Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Saturday

LINKS!

Scouting Combine: Day Three " Seahawks Draft Blog
Today the quarterbacks, receivers and running backs were measured, weighed and interviewed.

Carroll favors keeping Matt Flynn | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
"To have a caliber of second quarterback like Matt, you can’t get better than that," Carroll said. "That’s a great deal for us. And so we’re very solidly in favor of keeping that together if we could."

NFP reviews today's specialists workout | National Football Post
Russ Lande reviews today's workout of punter and place kickers.

2013 NFL Scouting Combine: Larry Warford open to position change in NFL - SBNation.com
Warford said teams have spoken with him about playing center in the NFL.

NFL Combine 2013: EJ Manuel confident in zone option skills - SBNation.com
INDIANAPOLIS - Former Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel is one of the more buzz-worthy players at the NFL Combine this week.

QB MarQueis Gray Scouting Report | Buffalo Bills Draft
QB / RB / FB / WR / TE / OT / OG / OC / DT / DE / OLB / ILB / CB / SAF QB MarQueis Gray-Minnesota Height: 6’4 Weight: 245 lbs. Grade: 5.8M (Grading

NFL Scouting Combine: What we learned Day 2 - NFL.com
Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said it would be a "great opportunity" to add Charles Woodson to the roster. It's hard to say whether this was just Carroll being Carroll and sending bouquets to a good player, or whether there is serious interest.

John Schneider can’t elude questions about Russell Wilson
When John Schneider stepped to the podium at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday, many of the questions fielded by the Seahawks’ GM involved a player the team drafted last year: Russell Wilson.

2013 NFL Draft: Travis Kelce Scouting Report
Travis Kelce isn’t yet a household name, but I suspect he will be soon. He’s a senior tight end for the Cincinnati Bearcats who has been pretty underrated up until now, except for among the amateur and professional scouting communities. While he’s not as popular or well-known as Tyler Eifert, Zach Ertz, or even Jordan Reed, there is a good chance he’s drafted before any of them, as he is one of the most well-rounded tight ends available in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Combine: Broaddus Measures Up Talented Group Of Skill Players
One of the most important parts of the combine is seeing exactly how these players measure up in terms of height and weight. While they might be listed one way throughout college, we get the chance to see for ourselves before their workouts.

Barkley planning to start right out of the gate | National Football Post
USC quarterback addresses the media in Indianapolis.

Harbaugh leans on the lessons of Judge Judy for draft prep | ProFootballTalk
The stories of the football influences on Jim Harbaugh were well told and often during the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. But perhaps the biggest impact on his NFL Scouting Combine preparation isn’t Bo Schembechler or Jack Harbaugh, but Judge Judy.

Tavon Austin: I’m the best player in the draft | ProFootballTalk
Austin brashly proclaimed himself the best player in the draft when it was his turn to meet the media in Indianapolis. Asked if he views himself as the top player available at any position, Austin answered, "I think so." "I think I am the all around best player in the draft," Austin continued.

Feeling the heat | National Football Post
The NFP examines which quarterbacks are under the most pressure entering the 2013 season.

Friday Buzz | National Football Post
Seahawks coaches who have been around awhile were amazed at Russell Wilson’s aptitude for the game. In fact, Wilson had multiple games in which he had no run check or protection call errors. That is unheard of, even for savvy veteran quarterbacks.

From the combine: Luke Joeckel leads a loaded class of O-linemen, but others are gaining on him | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
From the blog Shutdown Corner: INDIANAPOLIS -- The 2013 NFL Draft may be a relative disaster if you're looking for a quarterback who can turn the lights up on a franchise, but things look a lot better on the offensive like this time around. At … Continue reading →

Taiwan Jones will move to CB, Oakland Raiders GM says - NFL.com
Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie says Taiwan Jones will be moved from running back to cornerback next season. Jones was buried on the Raiders' depth chart last season.

Danny Amendola won't be franchised by St. Louis Rams - NFL.com
Danny Amendola's contract situation is a high priority for St. Louis Rams general manager Les Snead, but the exec admits he will not use the franchise tag on the wide receiver -- or anyone.

Alex Smith 'unlikely' to be cut by 49ers, coach says - NFL.com
San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said Friday it's "unlikely" QB Alex Smith will be released this offseason, but he and the team seemingly are angling hard to trade the former starter.

A few minutes with Matt Barkley | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
Quarterback Matt Barkely has lost a little bit of his shine heading into this year’s draft after a disappointing senior campaign with the Trojans. However, the USC product still believes he’s the best quarterback in the draft, even though most draft analysts have West Virginia’s Geno Smith rated ahead of him.

