Coffee and Cigarettes: Seahawks Links for Thursday

Holy crap it's already Thursday.

2011 Route Efficiency: Wide Receiver Screens | ProFootballFocus.com
No route is more defined by the ability of the receiver to beat his coverage defender with the ball in his hands than the quick screen and no other presents a tougher play on the ball for the defender than the quick screen. This is the ultimate test of a defender’s ability to close quickly and make a sure, quick tackle. Anything more and dangerous receivers have the ability to get into space quickly and wreak havoc on a defense. So who does the most damage with ball in hand and which defenders are doing the most to limit the bleeding?

Battles: Hasselbeck vs. Locker - Training Camp Lowdown - Rotoworld.com
Matt Hasselbeck vs. Jake Locker Even though Kenny Britt (knee, off-field) is in danger of missing multiple games, this offense has a ton of explosive upside. That makes this quarterback battle much more interesting than the ones going on in Seattle, Miami and Arizona.

Kevin Kolb, John Skelton split reps at Cardinals' first workout - NFL - SI.com
Whisenhunt was displeased with a comment by analyst Willie McGinest, who said on the NFL Network that "talking to some of my buddies down there, it seems like they're (the players) gravitating toward Skelton a little bit more." "I have no perception whatever that that's going on," Whisenhunt said. "From what I've seen, standing in the huddle, which I don't believe he was in the huddle, the team's responded to both guys and feel like both guys can be successful for them. So I don't put a whole lot of stock into that. If he's willing to say who it was or what they're talking about and what context, maybe it would be worthy of commenting."

Failed physicals, non-football injuries pepper Wednesday’s transactions | ProFootballTalk
Every day, the NFL issues a "personnel notice," also informally known as the "waiver wire." The document plainly states that it is "confidential," and that "[d]istribution of this information to individuals not employed by your Club or the NFL League office is prohibited.

Reflections on Seahawks' latest extension - NFC West Blog - ESPN
A few thoughts after the Seattle Seahawks announced a contract extension for center Max Unger:

Seahawks make Max Unger one of NFL's best-paid centers | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
No terms were announced other than a multiyear deal, but it's expected to make Unger one of the best-paid centers in the NFL.

The center of attention
After Max Unger turned in a solid 2011 season, the Seahawks have rewarded their starting center by signing him to a multiyear contract extension.

Seahawks sign C Max Unger to multi-year extension - July 25, 2012 | Seattle - Seahawks -
"I am very happy about this new deal," Unger said in a statement. "We have a developing young line that had some success last year that we can build upon this season. It's a good deal for the both of us and I couldn't be happier to be in Seattle."

Tennessee QB Bray Casts Shadow on His NFL Draft Stock with Vandalism Incident | Bleacher Report
Bray just gave NFL teams a reason to put a black mark in the character column of his scouting report. According to John Adams and Don Jacobs of GoVolsXtra, Bray and his roommate, Michael C. Grandinetti were drinking and throwing beer bottles and golf balls at a parked car on the night of Friday, July 20.

Who will lead the NFL in rushing from 2012 to 2021?
Bill Barnwell wrote an interesting article where he tried to identify the best running back in football. His article made me wonder: which player will gain the most rushing yards over the next decade?

NFL officials lockout should be agent for change; put real officials in booth - CBSSports.com
The NFL and its game officials are butting heads over a new contract less than two weeks to the first preseason game. We are hearing cries of safety issues, sympathy strikes, picket lines -- all of which will disappear when the contract is settled. But the league's problem is not how much officials are paid but how the game is officiated.

Power Rankings: Giants start on top, but how long do they last? - NFL - CBSSports.com
Matt Flynn, Tarvaris Jackson and Russell Wilson just don't get me excited about at the quarterback position. That's a big problem.

Will the new CBA hurt rookies? | National Football Post
Many of the rules in the new CBA limit on-field instructional time for rookies.

Seahawks Insider: Zach Miller | Seahawks Insider: Russell Wilson | Seahawks Insider: Russell Okung | Seahawks Insider: Roy Lewis

Seahawks Insider: Ken Norton Jr.
Seahawks linebacker coach Ken Norton Jr. talks about his transition from player to coach as well as what it was like to be the son of a professional boxer.

Lack of two-a-days puts pressure on NFL rookies - NFL.com
"I think when you look at these rookies, now with the new CBA, you don’t have as many reps, because you are only having one practice and a walk-through/jog-through," O’Hara said Tuesday on NFL Network’s "NFL Total Access." "So as a rookie, you have to get mental reps in where normally you have a two-a-day."

