Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Friday

LINKS!

Bennett, too? Seahawks serious about rush - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Coach Pete Carroll said the Seattle Seahawks were serious about upgrading their pass rush. They were serious enough to add Detroit Lions unrestricted free agent Cliff Avril (9.5 sacks last season) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers UFA Michael Bennett (9.0). News of Bennett's signing broke Thursday shortly after the Seahawks made Avril available to reporters on a conference call.

Seahawks sign Michael Bennett to one-year deal " Seahawks Draft Blog
Ladies and gentleman… here is your upgraded version of Jason Jones. This new model is healthier and recorded nine sacks last season.

Seattle Seahawks turn themselves into a destination with aggressive offseason moves | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
A busy week that included acquisitions of Percy Harvin, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett have turned the Seahawks into a destination franchise.

Bennett the best free agent DE - Free Agency Dose - Rotoworld.com
It's all about spending smart money for the right player. It's about being shrewd and not the sucker. I think I've found the perfect target for teams looking to step their defensive end game up. My Eyes See Bennett

Seattle Seahawks agree to terms with defensive lineman Michael Bennett | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
Bennett brings a lot of versatility to a coaching staff that has demonstrated an ability to take full advantage of players with unique attributes. Bennett is stout against the run and could play defensive end or tackle in base defenses while sliding inside to rush the passer from a defensive tackle spot. The Seahawks gave defensive lineman Jason Jones $4.5 million in 2012 to fill that role. Jones missed nearly half the season with injuries and posted three sacks in just over 31 percent of the team's defensive snaps before landing on injured reserve.

Tyrann Mathieu sells himself to NFL as a changed man - NFL.com
Ex-LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu put together a strong NFL Scouting Combine, but he knows his best chance of capturing a team's imagination is proving he's a changed man off the field.

Film Room: Previewing Pass Rushers
In this segment of our Free Agency Film Room, NFL Insider Adam Caplan is joined by NFL Films Senior Producer Greg Cosell to break down the defensive end position in free agency and what kind of players may hit the open market on Tuesday

Ballpark figures on new NFC West contracts - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Pending terms for linebacker Jasper Brinkley's new contract with the Arizona Cardinals, I've put together a list showing NFC West signings, re-signings and trade acquisitions by reported average annual salary.

Schneider winning free agency battle with Forty-Niners | Dave Boling - The News Tribune
Sitting up there at the press conference Tuesday afternoon with Pete Carroll and Percy Harvin, John Schneider looked so genial and pleasant.

Cliff Avril, Chris Clemons and the future - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Clemons is also signed only through 2014. He has some financial security in that $1.5 million of his $6 million salary for 2013 is guaranteed. The contract he signed in July 2012 carries an additional $4.3 million in bonus-related cap charges over the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Long story short, releasing Clemons would save the team as little as $2.3 million under the cap this season. That's relatively little to gain for parting with a team leader and a player who is arguably the best defensive lineman on the team when healthy.

Cliff Avril’s decision establishes Seattle as an NFL destination | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Seattle is a destination in today’s NFL. That –- more than anything else –- is the reason that Cliff Avril boarded a plane Wednesday and headed for the Norhtwest with the intention of becoming a Seahawk.

Percy Harvin may be a headache, but that doesn't make him a lost cause - NFL - Jim Trotter - SI.com
The narrative when a talented but troubled player gets traded is always fascinating to me. The discourse goes something like this: I don't care how talented he is, he's not worth the headache.

NFL proposes to change 'Tuck Rule' - NFL.com
The NFL Competition Committee proposed Thursday to change the controversial "Tuck Rule." Oakland Raiders can cheer?

Finally, tuck rule may be changed -- though way too late for Raiders - CBSSports.com
It appears the NFL will finally get around to changing the tuck rule. If a QB loses the ball while attempting to tuck it back into his body after having gone into the throwing motion, it will be ruled a fumble.

Harvin and Avril reflect Seattle’s unique perspective on value " Seahawks Draft Blog
It’s funny how memory works. One of the impressions I had from Seattle’s meeting against Minnesota last year was how unstoppable Harvin seemed. Earlier today, I looked at Harvin’s game log to see how he did. He had 10 yards receiving on six targets. He added 24 yards on 4 rushes. Was I smoking crack? Why did I think Harvin was carving us up?

Seahawks.com Blog | Seahawks sign Cliff Avril
Cliff Avril was looking for a new home. The Seahawks were looking for a player to improve their pass rush. Each got what they were looking for today, when the Seahawks signed the former defensive end for the Lions to a multiyear contract – on the third day of the NFL free-agency period.

Seahawks announce the signing of Cliff Avril | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
"We’re definitely not going to rush Chris in any way," Carroll said. "It doesn’t affect him at all. Chris is a premier player for us and we expect him to be coming back. That’s a top priority for us. He feels he has a chance to make it back at the start of the year."

Cliff Avril boosts Seahawks on defense | Seattle Seahawks - The News Tribune
A day after adding an impact player on offense, the Seattle Seahawks addressed the team’s most pressing need in free agency — bringing in a speedy pass rusher.

Tracking the big-name free-agent defensive backs - NFL.com
After a slow start, the cornerback and safety market is heating up. Around The League takes a look at players (like former Philadelphia Eagles CB Nnamdi Asomugha) looking for a dance partner.

Free agency fallout: Key moves that will impact 2013 NFL Draft - NFL.com
How has free agency reshaped team needs heading into the draft? Daniel Jeremiah provides 10 key takeaways from the frenzy, including a couple that could impact WR prospect Tavon Austin.

Could Kevin Kolb be the New York Jets’ Week 1 starter? Signs and sources point to ‘Yes’ | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
It hasn't happened yet, but it's a virtual sure thing that current Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb will be former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb sooner than later.

Retaining starters and free agent activity: Part 1 | National Football Post
The first day of free agency is always one of the biggest news days of the NFL off-season.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Word of Muth: Free Agent Interior Linemen
Last week, we looked at a handful of free-agent offensive tackles. This week, we’re shifting our focus inside to some interior offensive linemen. Since free agency started Tuesday, three of these guys have already signed, but we’re going to take a look at them anyway and see what they can bring to their new teams. Mostly because I already watched the film. Let's get to it.

NFL may prevent runners from lowering their heads into tacklers | ProFootballTalk
In another sign that the days of punishing, physical running backs like Jim Brown and John Riggins are coming to an end, the NFL is considering a rules change that would penalize runners for lowering their heads and initiating contact with tacklers.

Listen to podcast - Pod Player - MyNorthwest.com
Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell joins "Bob and Groz" to discuss the addition of wide receiver Percy Harvin. Bevell also talks about the frequency with which Seattle plans to use the read-option.

NFL Hot Stove, Day 3 - Free Agency Dose - Rotoworld.com
The signings kept on coming on Wednesday, and day two of free agency was just as active as day one.

NFP Mock Draft - Version 8.0 | National Football Post
Russ Lande offers up the NFP's first mock draft since the start of free agency.

Scouts Notebook: More Thoughts From Bama's Pro Day
Some Thoughts From My Time At Alabama Pro Day:

How Percy Harvin's contract fits in Seattle - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The annual salary-cap figures for Percy Harvin's new contract with the Seattle Seahawks provide an opportunity to take a bigger-picture look at how he fits.