Coffee and Cigarettes: Seahawks Links for Friday

One more day.

Quarterback Development: When Practice Reports Are Useless | The Rookie Scouting Portfolio
"A lot of times you learn from your mistakes. You know, you gotta make the mistakes to learn from them," he said. "And you never know how tight a window is until you throw it, and it was too tight. You try to force a ball into certain areas and then you learn from it, you say, ‘I can’t do that.’ You install new plays and you try to run them over and over and you try to identify all the problems where they come up and then really make good decisions. "We’re out here running a ton of plays every day, 75, 80 plays a day," he continued. "Believe me, they’re not all perfect, there’s a lot of learning every day in a lot of the situational stuff that we do. All of it is a good learning experience, whether Ryan or Brian are in there taking the snap, I’m paying attention to see what I would do if I was in there and vice versa. And that’s the only way to play football, you can’t sit here and only concentrate when you’re in. You gotta learn from every day on the field, every rep in practice, mentally and then physically when you get a chance to go out and do it, you gotta try to execute it as best you can."

-Tom Brady talking about the value of taking risks and making mistakes in practice.

Seahawks.com Blog | Wednesday in Hawkville: A fan-tastic finale "
What does he hope to improve on against the Broncos? "Everything. That’s what preseason is for, that’s what this (practice) is for. We have to improve on everything," said Flynn, who then rattled through a mental to-do improvement list that included the running game, passing game, protection, route running and accuracy throwing. "Just everything as an offense, everything that makes an offense go we’ve got to improve on."

Seahawks Projected Roster: Getting to 53 - CBSSports.com
The Seahawks quarterback situation cleared up slightly Tuesday with the report that Seattle may look to trade Tarvaris Jackson as early as next week. However, there are plenty of other positions where the pecking order isn't clear, including wide receiver, where veteran Terrell Owens will be competing with receivers more than a decade his junior for a job. Other issues the coaching staff will worry about as they look to trim the roster down to 53: Marshawn Lynch's uncertain status (DUI) and Zach Miller's health (concussion). From now until final cuts are made on Sept. 2, we'll take a once-a-week crack at projecting the Seahawks final 53-man roster.

Every rep counts for Seahawks' Braylon Edwards | Seattle Seahawks - The News Tribune
"It definitely drives me," Edwards said. "We definitely have some guys that are notable, as well as guys that are out here working hard and making plays. So you definitely want to be at the top of your game every practice because you don’t get many opportunities. So when you get them, you’ve got to make them count."

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll knew it all along — Richard Sherman would make a great cornerback
This was all the way back when Sherman attended Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., and Carroll was trying to sell him on USC. "He said I was the perfect size for a lockdown corner," Sherman said.

Winslow still a quality fantasy option
Fantasy writer Scott Engel of rotoexperts.com breaks down the Seahawks tight end position as it relates to fantasy football in 2012.

Jake Locker, Steelers running backs headline preseason Week 2 - NFL.com
Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos It will be all about the quarterbacks in this game. Peyton Manning looked very sharp in Chicago last week and should see a little more playing time in this game. Both Matt Flynn and Russell Wilson played well for the Seahawks last week. Flynn was very efficient, while Wilson provided some electric plays with both his arm and legs. This quarterback competition favors the high-priced free agent in Flynn, but Wilson could make things very interesting if he puts together another highlight-filled performance.

J.R. Sweezy figuring out other side of the line - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
"As a defense you're always downhill you're always running. As an offensive player you have to sit back and let things happen."

Raible reflects on Seahawks D, QB's - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
"I am pleased, in an understated way, at how good this defense is already and how good it can be, how fast they are how big they are up front."

Preseason Week 2 - Carroll Press Conference
Pete Carroll talks with the media as the Seahawks end their Bing Training Camp for 2012.

Further thoughts on the QB competition & WR an issue? " Seahawks Draft Blog
It was revealed yesterday that Matt Flynn will be starting again this weekend, with Russell Wilson playing the second half against Denver. It’s a further opportunity for both players to show they have what it takes, with Tarvaris Jackson watching from the sideline for a second consecutive week. The decision has led to some speculation about Jackson being shopped but you have to ask (with the greatest respect) who is going to be interested in that deal?

Camp Confidential: 49ers - NFC West Blog - ESPN
"If you watch our team last year, we were kind of one-dimensional as far as offense," left tackle Joe Staley said. "The passing game went through Vernon and Crabtree. The running game was Frank [Gore] and Kendall [Hunter]. We've added a lot of talent. The more weapons you have, the more versatile you can be. Our coaches are very creative."

Tongues wagging over Wagner
The Seahawks selected Bobby Wagner in the second round of April’s NFL Draft with the idea that he might be able to step in at middle linebacker. So far, he’s taking steps in that direction.

What's pertinent with Tarvaris Jackson - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Why a trade make senses for Seattle: Matt Flynn and Russell Wilson appear likely to emerge as the top two quarterbacks. Jackson has already given the Seahawks what they wanted from him: a quarterback whose familiarity with the offense helped the team get through a lockout-affected 2011 season. Seattle has no incentive to make a deal immediately. Jackson is insurance for now.

Free Agent Tracker - Seattle Seahawks Blog
The expanded tracker will be updated each evening and will not always be updated immediately upon the sidebar tracker being updated on the homepage. Also note, that this list is not to suggest the Seahawks should go out and sign these players. But rather, it’s a list of players that we feel could be scheme fits in Seattle based on skill-sets and other tangibles, and thus, could be worth bringing in for a workout and/or further evaluation. Some could be Practice Squad candidates, or go-to depth candidates in the case of injury. The size of this list, and it’s associated activity will fluctuate based on the time of year (i.e. Free Agency Period during offseason = big and high; mid-season = short/small and low).

Russell Okung excelling quietly | Seahawks Blog | The Seattle Times
"I felt like the four weeks prior to his injury last year, we were seeing who he is," Cable said. "Thus far in camp, and one preseason game, he has done a fine job. I'm looking for him to just keep building on it now that he's kind of accepted the responsibility of playing left tackle and what comes with it."

Youngsters start to emerge in NFL quarterback battles | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
There are those in the NFL who firmly believe that if former Wisconsin and current Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was 6-foot-2, he'd have gone before Ryan Tannehill (picked eighth) in the 2012 NFL draft, and perhaps been a top-5 pick. However, Wilson's actual stature -- 5-foot-10 5/8 -- set him down to the third round, where Seahawks general manager John Schneider was more than happy to make him a sleeper pick.

WR Owens to play against Denver - August 16, 2012 | Seattle - Seahawks - TOP STORIES -
"He's going to play this weekend. He's ready to go," Carroll said. "He had two good weeks of work and he came in in great shape so he's ready to go. I'm not going to tell you how many plays it will be but he's going to play early in the game." "I didn't think it was fair for a guy to come in one week and play after sitting out a whole year."

Much at stake for T.O. in Seahawks debut - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Two NFL players have finished a game with at least 10 receptions for 220 yards and a touchdown over the past two seasons. Calvin Johnson was one. Terrell Owens was the other. Owens was two months shy of his 37th birthday when he accomplished the feat for Cincinnati against Cleveland on Nov. 3, 2010. Now 38, Owens is scheduled to make his 2012 exhibition debut for Seattle against Denver on Friday night.

How Strong is the 12th Man? A Study in Home Field Advantage - 12th Man Rising -
Often in the world of sports we are told the same clichés and platitudes over and over again as if they are irrefutable fact even when there is little or no evidence to support them. Narratives tend to snowball out of control to the point where commentators and so-called experts will spew statements based on minute sample sizes or wildly speculate about non-existent trends based on the last thing they’ve seen. People find these narratives engaging, and while some are accurate, others are not even close to being correct.

Final Public Practice – Observations | August
Judging from this practice alone, Matt Flynn is the clear-cut favorite to start in week 1 of the regular season. Flynn, as advertised, showed crispness in his mechanics and his accuracy was top-notch, (only 3 incompletions during the entire practice). He often checked down short passes rather than airing it out deep, but did flash his arm on several occasions as noted in the highlights section below.

John Fox: 'Hasn't decided' if D.J. Williams plays in preseason - NFL.com
The Denver Broncos' D.J. Williams is facing a six-game drug suspension to start the season, but coach John Fox isn't sure if the linebacker will hit the field during the preseason. Asked Thursday if Williams will play in any of the preseason games, Fox said, "I haven't decided that yet. We're bringing him along, getting him ready for the season. And we're about ready to go into a suspension time at the end of this month and we'll go from there."

2012 fantasy sleepers | National Football Post
28 names to circle heading into draft day.

NFL preseason weekend: What to watch for | National Football Post
RGIII vs. Bears' Cover 2, Locker, Packers' rookies and more.

ProFootballWeekly.com - 49ers DT Justin Smith looking as nasty as ever
"He’s just incredible," said one close observer of Smith, who has started 171 consecutive regular-season games and never has missed a game because of injury. "(Niners defensive coordinator) Vic Fangio says he thinks Justin can perhaps play another five years with his mobility and explosion. It’s amazing how athletic he still is at his size (6-4, 285 pounds) and how much leverage he still uses.