New Orleans Saints' offense will be fine without Sean Payton - NFL.com
Some might think the New Orleans Saints' offense is going to take a step back without suspended coach Sean Payton at the controls. But as I see it, nothing could be further from the truth. The offense will flourish with offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. calling plays. In fact, it could be even more explosive than the 2011 version. Here are three reasons why:

Source: Clemons to sign $21 million deal with Seahawks
The contract extension agreed to on Monday, and likely to be signed Tuesday or Wednesday by Seattle Seahawks' defensive end Chris Clemons, is for three years and worth more than $21 million, The Sports Xchange has confirmed. Agent Don Henderson confirmed the length of the contract only. Henderson was still reviewing the contract late Tuesday afternoon, and precise details were still being exchanged with Seattle officials, but there appeared to be no major stumbling blocks to the deal becoming official.

NFL - Matt Flynn, Randall Cobb among players who deserve more playing time this season - ESPN
Matt Flynn, QB, Seattle Seahawks Flynn signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract with Seattle based on two starts, one in 2010 and one in 2011. His Week 17 game against the Lions will go down in the Small Sample Size Hall of Fame: 31-for-44, 480 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. In the Football Outsiders' play-by-play breakdown, that was worth 268 DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement, explained here), the third-highest total of any single game by a quarterback in 2011. Bad quarterbacks simply don't have games that good, even as flukes.

Ten burning questions: Repeat Giants, Luck or RG3, Mile High Manning? - NFL -
Has Seattle found its quarterback in Matt Flynn? -- I'm going to have to pass on this one until I see what happens in camp and early this season.

Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles flying high in 2012? - NFL.com
Clearly, it's the day of predictions in the NFL, with Ryan Kalil taking out a full-page ad to announce that the Carolina Panthers will win Super Bowl XLVII, and Chad Johnson forecasting "a monster year" with the Miami Dolphins at age 34. Let's get in on the act: What's one bold prediction you have for the 2012 season?

Seahawks.com Blog | Inside Clemons’ sacks "
Two things stand out about the 22 sacks that Chris Clemons has produced in his first two seasons with the Seahawks.

NFL Preseason Video Series: San Francisco 49ers 2012 Training Camp Battles - YouTube
David Fucillo of Niners Nation provides his top five training camp battles to keep an eye on as part of SB Nation's preseason NFL video series coverage.

Hard Knocks: Q&A with the Lead Producers : NFL Films Blog
Read about the behind-the-scenes of Hard Knocks and see why the Miami Dolphins could be the best season yet:

Titans corner says Jake Locker reminds him of Vince Young | ProFootballTalk
Titans corner Alterraun Verner chose to invoke the name of the former Titan when asked to compare Locker to another NFL quarterback while he was a guest on Ross Tucker’s Sirius XM NFL Radio show. It’s important to note that Verner was only making the comparison based on playing style and that he have a solid point.

The full PFT Preseason Power Rankings | ProFootballTalk
For those of you who have asked for the full list (and specifically for those who have threatened bodily injury if we don’t compile it), here it is. Bottom to top, with links to the team-by-team previews.

My training camp advice for rookies | National Football Post
A major transition for all first-year pros as they report for practice and prep to compete daily vs. veteran talent. Today, let’s look at some rookie tips to surviving camp and putting yourself in the best position to make it through final cuts.

ProFootballWeekly.com - Biggest regrets: These 2012 moves will be rued
You could argue that the Saints will look back and regret they didn’t give Drew Brees his $20 million per year sooner. Enveloped in the Bounty scandal, this franchise badly needed its rudder this offseason. It’s good that the two sides got together, and Brees can do his best to help the healing process. In the end, there will be no long-term lament with this deal. The Saints got their guy, and Brees got paid. Done and done. All sides — counting the flummoxed and irritated fans as the third rail in this equation — win with this deal.

A 574-page shot across the NFC West bow - NFC West Blog - ESPN
"Bad quarterbacks simply don't have games that good, even as flukes," he wrote. (...) "Going back to 1991," Schatz wrote, "the worst quarterback who had a single game this good was Scott Mitchell. As bad as Mitchell was at times, he also threw for more than 4,000 yards with 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 1995. Seattle would gladly take those stats from Flynn."