Coffee and Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Monday

I'm gonna tell you what I really think I like about Mondays.

2015 NFL Mock Draft: Pass rushers rule the top half of round one - CBSSports.com
Quarterback is king, but the players who can get to the passer and disrupt the backfield are almost as important. Plenty of those guys will be available at the top of the 2015 NFL Draft.

NFL team needs: Top offseason priorities for all 32 franchises - CBSSports.com
What happens to Peyton in Denver? Or AP in Minnesota? Or RG3 and Sam Bradford? With the combine upon us, every NFL club has to act fast to solve their thorniest issues.

De Smith has four challengers for NFLPA position | ProFootballTalk
Four weeks from yesterday, the NFLPA's board of player representatives and Executive Committee will convene in Hawaii for their annual meeting.  When they arrive, the primary task of the player representatives will be electing an executive director.

Tyler Varga hopes his body of work gets him noticed in Indy | ProFootballTalk
When the NFL types inspect Yale running back Tyler Varga at the Scouting Combine this week, they'll see a well-defined athlete. But as chiseled as he is, he still might be no better than the third-most fit member of his family.

Report: Raiders “expected to pursue” Terrance Knighton | ProFootballTalk
The Raiders, who tabbed former Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio as their head coach in January, are reportedly likely to make a run at one of Denver's defensive linemen in free agency. According to Troy E.

Team-by-team look at who could be tagged | ProFootballTalk
From 21 in 2012 to eight in 2013 to only four in 2014, the franchise tag has quickly fallen out of fashion in pro football. For 2015, the two-week window for applying the franchise tag opens Monday.

Alex Smith 'shocked' over 49ers' regime change - NFL.com
Alex Smith said that he is "shocked" over the 49ers' regime change. How does the former San Francisco quarterback feel about Jim Harbaugh's replacement as head coach?

Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: Stephen Paea A Great Fit For Seahawks
As much fun as it is to envision Ndamukong Suh wearing a Seahawks uniform and tearing a hole in the middle of opposing offenses, the probability that everything lines up to make that happen are very small. The good news is that this is a bountiful crop of free agent defensive tackles, and a number of them could make sense in the Seahawks scheme. One that jumps near the top of the list due to potential cost, fit and upside is NT/3T Stephen Paea. The former Oregon State Beaver who set a record at the NFL combine with 49 reps of 225 lbs, has developed into a versatile player who is strong enough to defend the run and collapse the pocket.

Gut-wrenching losses leave an eternal sting | Larry Stone | The Seattle Times
The Seahawks’ Super Bowl shocker stands right there with other all-time heartbreakers in sports, from Buckner to Bartman to the dinger off Donnie Moore. “Winning is nice, but losing you remember forever,’’ Dave Henderson says.

Maxx Williams: Forty time will not make or break his stock | Seahawks Draft Blog
What makes a first round tight end? It’s not as simple as you think.

NBA dunk champion Zach LaVine shares close tie to Seattle Seahawks
The Minnesota Timberwolves rookie has a family connection to football in the Pacific Northwest.

2015 NFL Combine Musings | National Football Post

Russell Wilson an elite quarterback who deserves an elite salary | Jerry Brewer | The Seattle Times
Seattle might have to pay a hefty price in signing Wilson to his next contract, but it beats the alternative of starting over again.

NFL - Julian Howsare 2015 - Clarion - OLB - College2pro.com
Excellent size-speed ratio. Shows good quickness for his size. Tough smart with a great motor. Good at using hands well to sift through traffic. Shows good strength at the point of attack. Good leader with high football IQ. Could play inside or outside but looks most efficient on the move and might be best outside lining up over the tight end. Ability to come off the edge via defensive end or linebacker is his ticket to the NFL. Recently he was notified by the Seattle Seahawks asking him about the chances of playing fullback, adding to how versatile Howsare is on the field.

Prospects bring passion to Houston regional combine - NFL.com
Small-school standouts and overlooked FBS players converged on the regional combine in Houston, provided with likely one last opportunity to chase the NFL dream.