Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Sunday

You guys hangin' out? I'll hang out.

Alex Smith's trade value, Brandon Weeden's ceiling, more buzz - NFL.com
Jim Harbaugh says the San Francisco 49ers are "unlikely" to cut Alex Smith. What's the former starting quarterback's trade value? One NFL general manager offered his appraisal to Ian Rapoport.

Seahawks want Flynn, Carroll says | Seattle Seahawks - The News Tribune
If Pete Carroll has his way, Matt Flynn will stay in Seattle for another season — whether he wants to or not. The Seahawks’ coach used his poker face Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine when discussing the possibility of trading his backup quarterback, echoing general manger John Schneider’s sentiments expressed earlier that he’s in favor of keeping Flynn on the roster for a second season. Flynn is due to make $5.25 million in base salary in 2013, $2 million of which is guaranteed,

Pete Carroll: Monte Kiffin back where belongs - Dallas Cowboys Blog - ESPN Dallas
"We play a similar scheme we have for years," Kiffin said. "I was at the Bucs and Pete was at Southern Cal and we would talk all the time. We’ve kind of played that scheme. It just so happens that he’s at Seattle and they happened to play pretty well this year, but they do play some single-high safety and have some good corners that can bump. And we play cover-2 and they play cover-2. That’s where you hear about this Seattle deal. But we are also very much the Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, without a doubt."

Gahhh Look At This Horrible Injury Suffered By Seahawks Wide Receiver Doug Baldwin
Seattle wide receiver Doug Baldwin didn't play in the Seahawks' week three win over the Packers—you know the one—because of what was generally described as a "shoulder injury." The Seahawks listed Baldwin as "questionable" as late as game day. That's the injury Baldwin almost played with over there, tweeted out by Baldwin yesterday in response to a fan who asked why he had missed the Green Bay game. Questionable indeed. (Click to enlarge. Aah! Close tab!)

Seahawks.com Blog | Gus Bradley showing he’s a chip off the ol’ Pete
Gus Bradley is attending his eighth NFL Scouting Combine, but this one is unlike the previous seven.

Why I think linebacker could be an early priority " Seahawks Draft Blog
Though a follower of the draft for over two decades, 2009 was the first year I started doing tape breakdowns and informing myself about prospects. Not with Mel Kiper analysis or googled scouting reports, but by watching and evaluating the players myself, while taking cues from analysts I respected. Before 2009… I wouldn’t claim to be any kind of authority on the draft before that.

John Schneider, Matt Flynn and the benefit of the doubt - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
You'd be wise to take most of what you hear from NFL coaches and executives this time of the year with a grain of salt. Teams have little incentive, after all, to be forthcoming with their plans in free agency, the trade market and the draft. More often than not, it's in their best interest to be anything from ambiguous to misleading.

Pete Carroll: ‘We just want to keep developing our team’ | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
"There are guys out there that are at the later stages of their career that we will look at," Carroll said, "but not with the thought, ‘Let’s just get a couple of old guys to really put it all together.’ I don’t think that that’s where we are. This team has really been built from the inside with the young guys. We’ve got some great experienced players, but for the most part, this is a very young football team, and we’ll continue to go that way."

Ex-Cougar Marquess Wilson faces some tough questions at NFL combine | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
Marquess Wilson is one of 333 college players attending the NFL's most thorough, most comprehensive pre-draft examination.

Seahawks may not use free agency for pass-rusher | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
Coach Pete Carroll says Seahawks won't necessarily go through free agency to plug hole in pass rush.

Carroll says something has to be done about 'out of whack' NCAA - CBSSports.com
Dubious methods in what has always been a murky process seems to have become a by-product of a broken system, not just evidence of it: "I think our case was a great illustration of that," said Carroll, "as is what is happening down in Miami. And the NCAA's rush to judgment that happened over at Penn State may have been as big a travesty as any of them. Not because of the incident itself but because of the way the NCAA handled it. Due process? The process with Penn State was terrible. Then you have this expedited process at Ohio State. How did that one possibly happen? It happened at Auburn. There are just so many questions. The inconsistencies and time frames are so varied it begs for concern. Why does (the NCAA justice system) operate like this? Why would our case take five years? And they got one guy? "It's just so out of whack," added Carroll, whose son Brennan is a Miami assistant coach. "It's so obvious that it is. It's just a matter of, will somebody pursue it and go after it? This has been an institution that has operated under some level of respectable protection for so many years. That's not OK any more. They have to do something about it."

NFL MANNIAC: 2013 NFL Draft Prospects - Running Backs "Who protects the football and who doesn't?" (Fumble %).
I believe ball security is one of the most important attributes when evaluating a running back. One of the quickest ways to get sent to the bench in the NFL is to consistently fumble the football. A player could ultimately lose their job if they can't properly protect the pigskin.

NFL Scouting Combine: What we learned from Day 3 - NFL.com
Gregg Rosenthal breaks down all the news from Day 3 of the NFL Scouting Combine. On the docket: Manti Te'o, Alex Smith, Nick Foles, Miles Austin and the No. 1 tight end in the draft.

Gus Bradley: Jacksonville Jaguars to mix 4-3, 3-4 D - NFL.com
"You see a lot of teams that may be a 3-4, and then on third down, they show some 4-3 principles," Bradley said. "Where on first and second down, we'll have some 4-3 and 3-4 principles. "Some offenses say here's our run-game attack for a 4-3 team, here's what we're going to do as a run game for a 3-4 team. When they see us do both, the run game shrinks down a little bit. The philosophy behind it, defensively, is that it pares it down and becomes easier for us as far as the style of runs that we see. We like to be able to rush out of both."

Alex Smith drawing interest from Kansas City Chiefs? - NFL.com
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith likely won't be traded, according to coach Jim Harbaugh, but plenty of needy teams -- such as the Kansas City Chiefs -- could use his talents.

San Francisco 49ers' Al Netter reportedly charged with DUI - NFL.com
Al Netter, an offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers who spent last season on their practice squad, reportedly was arrested and charged with driving under the influence.

Matt Barkley taller than expected; Christine Michael turns heads - NFL.com
Entering the NFL Scouting Combine, USC quarterback Matt Barkley's height was a concern. No longer. Daniel Jeremiah assesses this development and identifies one running back on the rise.

From the combine: More teams are using ‘Moneyball,’ but tape still tells the primary story | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
When former NFL executive Bill Polian recently dismissed the "Moneyball" ethos out of hand as it applies to football, it showed a distinct sense of Polian's old-school scouting roots -- but also, how the old school and new school don't always meet up in the NFL. While tape will always rule in football, more and more teams are using advanced statistical analysis as a tie-breaker when many players are graded similarly. Between STATS, Inc, Football Outsiders, and Pro Football Focus -- organizations that have all done custom analytical breakdowns for NFL teams -- there's a burgeoning market for the new wave of metrics.

From the combine: Geno Smith, Matt Barkley try to shake the 2012 ‘Dream Team’ hangover | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
It would be a tough act for anyone to follow. When you're in the wake of a quarterback class that featured three instant superstars in Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson, as well as many more possible long-term starters, it's an outlier group that defies a sequel. For Geno Smith and Matt Barkley, the top two quarterbacks in the 2013 draft class, the hope is that they can avoid it looking like the move from "Caddyshack" to "Caddyshack II," and shake the perception that this class is a sequel that isn't worth watching. They had their chances to answer those questions in Friday's scouting combine media session, and some were more confident than others.

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

With free agency looming, Lions and Dolphins have key decisions to make - CBSSports.com
The Dolphins and the Lions both face critical decisions with core players in the coming weeks. What they determine will calibrate the marketplace, and their futures for years to come, Jason La Canfora says.

Assessing the effects of the 2012 NFL Draft quarterback class - CBSSports.com
This draft clearly won't match 2012's crop of quarterbacks. But that doesn't mean veterans should feel safe. Mike Freeman says the success of young quarterbacks means teams may be willing to give youngsters like Geno Smith and Matt Barkley an early chance.

McKenzie says Raiders will have competition at quarterback, and every position | ProFootballTalk
We’re going to have a competition not only at that position, we’re going to have it up front on the O-line, we’re going to have it everywhere and that’s why we want to open this thing to, we want to open the doors for everybody, just come out and compete, whatever happens happens," McKenzie said.

Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert looks like the NFL draft’s top tight end | ProFootballTalk
Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert appears to be solidifying his status as the top tight end in the NFL draft.

Dolphins Report: Pressure is on Jeff Ireland to avoid another... | www.palmbeachpost.com
A source close to free agent cornerback Sean Smith laughed when asked if Smith and the Dolphins have had productive contract talks at the Combine. Smith is seeking a contract worth at least $24 million guaranteed over three years, and the Dolphins don’t value him that highly. The Dolphins might use the franchise tag to keep him around, but defensive tackle Randy Starks seems like the likelier option.

NFL Combine News & Notes: Saturday
Word circulating in downtown Indianapolis this evening is Jarvis Jones/OLB/Georgia could make a DaQuan Bowers type drop in the draft due to his medical issues. Many who have spoken with Jones tell us he seems resigned to the fact he’s likely to drop.

2013 NFL Combine Results: Offensive Line and Tight End Recap Notes
Players finally hit the field in Indianapolis on Saturday, and we weren't without some impressive performances. What should we take away from the work that the offensive linemen and tight ends put in today?

NFP's breakdown of players who struggled Saturday at Combine | National Football Post
Russ Lande looks at some prospects who struggled in Saturday's Combine workout.

NFP breaks down players who shined in Saturday's workout | National Football Post
9. Roger Gaines, OT, Tennessee State: Gaines proved today that appearances can be deceiving. For a player who did not impress during the weigh-in and as one scout told us "has a bad looking body," Gaines shocked scouts with his athleticism today. Not just quick, but also flexible enough to maintain good knee bend and leverage throughout the drills.

2013 NFL Combine: Jarvis Jones: No changes in spine since stinger in '09 - CBSSports
Indianapolis -- Georgia outside linebacker Jarvis Jones led the country in sacks (14.5), tackles for loss (24.5) and forced fumbles (seven) but the first 10 minutes of his interview with the media at the combine all anyone wanted to talk about was the narrowing of his spine.

2013 NFL Combine: 3-Cone Drill Results - TEs - CBSSports
3-Cone Drill results for the tight ends at the 2013 NFL scouting combine

2013 NFL Combine: Broad Jump results - TEs - CBSSports
Broad Jump results for the tight ends at the 2013 NFL scouting combine.

Scout’s Notebook: 40 Times Important For The Big Linemen, Too
Here’s a few things from my Scout’s Notebook that I’m seeing at the combine Saturday morning:

Combine: Broaddus Picks Out Favorites From Bench Press
Here’s a few interesting tidbits that occurred from Friday’s bench-press session for the top offensive linemen

Terron Armstead, Lane Johnson head banner day for O-linemen - NFL.com
Larry Warford, G, Kentucky: Warford is somebody who just isn't going to test well, as evidenced by his 5.58 40 and 22.5-inch vertical jump. But in positional drills, he displayed solid quickness, an ability to bend at the knees and a powerful punch on the bags. He came to Indy as a second-round pick and leaves as a second-round pick.