Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Tuesday

Tuesday.

Seahawks could be fined by NFL for players' PED violations - NFL.com
"There are financial consequences for a team that has multiple players suspended in a season under those policies," league spokesman Greg Aiello said regarding the rule.

Percy Harvin playing up to the hype
In his first practice with the Seahawks – even if it was only an OTA session – Percy Harvin displayed the explosive quickness and lightning speed that prompted the team to acquire him in a trade with the Vikings.

Seahawks' Cliff Avril dealing with foot injury - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
"I don't think it's anything too serious," he told "Wyman, Mike and Moore" Monday afternoon. "It's a little plantar fascia. I did it a couple weeks ago. It's feeling a lot better right now and [I'm] just taking it day by day."

DE Cliff Avril sits with foot issue | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
The Seattle Seahawks’ options at Leo defensive end are drying up pretty fast. The team’s leading sack guy the past three seasons, Chris Clemons, was not in attendance at Seattle’s first OTA because he’s back in Georgia rehabbing from ACL knee surgery.

Off-field issues in focus as OTA's begin for Seahawks - May 20, 2013 | Seattle Seahawks - Seattle's live and local sports station
Though Monday was the first chance for the entire Seattle Seahawks roster to be on the field together, off-field issues overshadowed the first Organized Team Activity of the offseason.

Seahawks try to stem the tide of perception regarding substance abuse suspensions | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll may have been happy to have most of his players back on the field for the start of the team's 2013 series of voluntary OTAs, but that was not the first thing on his mind on Monday. Nor should it have been. Instead, when Carroll addressed the media after a spirited two-hour non-contact practice, his thoughts went immediately -- and comprehensively to the fact that six different Seahawks players have been suspended for violations of the NFL's substance abuse policies since 2010, and to the increasing perception that Carroll is leading a team that can't get out of its own way. Carroll was forced to address the situation this time because defensive end Bruce Irvin, the team's first-round pick in 2012, was recently suspended for the first four games of the 2013 season for reported Adderall use.

Christine Michael, Seattle Seahawks strike contract - NFL.com
The Seattle Seahawks have signed second-round pick Christine Michael to a four-year contract. The rookie running back is expected to challenge for snaps behind Marshawn Lynch.

Carroll responds to PED issues " Seahawks Draft Blog
Pete Carroll finally addressed the PED issues today in light of Bruce Irvin’s four-game suspension. He claimed the Seahawks go beyond what the league insists to keep the players on track, to understand their responsibilities. Carroll voiced disappointment and admitted it was serious, but there was no anger in his words. He was philosophical. More like a let-down father than a boss reaching tipping point.

Seahawks.com Blog | Monday in Hawkville: Russell Wilson picks up far beyond where he left off
A recap of the activities at Virginia Mason Athletic Center for May 20, as the Seahawks kicked off the OTA portion of their offseason program:

Irvin present, Lynch absent as Seahawks begin OTAs - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
A few notes after the Seahawks held their first organized team activity (OTA) on a sunny Monday afternoon at the team's headquarters:

Cold Hard Facts - Podcasts - MyNorthwest.com
John Clayton says free-agent defensive end John Abraham is, however unlikely, an option for the Seahawks in light of Bruce Irvin's suspension (4:05). Clayton also talks about defensive end Cliff Avril's foot injury (7:04), the approach head coach Pete Carroll took in discussing Irvin's suspension (0:30), quarterback Josh Portis' arrest on suspicion of DUI (15:12) and whether there is any concern about running back Marshawn Lynch (14:00).

Including Arizona Cardinals' Patrick Peterson in top CB talk - ESPN
Patrick Peterson should become the best cornerback in the NFC West and beyond. The talent is obviously there. Coaches and teammates rave about Peterson's commitment. "If we have this discussion in a year, he is top three in the league and if not, No. 1," ESPN.com NFL scout Matt Williamson predicted Monday.

St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals took opposite approaches - ESPN
The St. Louis Rams said they would rather sign a couple big-money free agents than several mid-priced ones. Quality over quantity was the rationale.

A few more notes and quotes on Monday’s OTA | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Today marked the first Seattle Organized Team Activity of the off-season — and the only one this week that will be open to the media. Much of the focus afterward was on the team’s recent off-field issues.

Carroll on Irvin suspension: "Unfortunately if you go wrong, you get popped." | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
"We go beyond what the league does," Carroll said. "We go well past what the guidelines ask us to do, as far as working with our young guys, trying to give them the direction, and trying to give them the counseling. "We have people on staff that are here specifically to work with our individual guys, because I really see this as an individual challenge."

Gabe Carimi 'light years from where he was' in training - NFL.com
Gabe Carimi might not be working out with Chicago Bears teammates, but the former first-round pick is working in Arizona with the goal of becoming known as more than just a first-round bust.

It was a busy weekend in Las Vegas | National Football Post
2013 NFL season win totals surface at Cantor and LVH, along with Games of the Year lines.

Rams sign tight end Zach Potter | ProFootballTalk
The Rams have signed tight end Zach Potter, according to the NFL’s Monday transaction report.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Aggressiveness Index Revisited
Football Outsiders introduced the concept of Aggressiveness Index back in Pro Football Prospectus 2006. The goal was to find a way to rank coaches based on their tendencies on fourth downs in a manner that was easy to understand but accounted for the different rates at which the average coach will choose to "go for it" in different situations. Although no NFL coach is as aggressive as the data suggests he should be, we discovered there is quite a wide range of fourth-down tendencies among coaches.

NFL Salary Cap - Performance-Based Pay within Player Benefits
One of the local Tweeters here in Denver just recently shot over this question regarding Performance-Based Pay (PBP);