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Happy hump day everyone!
Draft Spotlight: Demario Davis, LB, Arkansas St. " Seahawks Draft Blog
I still have a few more first and second round prospects I want to cover before the draft, but I think now is a good time to cover a few of the mid-round options for the Seahawks. Today, I’m starting with Demario Davis, a small school player who’s received some attention after a strong Senior Bowl week and a ridiculously awesome combine.
Kirk Cousins tape vs Michigan, Wisconsin & Gruden " Seahawks Draft Blog
Meet Courtney Upshaw " Seahawks Draft Blog
Just watch.
A few minutes with North Carolina's Quinton Coples - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
Different mock drafts would tell you that any number of players could be the Seahawks' first-round pick. While there certainly isn't a consensus on what Seattle will do, several draft analysts seem to think there is a pretty good chance that the Seahawks will take Quinton Coples provided the former North Carolina defensive end is still available at No. 12.
FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Who Drew Most Offensive Holding Flags in 2011?
I've been working this week on tables to send around to the FO staff for writing the player comments and team unit comments in Football Outsiders Almanac 2012. I just ran this one this afternoon and the results were so interesting I thought I would share with the class. One thing we started tracking last year was which defensive players drew the most offensive holding flags. Well, Cameron Wake of the Dolphins drew 13 of them this year. That was more than any other player by far. In fact, he drew eight on pass plays, which was more than any other player had on all plays, pass and run combined. (I'm not counting special teams here.)
A position in evolution
The tight end position in the NFL has become one where receiving is replacing blocking as their primary responsibility, and the tight ends in the 2012 draft class are benefitting from the change in philosophy.
WalterFootball.com: Quinton Coples NFL Draft Interview
One of the most heavily debated prospects in the 2012 NFL Draft is North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples. The 6-foot-6, 284-pounder has a rare combination of size and speed. He is a prototype defensive end in a 4-3 defense, and many evaluators believe he has the flexibility to play defensive tackle, 3-4 defensive end or 3-4 outside linebacker.
Seahawks.com Blog | Special attention "
Day Two of the Seahawks’ offseason program included some agility drills, a lot of lifted weights and one large smile from Jon Ryan.
Prospect focus: Appalachian St. WR Brian Quick | National Football Post
Breaking down the game of the small-school offensive prospect.
How do players view the NFL schedule release? | National Football Post
What I looked for on the new schedule during my career.
Top 2nd Round Values | National Football Post
Which top prospects could fall outside of round one?
49ers offensive draft needs
The 49ers have unsettled starting jobs at right guard and wide receiver. Those are the team's biggest "wants" in the upcoming draft, but it does not necessarily mean the 49ers will focus on one of those spots in the first round of next week's NFL draft.
Draft Preview: 12. Seattle Seahawks | Goal-Line Stand | Blogs | theScore.com
We talked to Keith Myers from 12th Man Rising and Kenny Stein from Field Gulls, and the ideal candidate in this year’s draft to help the Seahawks get the opposing quarterback on the ground more often is where our conversation began.
Russell Wilson wants NFL teams to view him like Drew Brees | ProFootballTalk
Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson has a standard comeback for those who think he’s too short for the NFL: Is Drew Brees too short?
NFL Draft: How Well Do Teams Draft At Skill Positions? - SBNation.com
Your dream scenario, if you're an NFL team: you find Tom Brady in the sixth round. Your nightmare scenario: your No. 1 pick ends up being JaMarcus Russell. Do teams draft well at skill positions? Here's how they did in the 2000s.
Monday Draft Notes – Griffin vs. Luck, Lamar Miller’s fall and more… | ScoutTheDraft.COM
Well, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind for me lately. I’ve traveled more in the last 90 days than I had previously in my entire life. From Mumbai, India, to London and a few trips back and forth to New York, I’ve made my rounds. Unfortunately, all the travel has fallen during the most active time of year for me, in terms of writing, being that we’re in draft season.
Cosell Talks: Blackmon or Floyd? : NFL Films Blog
The receiver position in the NFL has changed significantly in the last number of years. With the proliferation of multiple receiver sets and the alignment versatility of tight ends, the passing game has expanded considerably. More three-receiver personnel groupings, tight ends who can split wide and threaten all areas of the field, backs who can run vertical routes against overmatched linebackers — the NFL has evolved into a matchup league, deriving principally from passing concepts.
Ourlads NFL Team & Draft Talk: Draft Rewind 2010 - Russell Okung - Seattle Seahawks
What Ourlads NFL Scouting Services said about RUSSELL OKUNG: Oklahoma State, 6052 307 5.17.
The Monster Defense, Overload Blitzes and Angle Stunts | Smart Football
Coaches and quarterbacks nowadays are exceptional at identifying and exploiting defensive weaknesses. Defenses now, with the rise of spread offenses, often give away their soft spots by how they line up, and the myriad of reads, packaged plays and options make exploiting those weaknesses ever simpler stuff.
NFL.com news: Bill Walsh's NFL draft philosophies: Six lessons from the master
One of my greatest memories (and learning experiences) from my days as an NFL executive was being around Bill Walsh during draft preparation.
2012 NFL Draft countdown: SN's No. 9 prospect, Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill - NFL - Sporting News
Strengths: Tannehill's athletic ability, leadership and passing skill could make him a top-10 pick, despite only 19 starts at quarterback during his college career.
NFL Draft Dish: Brock Osweiler's draft stock debated - NFL - Sporting News
This is the time of year you shouldn't believe everything said by NFL teams as they prepare for the 2012 NFL Draft. Some teams take this process a step beyond secretive. That is, in order to mislead other teams as to their interest in certain players, they will plant rumors via the media. It's all part of the game.
