Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Tuesday

Tuesday.

2013 NFL mock draft: Who will be No. 1 pick?
The completion of Super Bowl XLVII means the NFL is ready to kick off its second season — free agency and the draft. As we inch closer to the scouting combine in Indianapolis later this month, here's a look at how the first round might play out:

The 5 spot: Seahawks in focus | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
We usually reserve this weekly feature during the regular season for a closer look at the Seattle Seahawks upcoming opponent. But the next meaningful game Seattle plays isn’t until September, so instead I’ll delve into some of the most pressing issues the Seahawks need to address during the offseason.

Four Players From 2012 Who Could Change Things | The Sideline View
If there is one word that can describe the NFL, it is "unoriginal". At least, that's the case as it pertains to the way teams are looking to copy the success of others. If something works, then it must be copied. If something fails, then it should die an instant death. Here are players and concepts from the 2012-2013 season that could have an impact on the way teams approach next season.

Khaseem Greene – the next quirky Seahawks first round pick? " Seahawks Draft Blog
The more I watch of Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene, the more convinced I am he’s going to be a first or early second round pick. Possibly to Seattle at #25. Credit to Derek Stephens for being the first to make this projection, but after some initial scepticism I’ve become increasingly confident Greene will be a higher pick than most people expect. So what’s so special about him?

Did you catch Seahawk Russell Wilson's Super Bowl commercial cameo? - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
We would have rather seen him throwing on the field, but the Seahawks' Russell Wilson did make a Super Bowl cameo Sunday, appearing briefly in a commercial for American Family Insurance. The spot features the Seahawks' star quarterback tossing a ball around with a kid in the backyard, his trademark smile beaming large.

Goodell: New Orleans 'terrific,' despite blackout - NFL News - MyNorthwest.com
The blackout at the Superdome will not stop the Super Bowl from returning to New Orleans.

Three things we learned: Super Bowl edition | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
I. San Francisco doesn’t need to start over, just start better. The 49ers kept daring themselves to come back from progressively bigger deficits over the course of this postseason. They fell behind 14-7 against Green Bay, 17-0 at Atlanta and then 28-6 in the third quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl. If you combine that trend with the way San Francisco wasted two second-half timeouts, which ultimately prevented San Francisco from having another possession, you have to question the 49ers’ preparedness. Not only that, but don’t forget the 49ers were penalized on their first play from scrimmage for an illegal formation. That’s totally understandable, though, as they only had two weeks to prepare for that play.

Free Agents Seattle Seahawks Should Entertain - Seahawks blog, Billy Bajema, Paul Krugar
Now that the season is over it is time to look towards the future. As good as the 2012 Seahawks team was there is a good chance the 2013 team will be better, if they add the right pieces. Of course injuries can effect an entire season.

17 Power, A Seattle Seahawks Blog: Closing Down the Blog
The 2012 season has come to a close, and there's no way to view it as anything but a whopping success for the Seattle Seahawks. Against all seeming odds, we have found our quarterback of the future. We have a defense loaded with talent. Our offense is well-defined and resilient. And both sides of the ball are still on the way up, with our team philosophy firmly in place. It's a great note on which to end my brief career as a football blogger.

Russell Wilson not worried about defenses solving Seahawks’ read option | ProFootballTalk
Pistol formations and read-option offenses took the NFL by storm in 2012, and the Seattle Seahawks were involved. The Seahawks used the read option more and more as the season moved along, though it never became anything close to a base package for playcaller Darrell Bevell.

Seahawks.com Blog | Seahawks’ defense remained No. 1 in postseason
The Seahawks were eliminated from the NFL playoffs three weeks ago in the divisional round, but they emerged from the postseason as the No. 1-ranked defense – allowing an average of 310.0 yards in their Wild Card win over the Washington Redskins and oh-so-close loss to the Atlanta Falcons the following week.

Lions follow through on threats, release wide receiver Titus Young | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
The Detroit Lions released 2011 second-round wide receiver Titus Young on Monday, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com reports.

Mike Wallace's future with Steelers looks bleak - NFL.com
While Antonio Brown wants to spend his career in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are expected to lose Mike Wallace in free agency. Which teams might be interested in the talented wide receiver?

