Coffee and Cigarettes: Seahawks Links for Saturday

This time next week, we'll be talking about the Seahawks' draft picks from the first three rounds.

The Shutdown Corner Podcast: Greg Cosell on the 2012 OLB/DE/DT draft class | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
In our fourth week of draft analysis with our good friend Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's NFL Matchup, we turn our attention to the defensive line, encompassing pass-rushing outside linebackers as well as defensive ends and defensive tackles. More than ever, the multiple defensive fronts NFL teams are running make it tricky to project this or that pass-rushing draft prospect to a specific position at the next level, and we started off by discussing that before moving to analysis of the best prospects in this class. We've also covered the quarterbacks, running backs/wide receivers, and tight ends/offensive line.

Ryan Lindley, 5th-Ranked Quarterback in 2012 Draft - NYTimes.com
Lindley can throw the ball nearly 60 yards with accuracy and velocity. He has an over-the-shoulder delivery that is compact. He also shows good judgment to throw the ball away or check down to a receiver if the primary option doesn’t come open.

The Shutdown 50 — #19: Mark Barron, S, Alabama | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
We continue this year's series with Alabama safety Mark Barron. Barron comes stamped with the Nick Saban Seal of Defensive Freshness. Like most Alabama prospects, he arrives nearly NFL-ready because of Saban's complicated schemes and detail-oriented coaching.

The Shutdown 50 — #18: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
We continue this year's series with Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, who should be a very appealing prospect to a National Football League that sees more advanced press coverage concepts, and requires more from its cornerbacks, than ever before. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound Kirkpatrick has been a far more physical force in Nick Saban's championship defenses than you might expect from a quick glance at him, and there are elements of the default "pro-readiness" one assumes of any Saban-coached defensive player. However, there is some concern that the tightly wrapped Saban had to ride Kirkpatrick even more than normal to keep him motivated -- whatever it took, there's no question that Kirkpatrick sees himself as an on-field enforcer. He's a cornerback who often thinks and plays like a safety, and there are some great advantages to that. But ... it's also easy to see on tape the things that give you pause -- the same things that could keep Kirkpatrick from any shot at the top 10, and will require some serious finishing work at the NFL level.

2012 NFL Draft countdown: SN's No. 5 prospect, Alabama RB Trent Richardson - NFL - Sporting News
Strengths: Richardson has rare athleticism for such a strong, powerful back. After sharing the running back duties his first two seasons with Mark Ingram, he finished his career on a strong note by rushing for almost 1,700 yards and scoring 24 total touchdowns in his first and only year as Alabama’s feature back. (Vital statistics: 5-9, 228, 4.45 in the 40-yard dash)

Draft positional series: Quarterbacks - NFL - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com
While NFL Draft followers are focused forward on quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, aka RG3, as the predetermined 1-2 knockout punch in this year's event, it is interesting to look backward. Quarterbacks are at once the most scrutinized and misdiagnosed players in football. NFL history is littered with spectacular mistakes in overrating and overlooking players at the most crucial position in the game.

Running backs aren't worth a top-five pick? Trent Richardson is - NFL, NFLDRAFT
There's an argument to be made that Alabama's Trent Richardson shouldn't be drafted as early as he'll be drafted next week. And it's a compelling argument. In the past decade, only seven running backs have been picked in the top 10 of the NFL Draft -- and just one of them was worth it: Adrian Peterson, who went No. 7 overall in 2007. That's the argument against Trent Richardson.

Gap Control: Outside Defense, 2011 | ProFootballFocus.com
Our final look at the gap control exhibited by the best and worst defenses around the league sees us drop in on the edges. This is the region where one lapse lets an outstanding athlete into space against defensive backs who aren’t always the surest of tacklers in the open field. With the premium of edge defense league-wide being pass rushing rather than run force, many teams struggle to contain and shut down outside runs. Poor edge defense combined with poor tackling is a rather awful combination.

Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd would do well to avoid fate of most top-10 WRs - Andrew Lawrence - SI.com
When it comes to drafting wide receivers high in the first round, pickin' ain't easy. For every seemingly can't-miss prospect like Calvin Johnson, there lurk major whiffs like Charles Rogers and Mike Williams -- and not just for Detroit. What's worse, there's always a more lightly regarded prospect lower in the draft (like the Texans' Kevin Walter, a seventh-rounder of the Giants in 2003) or on the street (like the Patriots' Wes Welker, who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chargers the next year) who is destined to enjoy the kind of success that makes you wonder who's running your favorite team's war room.

NFL Draft: Breaking down Fleener's red zone impact | National Football Post
Using the chalkboard to draw up three route concepts.

Preparing a strategy for the draft | National Football Post
Trades often happen during draft weekend, but you need to make sure a plan is in place.

Week Long Mock: Round Three | National Football Post
75. Seattle Seahawks: Marvin Jones WR, California Possesses good size, good body control and hand eye coordination, and for his size is a pretty fluid athlete as well. Isn't a dynamic athlete, but should be able to find a way to make and earn playing time on an NFL roster.

Anatomy of a draft day trade | National Football Post
An inside look at how NFL front offices negotiate their way up and down the draft board.

