Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Thursday

This week is just flying by, gang.

On Marshawn Lynch's absence, pending DUI case - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
When the Seahawks began their offseason program two weeks ago, the word from safety Earl Thomas was that "only a couple" players weren't in attendance. Running back Marshawn Lynch was one of them, according to Danny O'Neil.

An update on Marshawn Lynch’s DUI case | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
There have been some questions on the blog about Marshawn Lynch’s pending DUI case in Alameda County, in the Bay Area. Specifically, there’s been some hand-wringing among the Seahawks’ faithful, with Seattle drafting Texas A&M running back Christine Michael in the second round that Lynch could possibly face a suspension in the upcoming season, depending on his outcome in court. So drafting Michael could be a sign that the Seahawks wanted to protect themselves.

2013 NFL free agents: Best defensive players still available - SBNation.com
Who are the best defensive players still on the free agent market? We take a closer look.

Tim Tebow in the CFL: A memoir - SBNation.com
It is the year 2024, and Tim Tebow has spent the last decade playing in the CFL. Here, in his personal memoirs, he reflects upon the start of a journey as strange as it was beautiful.

2013 NFL Draft: Grading the NFC West
The NFC West was one of the most competitive divisions in the league last season, and that's only become more true after both Seattle and San Francisco put together stellar off seasons prior to the draft. In the mean time, St. Louis is still a team on the rise and Arizona is looking to undergo a culture change in 2014.

Eagles quarterbacks, Anquan Boldin trade lead offseason superlatives - NFL - Don Banks - SI.com
The bulk of free agency is finished and the 2013 draft is in the books, meaning NFL teams are set, for the most part, on the personnel front. The usual doses of spring practice and preparation remain between now and the start of training camp for the 2013 season; but with the roster-building largely over, it seems like a good vantage point to review the league's offseason and hand out some hardware for the hits, the misses and everything in between. Everybody loves superlatives...

Where Does Tim Tebow Rank in the Pantheon of Great Quarterbacks
With the Jets releasing Tim Tebow, it appears that his NFL career may be over. If that’s the case, it’s time to reflect on a great career that never ceased to captivate the nation. While there are many ways to grade a quarterback, probably the best and simplest measure would be “production in last home start.” After all, the NFL is a ‘what have you done for me lately’ league.

Depth for hire | National Football Post
A look at some still undrafted players that could make a difference on an NFL Roster.

Three picks that could impact the 2014 NFL Draft | National Football Post
Will the Geno Smith draft day saga, the Barkley drop from first to fourth, and Eric Fisher’s story have a big impact on the 2014 draft?

Grading the trades of the draft | National Football Post
Draftmetrics concludes its coverage of the 2013 NFL Draft by looking at the trades from the weekend.

Tyrann Mathieu, meet Justin Blackmon | National Football Post
If Tyrann Mathieu wants to make it in the NFL, he should learn from the mistakes made by Justin Blackmon.

Olympians, hoopsters and offspring: the most unusual routes to the NFL in the class of 2013 | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
The draft and the first round of free-agent signings are done. While most players come to the NFL the traditional college-football way, a few take a more winding path. Check out some of the more interesting routes some of the NFL's newest crop of players took to get to the promised land.

Anonymous player: HGH use in NFL 'like clockwork' - NFL.com
As the NFL and NFLPA continue to haggle over the details of testing for HGH use, at least one NFL player believes that use of the performance-enhancer should be allowed.

Which Seahawks’ draft pick might make the biggest contribution? | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
I have to be honest: I really hate doing these kinds of things. More often than not, you end up looking foolish. Mel Kiper, you may remember, was critical of the last two Seattle draft classes shortly after the draft. He has since retroactively given those classes positive reviews. But, hey, ’tis the season to analyze draft picks, so here we go. Also, cast your own vote in the poll at the bottom of the post.

Anthony Sherman casualty of new scheme - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Anthony Sherman should not go down in Arizona Cardinals history as a disappointing draft choice just because the team traded him after two seasons.

Cards' new CB fits Tyrann Mathieu profile - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Cornerback Javier Arenas is the player Arizona will receive in return from Kansas City for fullback Anthony Sherman, the Arizona Republic's Kent Somers reports. This move makes sense on the surface.

NFC West scouts have each other covered - NFC West Blog - ESPN
NFL coaching and scouting can be itinerant work.

RGIII sees ‘the mistake’ in staying in the Seahawks game
ESPN the Magazine’s 5,000-word cover story about RGIII is written as a 5,000-word letter to Barack Obama, “on behalf of a young man who recently moved to your district,” and arguing that “in many ways Mr. Griffin is you, and you are him.”

Tharold Simon gets drafted by Seahawks, explains his pre-draft arrest | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
The Seattle Seahawks selected LSU cornerback Tharold Simon in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft, and normally, that wouldn't merit a blip on the radar. But it did in this case, because Simon was arrested last Thursday in his hometown of Eunice, La., for public intimidation, resisting an officer and unnecessary noise violation. In addition, according to local police, Simon threatened an officer. There were plans in Eunice to have a "Tharold Simon Day," and according to Mayor Rusty Moody, the ceremony would go on.