San Francisco 49ers' window of opportunity only just opening - NFL.com
Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers are heartbroken after a narrow Super Bowl loss, but here's a major silver lining: Albert Breer says the team's window of opportunity is only just opening.

Anatomy of defeat: The four final plays that cost the 49ers - CBSSports.com
Give the Ravens credit for a winning goal-line stand, but Pat Kirwan says it's fair to question the play-calling of the 49ers on the critical final series. He examines what went wrong.

2013 NFL Mock Drafts - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com
NFL Mock Drafts provided by CBSSports.com and NFLDraftScout.com, including analysis by Rob Rang, Dane Brugler, Pete Prisco, Clark Judge, Pat Kirwan and others.

Tulane QB Ryan Griffin and The Disconnect Between Evaluating and Drafting Talent | The Rookie Scouting Portfolio
The flavor of Texas versus Nation week may well have been 6-4, 216-pound Tulane quarterback Ryan Griffin. NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler was among several who believe Griffin’s stock is on the rise to the point that he should hear his name called in April. Compared to the Geno Smiths, Matt Barkleys, Mike Glennons, and Tyler Wilsons of this prospect class, the changing perception of Griffin’s draft grade seems like an afterthought. The fact that Griffin served as the front man for a 2-10 squad doesn’t help.

Titus Young recently boasted he’s better than Megatron | ProFootballTalk
The Texans have learned the hard way that they shouldn’t have cut receiver Jacoby Jones. The Lions surely hope that they won’t have the same experience with receiver Titus Young.

Holding on intentional safety exposes loophole in rules | ProFootballTalk
Helping Koch delay as long as possible his exit from the field of play were multiple Ravens players who held 49ers defenders who were trying to get to Koch more quickly. And while a flag for holding inexplicably wasn’t thrown, the outcome would have been no different. Holding in the end zone by the offensive team triggers a safety, and that’s exactly what the Ravens were willing to concede.

Team Needs & Roster Rankings - Offseason Low Down - Rotoworld.com
The 2012-2013 NFL season is officially in the books, and the Scouting Combine is less than a month away. Free agency opens on March 12. With coaching staffs settled, impending free agents identified, and salary cap situations beginning to clarify, here is a look at the four most glaring positional needs for every club entering the 2013 offseason. Teams are ranked in order of roster quality.

Advanced NFL Stats: More SB 47 Analysis
I was just getting started with a more full analysis of the SB game decisions. I wanted to take a detailed look at BAL's two FG decisions and SF's decision not to go for 2 when down 28-13 (28-12 prior to the XP). Just when I finished doing the calculations for BAL's 4th and 2 from the SF 20 and their 4th and goal from the SF 1, I got an email from intrepid reader-correspondent Matt Meiselman.

Texas vs. The Nation 2013 roster: Nation QB Ryan Griffin could be draft sleeper - SBNation.com
The Texas vs. The Nation game doesn't tend to have the bigger names of other college all-star games, but potential sleepers abound on the 2013 Nation roster.

5 To Know: Broaddus Breaks Down Handful Of Defensive Linemen
Here are a few defensive linemen to keep an eye on as we get ready for the 2013 NFL Draft:

Sheldon Richardson NFL Draft Scouting Report | NEPatriotsDraft.com - 2013 NFL Draft
2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report for Missouri defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson.

Closer look at where 49ers, QB fell short - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Colin Kaepernick scored his fifth red zone rushing touchdown of the season during Super Bowl XLVII. His inability to complete passes in that area was a problem, however.

Michael Crabtree: Refs not to blame for Super Bowl loss - NFL.com
"I mean, it felt like there was a lot of contact," Crabtree said. "I don't even want to say this, but if the ball had been a little lower, giving me a chance to make a play, I'm sure they would've called it. But it happened like that, man. I've got a lot of confidence in my offensive line and quarterback; we fought back. It was a comeback, and we gave it our all."

Chris Culliver had a "tough one" | ProFootballTalk
"I know that he feels bad," linebacker Patrick Willis said, via USA Today. "Cully is competitive, and he wants to win on every play. Today he had a tough one, and I stand behind him and I know what kind of player he is. This is only going to fuel him to make it better."