NFL.com news: NFL scheduler Katz talks requests and complaints from teams
Working out the schedules of all 32 NFL teams can be difficult and once the schedules are released, Howard Katz, the NFL’s schedule maker, often feels the heat from coaches and players about the decisions he makes and the impact they have on their teams.

NFL.com news: Mike Mayock offers six boom-or-bust prospects
We're still mining through the gems from Mike Mayock's conference call with reporters on Thursday. Things we know: Mayock doesn't view Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill as a top-10 talent; he doesn't see Justin Blackmon as a fit for the Cleveland Browns; and the NFL Network draft expert believes Robert Griffin III will outshine Andrew Luck early on. With that out of the way, more than a few scribes asked for Mayock's boom-or-bust players. He offered six:

NFL.com news: NFL's westernmost teams take beating on road
Do the NFL's six westernmost teams face a disadvantage? It appears they do. This disadvantage occurs when they travel multiple time zones for 1 p.m. ET kickoffs. In the Raiders' world, it's still 10 a.m. at kickoff in Pittsburgh -- and who wants to deal with the Steelers' defense before noon?

Draft Spotlight: Chris Polk, RB, Washington " Seahawks Draft Blog
Biases. We all have them. I’ve been a big Washington Huskies fan for over twenty years. Naturally, that is going to impact how I view Husky players that transition to the NFL, though it may not always the way you’d expect. Watching four years of Jake Locker made me painfully aware of his shortcomings (I listed 17 bullet points in his weaknesses section) and compared him to Vince Young. Previously, I had compared him to Jake Plummer. Not exactly glowing comparisons. I didn’t rule out 1st round potential for Locker, but I’d like to think that my evaluation was a sober one. Which I think says a lot given that Jake Locker’s legacy at Montlake was legendary.

NFC West concerns heading toward draft - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The NFC West received only a belated dishonorable mention when Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. listed teams set up poorly for the 2012 NFL draft. Atlanta, New Orleans, Oakland and the New York Giants made the list. Williamson generally likes where NFC West teams stand, and I would agree, but here are potential concerns for each team in the division:

Early look at 2013 QB’s not named Matt Barkley " Seahawks Draft Blog
Upon the draft’s conclusion next Thursday, we’ll be reviewing the prospects taken by Seattle before moving on to 2013. We’ll get into this subject more when we break down the tape of various prospects, but I wanted to publish early videos on three key quarterbacks. In my eyes, Matt Barkley is the clear #1 next year and several teams will already have an eye directed towards the USC quarterback. But who are some of the others to think about?

Draft 2012: The Wide Receivers - NFL Draft Preview - Rotoworld.com
Despite being the deepest position in the 2012 draft, the wide receiver class lacks elite prospects at the top. We have been spoiled with truly outstanding receiver talents in the last few years, and despite public perception claiming otherwise, I expect the prospects below to be selected later than expected. With that said, there is a wide variety of skill sets that will fit terrifically into certain schemes and roles. There are a number of quick-twitch athletes that operate best in the slot.

Rating the NFL draft prospects: Offensive linemen - JSOnline
The Journal Sentinel's Bob McGinn assesses the top offensive linemen in next week's draft. Included is each player's height, weight, 40-yard dash time and projected round.

NFL.com news: Vinny Curry among potential second-round steals in 2012 draft
By now, you've read plenty of analysis on the projected first-round selections in the 2012 NFL Draft. But there will be plenty of talent left over after the first 32 picks on Thursday night. The following six prospects (in alphabetical order) could be steals in Round 2. These are the value picks I would be ecstatic to make next Friday evening.

5 players that are not being talked about but have the talent to be great - Mocking The Draft
- Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple – This kid was a straight beast in college football. He ran for 1481 yards on only 273 carries, and finished with 27 touchdowns, killing the competition. Pierce was once being talked about as an early second round pick, and potentially being selected in the first round, and now all the sudden he is another one that has fell. I don’t think he is falling due to his performance but rather than the need for a running back. There are only a few teams that really have a need for running back this year, but whoever gets the explosive senior will get a steal in this year’s draft.

Draft Insider.net
- Mychal Kendricks/LB/Cal could squeeze into the late part of round two. The Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots and Chicago Bears all highly rate the explosive defenders abilities.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Broken Tackles 2011 Part II
Let's continue our series presenting various 2011 stats from the multitude of Football Outsiders spreadsheets. Last week, we looked at broken tackles from the offensive perspective. Today, we'll look at it from the defensive perspective.

Cosell Talks: Diamonds in the Rough, Part II : NFL Films Blog
Last week I wrote about 5 players in the 2012 NFL draft that intrigued me, players who were not being discussed by analysts at the time as first-round picks. It seems that one of them, Shea McClellin, has suddenly become a first-round player. That’s not a surprise to me. His tape did the talking for him; the eye in the sky doesn’t lie.

T Carpenter likely not ready for training camp - April 19, 2012 | Seattle - Seahawks -
DE Dexter Davis has fully recovered from a hip injury that cost him nearly the entire regular season. DE Jameson Konz also suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5 and is expected to compete as a pass rushing end this fall. WR Sidney Rice had both shoulders operated on this offseason and is expected to return in great health according to Schneider. "This is the healthiest he’s going to be since he’s been a professional," Schneider said.