Cold Hard Facts - Podcasts - MyNorthwest.com
John Clayton discusses a few options the Seahawks have with backup quarterback Matt Flynn, whom the team has said it is open to trading. Clayton also talks about the 49ders' options with their backup quarterback, Alex Smith.

Eight in the box: Biggest cap casualty - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks have more cap room than any team in the NFC West. They have a dozen players with 2013 cap figures projected at $2.9 million or higher, but none of the 12 appears to be a candidate for release even though Zach Miller ($11 million cap figure) and Sidney Rice ($9.7 million) are eating up $20 million together. Looking further down the salary scale, it's safe to assume the team won't pay $2.3 million in salary to backup receiver Ben Obomanu.

Closer look at Wells and NFC West RBs - NFC West Blog - ESPN
At his best, Beanie Wells can be a big, physical runner with a wicked stiff-arm and a strong nose for the end zone. Wells was not at his best last season.

Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes revisited - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The San Francisco 49ers showed zero meaningful interest in Nnamdi Asomugha when the Pro Bowl cornerback reached free agency two years ago.

NFL Scouting Combine: Da'Rick Rogers talks changed character after failed drug tests - SBNation.com
Da'Rick Rogers says he failed three drug tests at Tennessee, but that he's changed. His character could keep the first-round talent from being a first-round pick, but if he's to be believed, it shouldn't be an issue in the pros.

Seahawks might trade QB Matt Flynn, but not to save money | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
GM John Schneider sounded as if he would be very content if the Seahawks brought Flynn back next season.

Seahawks' success affecting how rest of NFL operates | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
The Seahawks have become not only a serious contender on the field but a reference point in today's NFL coaching and executive ranks.

2013 NFL Combine: Hidden gems along OL surprise in bench press - CBSSports
The first athletic testing of the 2013 NFL Combine began Thursday with offensive linemen and tight ends competing in the bench press.

Seahawks.com Blog | Pete Carroll on Richard Sherman: ‘I think he’s a great corner’
"It’s obvious that Richard’s got a lot of free time on his hands," Carroll cracked when asked about Sherman in the hallway at Lucas Oil Stadium after completing his Q&A session in the media center.

Seahawks.com Blog | Pete Carroll: There were games when Russell Wilson was ‘the best player on the field’
Spoiler alert: If you’re tired of reading gushing accounts of Russell Wilson’s rookie season, do not continue. But if you’re not, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll heaped more effusive praise upon the quarterback who did so much during the 2012 NFL season.

2013 NFL Combine: Da'Rick Rogers not hiding from troubled past - CBSSports
At 6-feet-2 and 203 pounds with excellent leaping ability and ball skills, Da'Rick Rogers is arguably the most physically gifted wide receiver in the 2013 NFL Draft. He's often compared to Atlanta Falcons star wideout Julio Jones for his combination of size, strength and explosiveness.

Draft Zone Spotlight: Rashaan Melvin, DB, Northern Illinois University " NFL Draft Zone
Draft Zone Spotlight: Rashaan Melvin, DB, Northern Illinois University Rashaan Melvin has the size to be a first round pick, he plays extremely well at corner back and has the stats to prove he is worthy. So my question is WHY, is this 6’2 corner back getting over looked? Rashaan tallied 117 tackles, 13 pass breakups and five interceptions in three seasons with the Huskies. He is very physical and stays in the face of his competitors. They don’t have a section at Northern Illinois called "Melvin Island" for nothing, this kid is a shut down corner, and will definitely get looks from NFL teams. Keep an eye on this stud corner back, who walked on to NIU.

Central Michigan OT Eric Fisher getting scouted as top-10 pick by NFL | Detroit Lions | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
Four general managers traveled to CMU to personally scout him last year: the Lions' Martin Mayhew, the Bears' Phil Emery, the Seahawks' John Schneider and A.J. Smith, then with the Chargers. And almost every draft analyst expects him to go in the first dozen picks.

Jokers | The Rookie Scouting Portfolio
One of the pervading themes in this blog has been discussion of the hybridization of football players:

Chance Warmack smaller than expected; meet Luke Marquardt - NFL.com
This is shaping up to be an excellent draft for teams in need of a tight end. Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert (6-5 1/2, 250 pounds), Stanford's Zach Ertz (6-5, 249) and San Diego State's Gavin Escobar (6-5 7/8, 254) passed the eyeball test at the weigh-ins. They are very talented on tape and proved to have ideal size/bulk for the position. Cincinnati's Travis Kelce (6-4 7/8, 255) is a name to monitor during the week. He is by far the best blocking tight end in this draft. A good workout could net a second-round draft slot in April.

Assessing Tight End Prospect Vance McDonald - Hogs Haven
Mark Bullock assess the versatile tight end prospect Vance McDonald ahead of the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine.