Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Wednesday

Higgity hump day, you guys.

The Tape Never Lies: The king-sized Brandon Williams will clog up running lanes for the Ravens | 100 Yards and Running | Blogs | theScore.com
It took only two plays to see what kind of talent Brandon Williams has.

NBC chooses Carrie Underwood to sing Sunday Night Football theme | ProFootballTalk
A singer who came to prominence on a show that used to dominate the ratings is now joining the top-rated program on primetime television. Carrie Underwood is the new performer of the opening theme to Sunday Night Football, NBC announced Tuesday. She will first perform in her new role on Sept.

Game Scipts: Average margin in every game last season
Yesterday, I presented the average lead or deficit for each team in the NFL last year, a number I’ve called the “Game Script.” Teams that find themselves with big leads or in deep holes early in games tend to deviate from their game scripts. That’s why it’s important to put metrics like pass/run ratio in context with how the game scripts unfold.

Top 5 QBs & RBs for the 2014 draft | National Football Post
The NFP’s first look at next year’s draft class focuses on the skill positions.

Nick Reed: From NFL defensive end to prospective Air Force fighter pilot | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
Nick Reed was one of the Pac 10's all-time sack leaders as a star for the Oregon Ducks, but he didn't hear his name called until the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft. The Seattle Seahawks took the undersized pass-rusher there, and after one season in the dumpster fire that was the Jim Mora "era" in Seattle, Reed received an injury settlement and moved around the league, trying to stick somewhere. He signed a futures deal with the Chicago Bears and made the team, went to Tampa Bay after his release, and was cut by the Minnesota Vikings in August of 2012. That release led Reed to a calling he had seen coming for a long time -- he wanted to be an Air Force pilot, and that's what he's training to be now.

Niners' Mike Iupati reportedly had shoulder surgery - NFL.com
All-Pro left guard Mike Iupati is the latest San Francisco 49ers player to go under the knife this offseason. How much time will Iupati miss following his shoulder surgery?

John Kasay retires as a Carolina Panther, ends 21-year career - NFL.com
John Kasay spent 16 years with the Carolina Panthers in a career that spanned 21 seasons and two other teams. He signed a one-day contract and resigned as a Panther on Tuesday.

Draft notes: EJ Manuel over Geno Smith not that surprising - NFL.com
When the Buffalo Bills took EJ Manuel at No. 16 -- leaving Geno Smith to fall to the New York Jets -- jaws were dropped. In his draft notebook, Albert Breer says the move wasn't actually that shocking.

NFL Analytics And The Problems With The Case For Blaine Gabbert - 12th Man Rising - A Seattle Seahawks Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
You’ll have to excuse me as I venture away from writing about just the Seahawks this morning. When stories about NFL teams using analytics appear on my radar, I take notice. I’ve also also taken an interest in the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason.

Seahawks.com Blog | Marshawn Lynch makes his presence felt
“Guys are going to raze him a little bit,” offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said after today’s workout. He then smiled before adding, “When you make a grand entrance like that, they’re going to raze you.”

Fresh talent for long-forgotten veterans - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams earned praise around here for maneuvering their way around the 2013 draft.

Betting this item gets NFC West fans going - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Dave Tuley's latest Insider piece on NFL point spreads provides a good conversation starter here on the NFC West blog. Tuley ranks the 10 most appealing single-game plays based on spreads posted for the 2013 regular season. He's tempted to take the St. Louis Rams and four points at home against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4, but he also thinks additional points could be available if the 49ers open the season quickly.

Seahawks.com Blog | Happy Birthday to the All-Pro kid
With the 25th pick in the seventh round of this year’s NFL Draft, the Seahawks selected Harding defensive end/linebacker Ty Powell – on what just happened to be his 25th birthday.

Jaguars sign former Seahawks CB Trufant - Yahoo! Sports
The Jacksonville Jaguars continue to revamp their secondary, signing free agent cornerback Marcus Trufant and reuniting him with coach Gus Bradley.

"I'm A Seahawk, Man": An Interview With Cornerback Marcus Trufant - Field Gulls
"I'm a Seahawk, man. That's where my focus is" -- An interview with Marcus Trufant.

Jared Cook: Seam Stretcher - Matchups - Rotoworld.com
Evan Silva breaks down Jared Cook after charting all of his 2012 targets, and sets expectations for Cook in St. Louis.