Coffee and Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Saturday

Weekend!

Cam Newton Will Take Up 9% of Carolina’s Cap Over His First Decade
Four years ago, I noted with some annoyance that the Carolina Panthers signed Olindo Mare to a 4-year, $12M deal, while at the same time signing Cam Newton to a 4-year, $22M contract. I was not a fan of the way rookies were treated under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and the Mare/Newton situation was a perfect example of the problem. With the new rookie wage scale, the NFL had taken money that was going to go into Newton’s pocket and placed it into the wallets of players like Mare.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Four Downs: NFC West
In a series of articles over the next few days, Football Outsiders will be looking division-by-division at the biggest hole left on each team's roster after free agency and the 2015 NFL draft.

Going through the motions: How Colin Kaepernick’s delivery has changed | The Sacramento Bee
Colin Kaepernick looks different. Right? Everyone who has watched the 49ers quarterback in practice or viewed clips of him this spring knows his delivery has been altered. But it's harder to put your finger on exactly what changes have been made.

NFL promotes John Hussey to referee, announces 10 new officials | ProFootballTalk
As the league continues to churn the roster of officials, they've added 10 new names to the pool this offseason. The league just released the roster of 122 game officials for the coming season, which includes two hands worth of newcomers.

Only three officials from 2014 NFL roster didn’t make the 2015 list | ProFootballTalk
The NFL has made a point to talk about upgrading the officiating roster, but it doesn't appear that they've culled the herd much this offseason. Of the seven names on the 2014 roster of 119 officials who were not among the 122 names on the 2015 roster, four were given some degree of promotion or ...

Cardinals sign guard Jon Halapio, waive tackle Tavon Rooks | ProFootballTalk
The Arizona Cardinals announced they signed guard Jon Halapio and released tackle Tavon Rooks on Friday. Halapio was a sixth-round pick of the New England Patriots last year out of the University of Florida. Halapio was released by the Patriots during final cuts at the end of training camp.

Anthony Davis will pay back unearned signing bonus money | ProFootballTalk
Like linebacker Chris Borland, tackle Anthony Davis will pay back to the 49ers the unearned portion of his signing bonus in light of his decision to retire. Unlike Borland, the amount Davis owes is in the millions.

NFL moves Bill Leavy into supervisory role after 20 years as referee - CBSSports.com
Leavy has been with the NFL since 1995 and is likely best known for his crew's performance in Super Bowl XL.

Would You Rather: Odell Beckham Jr. or Antonio Brown? - CBSSports.com
So who ya got: Giants wunderkind Odell Beckham Jr. or the NFL's most productive pass catcher (who also happens to excel as a punt-returner) in Steelers wideout Antonio Brown?

J.J. Watt vs. the best QBs: Who is more valuable? - NFL.com
In building a franchise, which young quarterbacks would you choose over Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt? Chris Wesseling explores.

Five things we learned at this week's OTAs - NFL.com
Organized team activities are a breeding ground for football cliches that pop up every spring, but here are five real and relevant storylines from this week's OTAs.

10 things we’ve learned about the Seahawks through two weeks of OTAs | The Seattle Times
Here is a look at 10 things we have learned about the Seahawks through the first two weeks of OTAs.

Jimmy Graham fitting in, standing out during nice start with Seahawks - Seattle Seahawks | 710 ESPN Seattle
It was only an June practice without pads, but what was evident from the Seahawks' OTA earlier this week was how dangerous of a weapon the Seahawks have in tight end Jimmy Graham, the rapport he's already developed with his quarterback and how comfortable he seems to be in his new setting. - Blog - 710 ESPN Seattle

Seattle Seahawks offseason Q&A: ESPN’s John Clayton - Seattle Seahawks & NFL News
We’re four months removed from the Seattle Seahawks’ loss in Super Bowl XLIX and three months away from start of the 2015 NFL season, but football seems to be on the mind of nearly every Seattle sports fan.

Seattle Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch takes in NBA Finals
There were numerous celebrities in attendance at Thursday night's Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and...

Jim Schwartz: defensive tackles, not ends, have more value in modern NFL - Buffalo Rumblings
If Marcell Dareus' agent needed another argument to make in his client's bid for a nine-figure contract extension with the Bills, these words from Dareus' former defensive coordinator will do the trick.

What else to watch as St. Louis Rams continue with OTAs - St. Louis Rams Blog - ESPN
In the zone -- Since hiring Frank Cignetti Jr. as offensive coordinator earlier this offseason, the Rams have dropped some hints at some tweaks to the offense. One such tweak that's expected is that they'll add more zone-blocking schemes to the mix than they've done in recent years.

Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: Seahawks Spotlight: Kevin Pierre-Louis

Mike Pritchard Humbled By Colorado Hall of Fame Honor - The Ralphie Report

Former CU WR Mike Pritchard will be inducted into CU's hall of fame in November. See what he's been doing after retiring from the NFL and his thoughts on the current state of his alma mater.