2012 NFL Draft countdown: SN's No. 9 prospect, Boston College LB Luke Kuechly - NFL - Sporting News
Strengths: Kuechly will likely be a top-15 pick because of his versatility, athleticism and coverage skills. It's clear from watching film Kuechly has excellent instincts. He quickly reads and reacts but also avoids being fooled by trick plays or miss-direction.
Marvez: NFC free agency report card - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN
Impact moves: The Seahawks did a far better job than Miami in courting Green Bay quarterack Matt Flynn, who will now compete with Tarvaris Jackson for a starting spot. The re-signing of running back Marshawn Lynch and defensive end Red Bryant insured Seattle will keep two of their best players.
Brian Billick's Top 100 players heading in the NFL Draft - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN
1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: Doesn’t possess elite arm strength, but can easily make all the throws and has Aaron Rodgers-like athleticism.
Draft Tip Sheet: Georgia Tech WR U; Poe, Barron, Crick updates - NFL, NFLDRAFT - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com
Even with the prospect of having a second player in three years selected at the position in the first round, and the third in six drafts, no one is ready yet to anoint Georgia Tech as "Wide Receiver U." But it is more than unusual, especially with the offense that coach Paul Johnson operates, to have such success in placing pass-catchers in the early rounds of the draft.
10 worst games on the 2012 NFL schedule - CBSSports
Seahawks at Bills ... in Toronto, Week 15, December 16 In case you weren't sure that we still like to treat Canada as our little stepbrother to the north, well, now you can be sure. Eh?
Vontaze Burfict has no meetings with NFL teams - CBSSports
Vontaze Burfict's stock continues to plummet, as agent Charles Price told TheDaily.com that his client doesn't have any private meetings scheduled with teams heading into next week's draft. It continues a rocky pre-draft circuit for Burfict, who was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award and once considered a potential first-round pick. He is now projected as a fifth- or sixth-round pick by NFLDraftScout.com, and with mounting concerns coupled with the decreased value placed on inside linebackers, Burfict might fall out of the draft completely.
Sunday night continues to be football night | ProFootballTalk
I’ve resisted for more than an hour to celebrate the schedule of Sunday night games on NBC. I can resist no longer.
Gap Control: Outside Offense, 2011 | ProFootballFocus.com
Sweeps, tosses, powers, stretch plays, crack back blocks … there are endless methods and opportunities to make big plays to the outside when running ball in the NFL, but not every team takes full advantage. Defenses tend to have aggressive players on the edge who offenses can live or die by challenging. Get it right and the defense is on the back foot. Get it wrong and the offense can find itself in long yardage–an area from which most offenses are not well disposed to recover.
How to build NFL champion franchise in six easy steps - NFL - Sporting News
Each year, in every NFL team's war room, the tension is palpable. Hearts pound. Palms sweat. Aspirin is handy. The 2012 Draft will be no different. Choices made between now and April 26's first round, and then on to the last pick on April 28, will play a large role in determining which teams rise and which teams fall. And, in which coaches and general managers stay and which ones go.
10 games we can't wait to watch | National Football Post
7. The opportunity: Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks Week 3: Monday night, 8:30pm eastern Why we’re jacked up: With the amount of money he was going to command on the open market, there was no way the Green Bay Packers could afford to keep backup quarterback Matt Flynn. So the Seattle Seahawks stepped up and shelled out $26 million over three years for a relatively unproven signal-caller that absolutely shredded the Detroit Lions in Week 17. The Packers should entire this matchup as the Vegas favorite, but Seattle is no easy place to steal a win. The Seahawks have gone 51-29 at home over the last ten years (.638) and would grab the national headlines if their new quarterback could engineer an upset of his old team.
NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Roundup of four small-school prospects "
Four lesser-known prospects who could be late-round draft choices took part in workouts, hoping to impress NFL teams.
NFL.com news: St. Louis Rams defense minus Gregg Williams needs teamwork
Without defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, running the defense thus far appears to be a collaborative effort.
NFL.com news: Winners and losers of 2012 NFL schedule release
There are two kinds of people right now. The ones saying, "Well, we HAVE to win this season because the Schedule Gods have touched us." And the other ones saying, "Hey, why are you hatin' on us so much, Goodell?" So let's see who's feeling good and who's not after the 2012 NFL schedule release.
Kevin Calabro Show - Podcasts - MyNorthwest.com
Cornerback Marcus Trufant joins "The Kevin Calabro Show" and talks about re-signing with the Seahawks after he was released, his role in the secondary, what it was like missing most of last season with a back injury, and more.
St. Louis Rams schedule analysis - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Breakdown: Jeff Fisher's addition as head coach raised the Rams' profile, but not enough for the team to secure a Monday night game. A Thursday night home game against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 4 will have to suffice in the prime-time department. That's what happens when a team goes 15-65 over a five-year period.
San Francisco 49ers schedule analysis - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Breakdown: The 49ers open the season against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, a marquee matchup reflecting San Francisco's improved standing following a 13-3 season. A Sunday night home game against Detroit in Week 2 follows, putting the 49ers in the national spotlight right away.
Arizona Cardinals schedule analysis - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Breakdown: The Cardinals drew two prime-time games, both against division opponents, as part of a schedule that should let them avoid a second consecutive slow start.
Seattle Seahawks schedule analysis - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Breakdown: Matt Flynn's addition from Green Bay in free agency has paid off already, helping the Seahawks secure a Monday night home game against the Packers on Sept. 24. But Seattle drew only a cautious prime-time commitment overall, with an Oct. 18 game at San Francisco standing as the only other game scheduled for under the lights.