ProFootballWeekly.com - Cardinals rookie QB Lindley opening eyes in desert
"He has impressed," one team insider said of Lindley, who performed better than either Kolb or Skelton in the Cardinals’ second preseason game vs. the Chiefs. "He’s real mature, and you can tell by how quickly he picks things up that he’s been pretty well-coached. He doesn’t make the same mistake twice.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | DVOA 7.0: Worst Teams Ever
In Football Outsiders Almanac 2012, and recently on the website, we introduced the latest iteration of our DVOA formula, which we are calling DVOA v7.0. The biggest change in the new formula is that all years are normalized so the league average equals 0%, and that moves players and teams up and down our all-time rankings depending on how strong offense was league-wide that season. We ran the list of top teams overall, top overall offenses, and top overall defenses back in the first piece that introduced the new version of DVOA on August 1, then ran a few more tables with the best teams split by pass and run ran here. Today we're flipping things around to look at the worst teams in DVOA history according to the new formula.

NFL - Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers have most depth in the NFL - ESPN
San Francisco 49ers The big problem the 49ers had coming into the offseason was a lack of depth at the skill positions -- especially at wide receiver, where Michael Crabtree was essentially the only receiving option of any note after Josh Morgan went down. Between Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, and A.J. Jenkins, San Francisco now has a lot of potential options for Alex Smith to throw deep to. Frank Gore hasn't been a true game-changing running back for a number of years now, so the 49ers drafted LaMichael James and signed Brandon Jacobs to make sure they had a couple of different looks to throw at opponents in the run game. On defense, the 49ers return all 11 starters and have a number of solid backups and situational players such as nickelback Chris Culliver and linebacker Larry Grant. Oh yeah, and Aldon Smith's ascension to the starting lineup leaves a perfectly solid linebacker such as Parys Haralson on the bench.

Preseason injuries make 18-and-2 split more reasonable | ProFootballTalk
I’m opposed to an 18-game regular season. But I’m also opposed to a four-game preseason. Actually, I’m opposed to a two-game preseason. Or a one-game preseason.

Flex Appeal - Football Daily Dose - Rotoworld.com
Something I’ve noticed over the last few years is that most fantasy owners don't put much thought into the position they should be targeting for their flex slot. Generally, running back seems like the logical way to go, but with the question marks at the position; and co

Pre-Season Power Rankings: Part 2 " Pick 256
16. Seattle Seahawks – The Seahawks are right in the middle of my rankings for one reason: I could see them being very good or really terrible. More than any other team, it’s hard to get a feel for whether or not this is an 11-5 type team or 5-11. The QB situation is one big reason why: Matt Flynn is a total unknown and neither Russell Wilson or Tarvaris Jackson strike me as guys that can take a team to the playoffs. The skill position players are a bit overrated but are capable of great things at times. Marshawn Lynch can be a top back at times, and a non-factor at others. Sidney Rice is an excellent weapon when healthy – which has been rare. Seahawks fans seem to love the non-Rice receivers led by Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin and Ben Obomanu but the front office seems to have a different opinion as they’ve seemingly auditioned or signed every washed up veteran imaginable. If Braylon Edwards or Terrell Owens makes the roster and can be a #1 or #2 guy, Flynn should be set up for success. The Seahawks D is steady and well-coached but their depth is questionable and might have overachieved last year. 1st rounder Bruce Irvin will be one of the most intriguing stories to watch this year.

Rams show Bradford he's at heart of St. Louis building program - NFL -
"Obviously to me it's very frustrating because I thought that by this point this year it would be a non-factor," Bradford said. "But I think the greatest thing is it hasn't caused me to miss any reps. They haven't cut back anything. I'm able to get through everything in practice. We just have to figure out the best way to manage it during the year, and I'm sure it will be different once we start playing games." There were injury concerns about Bradford at Oklahoma as well, but rightly it served as no deterrent to the Rams doing what the football world expected, and making him the first overall pick in 2010 (and the last of the bonus babies, getting $50-million guaranteed contract before ever throwing an NFL pass). And if Bradford continues to develop as expected, it is only a matter of time before his $13.5 million/year average salary begins to look like a bargain given the ever surging price tags for quality passers.

2012 NFL Season Betting Preview: Team Win Totals Analysis and Predictions - YouTube
With the 2012 NFL season less than three weeks away, SB Nation begins its whirlwind tour of preview coverage by making some fun, bold predictions about team win totals. Matt Ufford and Brad Wells pick one over/under 'lock' per division, and invite viewers to tell them they're crazy, smart or anything in between.