Coffee and Cigarettes: Seahawks Links for Wednesday

Higgity hump day, gang.

Cosell Talks: What’s a Running Back Worth? : NFL Films Blog
Much has been written recently about the decreasing importance and ultimate devaluation of the running back position in the NFL. It was a central theme in March and April leading up to the 2012 NFL Draft, primarily when it came to the evaluation of former Alabama star Trent Richardson. Almost everyone agreed that Richardson was an outstanding prospect; many felt he was a special talent. I know some teams had him rated as the best overall player on the board. Yet, many believed strongly that Richardson should not be drafted in the top 10, despite universally high grades.

Steven Jackson & Nate Solder interview " Seahawks Draft Blog
I had a chance to interview Steven Jackson (RB, St. Louis) and Nate Solder (OT, New England) during their current trip to London to promote October’s International Series game. Although not specifically Seahawks related, we talked about the NFC West and the draft process. It’s worth a listen, particularly to hear Jackson’s thoughts on Jeff Fisher’s appointment, the NFC West and his advice for young running backs such as Trent Richardson.

John Clayton Show - Podcasts - MyNorthwest.com
Tony Softli, a former personnel executive with the Carolina Panthers and St. Louis Rams, tells "The John Clayton Show" that he thinks rookie Russell Wilson will "definitely" be the Seahawks' starting quarterback by next season. Softli calls Tarvaris Jackson a "transition-type quarterback" and says he isn't sold on Matt Flynn.

Notebook: Ex-Vike Tarvaris Jackson feels 'like I'm welcome' in Seattle - Minnesota Vikings news | 1500 ESPN Twin Cities – Minnesota Sports News & Opinion (Twins, Vikings, Wolves, Wild, Gophers)
Last July, Tarvaris Jackson was participating in Larry Fitzgerald's annual offseason workouts as a free agent, knowing he was done in Minnesota but unsure where he'd end up because of the NFL lockout.

Seahawks 2012: Receivers
The Seahawks got caught with their hands down last season because of too many injuries among the wide receivers and tight ends. So they’ll be better this season, if they can get and stay healthy.

The Cover 2 'cheat sheet' | National Football Post
A safety's guide to reading run/pass in the deep half.

Scout.com: Larry Lumpkin Profile
Among the NFL teams have made inquiries about Lumpkin and will likely attend his workout, according to his agent, Chris Martin of OTG Sports: the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Houston Texans.

Why the NFL Is Trending Toward the Spread Offense | Bleacher Report
The spread offense's popularity has been steadily climbing since the 1990s, but the origin of the offense dates back to the early 20th century. Some may argue as to who the pioneer of the offense was, but from everything I found, it was Rusty Russell. Russell is best known for coaching Southern Methodist University in the early 1950s, but his tenure as head coach of the Masonic Home and School Orphanage left behind the longest-lasting impression.

3k's Fantasy Football Guide of Champions - Turf Show Times
Four no-fail rules to help you win your fantasy football league.

2011 Season Recap, NFC Divisional Playoffs: 49ers Vs. Saints - Niners Nation
We recap the 2012 NFC Divisional Playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints, an instant classic

Silva's Pre-Camp Top 150 - Goal Line Stand - Rotoworld.com
NFL training camps open in 16 days. While plenty will change as practices and preseason games commence, I wanted to unveil a Fantasy Top 150 before the first 2012 full-contact work begins.

Three Years of Yards Per Route Run: Tight Ends | ProFootballFocus.com
For the second day of the Yards Per Route Run three-year series, we turn to the tight end position. It is a very interesting time in the NFL to be a tight end. Not only are some of the best names in the NFL tight ends like Rob Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui and a personal favorite, former Brown Greg Estandia, but we are also hitting a cross roads for the position.

Offseason grades for every NFC team - NFL - ESPN
Analysis: The Seahawks are going to have a top-three defense, and they are improved at quarterback. Maybe Irvin wasn't worth the 15th pick in the draft, but that doesn't mean he can't get double-digit sacks opposite Chris Clemons (with Jones rushing from the interior on throwing downs) and eventually take over for Clemons. Throw in Wagner with K.J. Wright, behind an exceptional defensive line and with one of the very best secondaries in the league, and scoring on the Seahawks is going to be very difficult. Offensively, they did improve at the game's most important position, but I am predicting that Flynn is just keeping the position warm for Wilson, who will grab the starting quarterback job before long. Wilson is just too good a football player to play a backup role. Meanwhile, this team will run the ball and try to win low-scoring games. There are weapons here, but the offensive line is mediocre on a good day. Sidney Rice and Russell Okung must stay healthy for the Seahawks to score enough points to win consistently.

Offseason Breakdown: St. Louis Rams | Audibles
Whenever I think of the 2011 Rams, I can’t shake the title of The Roots’ album Things Fall Apart. The year began with such hope, coming on the heels of a turnaround 2010 that saw a six-win improvement and near playoff berth at 7-9 in the (then) weak NFC West. Sam Bradford was the reigning Rookie of the Year, and he was paired with a smart offensive coach in coordinator Josh McDaniels in his second season. One of the more promising young coaches in the league, Steve Spagnuolo, ran the sidelines. After just six wins in three years from 2007-2009, there was light at the end of the tunnel.

