Z. Miller a surprise to SEA. Personnel dictates a lot of 2 TE packages w/Carlson. Run game foundation. Need to manipulate + manage Jackson."
New Seahawks left tackle Robert Gallery and fellow Raider's ex-pat Zach Miller will be a huge help in translating former Oakland coach Tom Cables run schemes to the field. Marshawn Lynch should have a solid year. Photo by Jeffrey Beall. My Take: Tom Cable, Robert Gallery, and Zach Miller all in Seattle this year. No coincidence, whatsoever. I’m thinking Marshawn Lynch will have enough of the 2010 Raiders running game going for him that he should have more success in 2012. Cable is regarded as a heck of a line coach and I believe it after what he did to open gargantuan holes for Darren McFadden last year. Gallery and Miller should figure prominently in at least giving Lynch a crease. In Lynch’s case, that’s all he really needs. In contrast to his career thus far, those creases will probably look like craters.
National Football Post: Are the Seahawks Flying South? Considering the pass-friendly NFL rules, that position is perhaps the most important in the league. It gives a team the best chance to disrupt a pass offense. Pierre Allen, Red Bryant, Chris Clemons, Jarrett Crittenton, Dexter Davis, Lazarius Levingston, A.J. Schable and Jimmy Wilkerson — a middling crop — are the 4-3 defensive ends on the current Seahawks roster.
Cutting LB Lofa Tatupu, another Carroll pupil, could weaken the defense further. Though injuries have limited him of late, he remains an effective player and team leader.
Mac's Football Blog: 49ers Sign CB Carlos Rogers: The San Francisco 49ers have signed free agent cornerback Carlos Rogers to a one-year deal, Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area reports. Maiocco adds that the deal is worth in the $4.25 million range.
HeraldNet.com - Seahawks blog: Carroll: Miller and Carlson "absolutely" both fit in Seahawks offense: With news coming out earlier today that the Seahawks are about to sign Pro Bowl TE Zach Miller, one of the first questions is what that means to three-year starter John Carlson. According to Pete Carroll, Miller and Carlson can coexist in Seattle's offense. "Absolutely," Carroll said, adding, "Anybody who thinks otherwise doesn't get it."
Hawks’ free agent tracker | Seahawks Insider: Here's an updated look at the free agent tracker, along with some notes left over from Tuesday afternoon's practice. Carroll said defensive end Chris Clemons had ankle surgery during the offseason, and the team trainers are bringing him back slowly.
Seahawks.com Blog | Camp Carroll: Day 6 ": PLAYER WATCH Kam Chancellor. The Seahawks had big plans for the big strong safety from Virginia Tech when they selected the 6-foot-3, 232-pound Chancellor in the fifth round of the draft last year. After playing in situational roles as a rookie, Chancellor is making big strides now that he’s working with the No. 1 defense at the spot where veteran Lawyer Milloy started last season. Today, the full complement of Chancellor’s talents was on display. First, he blitzed and got to running back Leon Washington in the backfield. Then, he intercepted a pass in the end zone that was intended for tight end John Carlson. Later, he lifted and dropped Golden Tate after the wide receiver had caught a pass.
Poole: Tight end Zach Miller's departure to Seattle leaves Oakland Raiders gasping for breath - Inside Bay Area: In giving defensive lineman Richard Seymour big money in February, the Raiders could say he earned it. In throwing millions at cornerback Stanford Routt a week later, they effectively said, with little supportive evidence, he will earn it. By lavishing the biggest megadeal of all on pass rusher Kamerion Wimbley this week, Raiders boss Al Davis is saying he believes Wimbley will be a game-changing star.
Raheem Brock Scheduled For Workout With Patriots Wednesday - SB Nation Seattle: Defensive end Raheem Brock is set to work out with the New England Patriots Wednesday, according to The Red Zone. The 33-year-old Brock has spent nine seasons in the NFL.
After knee injury, big Red Bryant back for Seattle | KING5.com Seattle: The first time the Seattle Seahawks put on pads during training camp, second-year offensive tackle Russell Okung locked up with Red Bryant during a drill. Try telling Okung that the burly defensive end had major knee surgery less than a year ago. "Big Red is Big Red. He's going to give it to you," Okung said. "One thing I love about Red is he's going to come at you every snap."
Seahawks newcomer Gallery hands out abuse - Seahawks - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington news, weather and sports: And that’s where you’ll find Robert Gallery, the Seattle Seahawks’ newest addition to a young offensive line. The former member of the Oakland Raiders followed his head coach Tom Cable to Seattle in free agency, but because of NFL rules he can’t hit the field until Thursday, when the league year officially begins. Even watching his teammates from the sideline, Gallery can’t help but work on his technique during practice.
NFC training camp team reports: Seahawks, Eagles get stronger - NFL - Sporting News: Seattle Seahawks Seattle's defensive line was the reason it started 4-2, and its depth — or lack thereof — was the reason it went 3-7 the rest of the way. By Week 8, Seattle was missing starters Red Bryant, Colin Cole and Brandon Mebane because of injury. And the run defense, which had been such a strength for the first month and a half of the season, pretty much collapsed. Seattle made deepening its pool of big bodies up front a priority in free agency, re-signing tackles Mebane and Junior Siavii, acquiring defensive tackle Alan Branch of Arizona and giving former first-round pick Ryan Sims and defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson the chance to play for a job. Seattle signed Wilkerson on Tuesday, and his addition signals that Seattle may not be as interested in Osi Umenyiora as we thought.
There is a problem with manpower in Seattle, though. As newly signed free agents, none of those players can practice until the league year begins Aug. 4, which has left Seattle woefully short for practice. Seattle had to switch two rookie offensive linemen to defense Monday just to have enough numbers. Bryant is one of Seattle's most important returning players, and he has looked impressive returning from season-ending knee surgery. At 6-4, 323, he still runs extremely well, and he can seal the edge. Branch is 6-6 and a similar body type. He played with more consistency the past two years in Arizona, and Seattle signed him to a two-year deal in the belief it will keep him hungry. Branch will start at defensive tackle, but could also see time at defensive end behind Bryant. — Danny O'Neil
Source - Mutual interest between Chicago Bears, Lofa Tatupu - ESPN Chicago: There is a mutual interest between the Chicago Bears and free agent linebacker Lofa Tatupu, according to a league source.
Seahawks acquire TE Miller, continue stealth rebuilding effort - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports: For the Seattle Seahawks, and the second-year team of general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll, it's been a mixed bag of public perception in their own team remodeling efforts. Letting veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck go and replacing him with former Minnesota Vikings signal-caller Tarvaris Jackson was a curious move that was reviewed as such. Jackson's long familiarity with former Vikings and current Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell was the primary reason given by the team. Former Vikings star receiver Sidney Rice, ex-Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Alan Branch, and former Oakland Raiders left guard Robert Gallery followed soon after. Gallery, like Jackson and Rice, came to Seattle under the guise of scheme familiarity, because Gallery had worked with new Seahawks line coach Tom Cable in Oakland.
Carroll: We look different: Pete Carroll squinted into the afternoon sun and offered the obvious. "As I look across the board and I look at this football team, we look different," the Seahawks’ second-year coach said the other day after a practice at the team’s training camp. "It’s a different group."
Seahawks Blog | Power play: Seahawks Free Agency 2011 | Seattle Times Newspaper: Packer Way is a street in Green Bay, Wisc. It's not necessarily the route Seahawks general manager John Schneider is going to follow in free agency. That became evident at some point between Seattle's acquisition of Sidney Rice last week and Tuesday's signing of Zach Miller, the free-agent tight end from Oakland.
The Brock and Salk Show on 710 ESPN Seattle - Brock and Salk - MyNorthwest.com: In Wednesday's Wrap Up video, Brock and Salk discuss what they're most excited to see at Seahawks practice on Thursday, when free agents are expected to participate for the first time.
Zach Miller should thrive with Seahawks - Fantasy Joe: Fantasy Football News, Draft Information, and Player Rankings - USATODAY.com: The Seattle Seahawks nabbed one of the more underrated tight ends in the league on Tuesday, signing free agent Zach Miller, formerly of the Oakland Raiders, to a five-year, $34 million contract. CAPTIONBy Justin Edmonds, Getty Images But don't the Seahawks already have a pass-catching tight end? Apparently one is not enough. First-year offensive line coach Tom Cable was adamant that the Seahawks will use both Miller and incumbent John Carlson at tight end.
Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " Larry Fitzgerald Sr. Backtracks A Bit On His Comments Regarding Kevin Kolb: Last season was a horrible year in the desert for the Cardinals. When it came to quarterback play, it would be tough to find a situation that was worse than Arizona’s. Obviously any time a team has to replace a future Hall-Of-Famer like Kurt Warner it’s not easy. Arizona learned that the hard way. Derek Anderson was a disaster, Max Hall proved that he wasn’t ready, and for John Skelton, Fordham is a long way from NFL. The losing season and the disastrous play took a toll on the players, the fans, and the front office. And Arizona realized that they needed to find a long-term answer at quarterback before anything else and went out this offseason and got one.
Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " Jim Harbaugh Strongly Defends Alex Smith For Staying In San Francisco, Claims Colin Kaepernick Will Be ‘Just Fine’: The quarterback controversy is just beginning out in the Bay Area for first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, but it’s hard to get a read on who he is exactly in favor of. Former number one overall pick in the 2005 draft, Alex Smith, signed a one-year deal to remain in San Francisco last week and the 49ers drafted Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the second round of this year’s draft to be the leader of the future. Smith has a chance to prove himself in his seventh year with the 49ers, but cannot practice until August 4th due to new collective bargaining rules while Kaepernick gets the bulk of the snaps in training camp right now.
Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " Sam Bradford and Josh McDaniels – A Force to be Reckoned With in 2011?: Sam Bradford hardly could have asked for a better rookie season to open his NFL career. The St. Louis Rams quarterback earned the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award after setting the rookie record for completions and nearly leading the Rams to the playoffs. He also joined Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning — pretty great company — in terms of the only rookie quarterbacks to start all 16 games and throw for more than 3,000 yards. But now Bradford has just a few weeks to get acclimated with new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and his system. McDaniels joins the Rams after his run as the Denver Broncos’ coach ended. The two have to acquaint themselves quickly, as the lockout prevented them from working together throughout the offseason.
Seahawks get vet kicker for peace of mind - NFC West Blog - ESPN: The Seattle Seahawks once carried two kickers on their 53-man roster because their general manager (Tim Ruskell) and head coach (Mike Holmgren) could not agree on which one to keep. Ruskell, as a personnel evaluator, valued the potential associated with the young prospect. Holmgren, as the man responsible for winning games often decided by narrow margins, valued the veteran's experience and track record.
Camp Confidential: Seattle Seahawks - NFC West Blog - ESPN: NFL training camps aren't what they used to be now that players have secured day-spa treatment from coaches under the new labor agreement. Still, teams aren't practicing in slippers and robes ... yet. Earl Thomas, the Seattle Seahawks' second-year safety, did go through a recent practice -- make that a walk-through, just to be safe -- wearing a visor that also would have served him well standing over a Titleist. Several teammates wore ball caps.
FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Formation Analysis: Number of RBs Part I: With the 2011 season fast approaching, let's finish up our game charting reviews of 2010 with a look at tendencies and performance based on the number of running backs in the formation. Today's focus is on offense; we'll get to defense in Part II.
Clayton: Seahawks courting linebacker Ben Leber - Blog - MyNorthwest.com: The Seahawks are one of four teams vying to sign veteran linebacker Ben Leber, ESPN's John Clayton told the Kevin Calabro Show on Wednesday. Leber, 32, would help fill vacancies left by the departures of Will Herring (signed with the Saints) and Lofa Tatupu (released). Leroy Hill is currently projected to start at weakside linebacker, but he missed most of last season with an Achilles injury and hasn't played a full season in his six years in the NFL.
Seahawks facing potential dilemma at quarterback " Seahawks Draft Blog: While I think the Seahawks deserve praise for their work during free agency, there is one issue that could linger in the background. Are they going to become one of those teams that has everything but the quarterback?
Woodland Hills Alum Darrin Walls Starts NFL Career in Atlanta Falcons Camp - Forest Hills-Regent Square, PA Patch: When the NFL lockout ended, Walls said his phone began to ring – a lot. The St. Louis Rams, the New Orleans Saints and the Seattle Seahawks called wanting to sign Walls. But he struggled with his decision between the Denver Broncos and his ultimate choice, Atlanta. The decision was difficult, not only, because choosing where to play in the NFL is of the utmost importance, but he also had to make the choice in less than a 24-hour period.
Just thought this was interesting because the Seahawks tried to sign Walls. I was advocating it pre-free agency so neener neener, I'm smart.
10 games that have gotten a lot more interesting | ProFootballTalk: Vikings at Seahawks, August 20. Before getting to the 10 regular-season games, let’s consider one preseason game. With the Seahawks swiping receiver Sidney Rice (whom the Vikings wanted to keep) and quarterback Tarvaris Jackson (whom they didn’t), this one could have a little more spice than a normal exhibition contest. Jackson will have something to prove to everyone who doubted him, including the folks in Minnesota who preferred to put him on the bench the past two years in favor of Brett Favre — even though one of those folks was former Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, now the offensive coordinator in Seattle. With these two teams not playing in the regular season and with the Vikings facing a tough road to the playoffs, this will be the only chance for Jackson and Rice to make their former employer regret letting them get away.
Nate Robinson: From PG to CB?: Nate Robinson is known for his spontaneity, always up for a spur-of-the-moment prank, or pulling off some kind of entertaining scheme (think dunking on Shaquille O’Neal during training camp). But his recent tweets to Pete Carroll, the head coach of his hometown Seattle Seahawks, during the NBA lockout came as no surprise -- football is an undeniable passion of his. This week the former Boston Celtics guard sent a series of tweets to Carroll including, "@PeteCarroll coach give me a chance and I'll prove it to u #WorDaApP the world & all my followers would love to see the outcome lol."
Thiel: Suddenly, Seahawks don’t have to rely on QB | Seattle Seahawks: Now I get it – pitch count. That’s how the Seahawks are going to win games this season – by keeping new quarterback Tarvaris Jackson’s pass attempts around, say, eight or nine a game. Maybe that’s low, especially when behind 28-0. The point is, with two veteran, quality tight ends and an offensive line of five athletic nasties clearing space for Marshawn Lynch’s Beastquakes, a heavy emphasis on the rush reduces the chances for Jackson, the weak link, to make game-losing mistakes.
Raheem Brock - YouTube: For those of you still holding out hope Raheem Brock will be back, here is a series of plays involving the former Seahawk, brought to you by Aaron Aloysius
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