Pre-Season Scouting Report: Brad Sorensen, QB, Southern Utah " Tom Melton's NFL Draft Blog
Size: He is listed at 6’3", 237 pounds but he doesn’t look that big on film to me. Would estimate him at 6’2", 230 pounds just based on how big he looks on film. Looks pretty skinny and doesn’t look that tall to me. He has the size to be a NFL QB, even if he’s a little taller and bigger than he looks to me on film, but he looks more like a smaller, scrambling quarterback than a big, filled out pocket passer.

Market watch: Week 1 NFL lines | National Football Post
Early money is coming in on Michael Vick and the Eagles for Philly’s opener at Cleveland.

Despite pulled quad, Gordon impresses at Pro Day - CBSSports
A day after former TCU running back Ed Wesley demonstrated enough athleticism to potentially earn a late round selection in Thursday's supplemental draft, he was upstaged by Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon, who, by clocking in at 4.52 seconds and catching every pass thrown to him, may have legitimized the hype building around his NFL potential

NFL Supplemental Draft RB Wesley's Full Workout Numbers Improve His Stock | Bleacher Report
On Monday, former TCU running back Ed Wesley held his pro day workout, and the only information that came out painted a poor picture of him as a pro prospect. His 40 times right around 4.7 seconds made him look like a marginal prospect at 5'8", 196 pounds—a size reserved for speedier backs. Today, CBS Sports draft expert Rob Rang reports that the rest of the story puts Wesley in much better company.

Despite reports otherwise, RB Wesley looked 'athletic' at Pro Day - CBSSports
Representatives of 12 NFL teams were on the TCU campus Monday to watch the Pro Day workout of former Horned Frog running back Ed Wesley.

Ryan Booher’s RSP Reader’s Team | The Rookie Scouting Portfolio
QB2 Josh Portis 1 Portis has a very impressive skill set for a guy who is a relatively unknown. To help really supplement the running game, I want to be able to have a spread/wildcat package. Portis is a better passer than Darron Thomas, and the two of them will compete to be the trigger man in my added offensive packages. His use in these packages will also help him acclimate to the speed of the NFL, and if pressed into spot duty, he would have some experience with NFL defenses.

Random Perspective On: The 2012 Dallas Cowboys
A look at the best 3-4 outside linebackers of all-time

NFL will return to L.A. but loose ends remain; who arrives first? Rams? Chargers? Raiders?
The NFL's return to L.A. could happen as soon as 2013. There's still a way to go, though. Jason La Canfora lays out which team(s) could make the move, and the strengths and weaknesses of the current stadium proposals.

Rating early schedules: Five teams that get breaks and five that don't
A fast start often doesn't mean much at the finish. But with the 2011 Lions fresh in his mind, Clark Judge says it can make all the difference as he analyzes the five most and five least favorable early schedules.

Dallas Cowboys win the NFC East and other predictions - NFL.com
Will Eli Manning and the Giants improve on their 9-7 mark from last season? Will they be able to take down the Dallas Cowboys? Adam Rank offers up six predictions for the NFC in 2012.

Johnathan Hankins, Star Lotulelei head college defensive tackles - NFL.com
Defensive tackles don't always get the attention they deserve, but Chad Reuter is here to heap praise on some promising prospects. Here are the top DTs to watch in the 2012 college football season.

Baker awarded Walsh Fellowship with the NFL's Seahawks - GoGriz.com
University of Montana receivers coach Shalon Baker has been chosen for a two-week Bill Walsh National Football League Minority Coaching Fellowship.

Positional strategies: Look for potential when drafting receivers - NFL.com
Jason Smith targets the best wide receivers in each round of fantasy drafts.

Cold Hard Facts - Podcasts - MyNorthwest.com
John Clayton says Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray is a candidate for a breakout season in 2012, provided he stays healthy and Dallas' offensive line improves (13:48). Clayton also discusses the comments that former NFL personnel executive Tony Softli made about Russell Wilson (0:31) and gives an update on Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who was arrested over the weekend and charged with resisting arrest (14:43).

Armor on the Field: The NFL’s Headlong Race to Build the Unbreakable Linebacker | Playbook | Wired.com
Rob Vito is the charismatic CEO of Unequal Technologies, a Philadelphia company that manufactures military-grade Kevlar padding for sports equipment. Since 2010, Vito has been touting Kevlar as the best shock-suppression material in the world and boasting that his patented "EXO Skeleton CRT" -- CRT for "concussion reduction technology" -- absorbs as much as a quarter of the force a player takes to the head or chest, significantly reducing the risk of injury. But in the rush to make their players unbreakable, pro teams aren’t asking many questions of Vito beyond how quickly he can do the job.

Seahawks WRs not quite a Catch-22, but there are decisions to be made | Seahawks Blog | The Seattle Times
Locks: Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate. There simply isn't a scenario in which I see the Seahawks waking up on Sept. 1, and deciding that any of those three are not among the 53 best players to include on the roster.