Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Friday

So much crap to read this morning. Better get started now.

Double Coverage: NFL Films Greg Cosell | NFL.com Podcasts
NFL Films Greg Cosell joins the show to discuss if this is Jay Cutler's make-or-break season, Geno Smith's potential and why he wouldn't be surprised if Nick Foles beat out Michael Vick for the Eagles' starting job. Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter talks the run game in Atlanta and Matt Ryan's contract situation. The guys also discuss the latest news at NFL training camps and react to Bill Belichick's comments on Aaron Hernandez.

Hoping this Year is Golden | Mitch in the Morning
Golden Tate can do it all, he’s an NFL wide receiver, a college baseball player at Notre Dame and can even fall asleep on airplanes. This year he will have to be even more versatile than ever for the Seattle Seahawks. He has improved immensely on his game in the past three years for the Hawks. Fans should expect Golden Tate to be in the prime of his career.

After an offseason of searching, NFL coaches may finally know how to defend the read-option - Grantland
There's no simple solution for the NFL's latest offensive trend, but after an offseason of searching, defensive coaches may finally have some answers

Percy Harvin Hip Injury: Potential Surgery Outlook for Seattle Seahawks Receiver | Bleacher Report
News broke on Thursday morning that new Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin was not only going to be unable to practice, but, according to Ian Rapaport of NFL.com , he was dealing with what the team believes may be a serious hip injury.

Best-Case, Worst-Case Scenarios for Ed Reed Following Hip Labrum Repair Surgery | Bleacher Report
Last week, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported that Houston Texans safety Ed Reed underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip...

Thoughts on timetable for Percy Harvin - NFC West Blog - ESPN
More info needed: The Seahawks are seeking additional opinions before deciding how to proceed. Bell wondered whether the team would err on the safe side in the interests of protecting a long-term investment. Bell: "The thing about labral repairs is we find these injuries more than we used to find them due to improved diagnosis via clinical examination and imaging. We see them and we see them regularly. But does that mean every labral injury requires surgery? Probably not. The decision as to when surgery is indicated is case-based."

Injuries to Harvin, Crabtree may boost Rams in NFC West - NFL - Dennis Dillon - SI.com
This is hardly the way San Francisco's Jim Harbaugh and Seattle's Pete Carroll had dreamed of starting training camp -- each coach with his top wide receiver sidelined by injuries.

Seahawks Training Camp: Day One Wrap-Up - July 25, 2013 | Seattle Seahawks
The hip injury to WR Percy Harvin was the focus of the first day of training camp for the Seattle Seahawks.

Ryan Swope Put On Reserve-Retired List
Concussions force rookie wide receiver to step away from the game

Thursday in Hawkville: Even without his locks, Earl Thomas remains a cut above
A recap of the activities at Virginia Mason Athletic Center for July 25, the opening day of Seahawks Training Camp presented by Bing.

49ers camp report: Dahl, Williams line up as starters | CSN Bay Area
The 49ers had a high-tempo practice that finished 15 minutes earlier than planned in their first full-squad practice of training camp.

Seahawks camp report: Percy Harvin’s injury could be Golden Tate’s opportunity | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
When the Seattle Seahawks traded their 2013 first-round pick and two other picks to the Minnesota Vikings for the services of receiver Percy Harvin, and then signed Harvin to a six-year, $67 million contract with $25 million guaranteed in March, it was thought that the Florida alum would add a matchup nightmare from multiple positions that few defenses could deal with.

Carroll & Schneider will be crossing fingers on Harvin’s labrum « Seahawks Draft Blog
This will be an excruciating wait for Seahawks fans. And also key members of the teams front office.

Percy Harvin - What we know, don't know, and might know | Dave 'Softy' Mahler
A lot happened today out at Seahawks training camp but nothing was bigger than the news that Percy Harvin is dealing with a labrum issue in his hip. That is about as much as we know for SURE but there are reports all over the place of what now. The first reports of the day came from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

Seahawks notebook: Hip injury has Harvin on PUP - 710sports.com
Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin has a hip injury that prevented him from practicing Thursday and will require a second opinion and cause more than a few concerns in the Puget Sound area. - Blog 710 ESPN Seattle at 710sports.com

Seahawks' Russell Wilson: 'I can't wait to get started' - 710sports.com
Seahawks training camp begins today, and it will have a much different feel for quarterback Russell Wilson now that he's entrenched as Seattle's starter thanks to a stellar rookie season. - Blog 710 ESPN Seattle at 710sports.com

Percy Harvin may require surgery for hip injury | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
As Seahawks open training camp, wide receiver was a surprise entry on the team’s Physically Unable to Perform list. Team says it does not yet know the extent of the injury.

Position-by-position: Offensive Line - Offensive line switch off could either power or derail Packers' offense
The last time the Green Bay Packers made a major move with their offensive line, they lost center Scott Wells in free agency last year and picked out washed-up Jeff Saturday to replace him.

Seahawks say they’re ready to deal with hype that comes with high expectations | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
The Seahawks are touted to be a Super Bowl contender, or even to win it. Can the team ignore the hype and concentrate on its task?

Seahawks return, not only ready but prepared for training camp
The Seahawks returned Wednesday for physicals and a meeting on the eve of their first training camp practice. And the atmosphere and anticipation in the locker room made it feel like the first day of a new school year.

Focus on: James Carpenter
The Seahawks’ left guard of the future was their backup left guard of the present on Thursday, when James Carpenter practiced for the first time since last season as the team opened training camp.

Seahawks’ fans flaunt their ‘I’m In’ status as training camp opens
The Seahawks didn’t just open their fourth training camp under coach Pete Carroll on Thursday; they did to the cheers, chants and clapping of 2,800 fans who flocked to see them.

Earl Thomas cuts his dreads; James Carpenter practices | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
Apparently, Earl Thomas’ strength is not in his hair. Like Bruce Irvin did a couple months ago, Seattle’s star safety took the field for the beginning of training camp today with his dreadlocks shaved for the first time as a Seahawk.

Some non-injury notes from Day 1 of Seahawks training camp | HeraldNet.com - Seattle Sidelines
Percy Harvin's hip injury was the big news as the Seahawks opened training camp, but there was plenty going on on the field as well.As expected, the...

Seattle Seahawks Blog - Hawk Blogger: 2013 Seahawk Training Camp News & Notes: July 25th Edition (Day 1)
Cue the angst Expectations are unbridled around these parts for the Seattle Seahawks. It apparently does not take much adversity to cause people to start falling from those lofty heights. News of Percy Harvin's yet-to-be-diagnosed hip injury caused quite the stir among fans. The concern is largely misplaced. Harvin is a fantastically talented and unique player that makes the Seahawks offense more difficult to defend, but this offense was good enough to win a Super Bowl last year without him. Yes, he makes a lot of money, but that has little impact on the field. People comparing this to the Michael Crabtree injury are off-base. Crabtree was Colin Kaepernick's favorite receiver by a significant margin, and their best receiving threat outside. That team added Anquan Boldin, but he brings a far different skill set than Crabtree. We know how integral Crabtree was to that offense. Nobody know what Harvin is going to be asked to do.

Boldin, Williams Start Camp at WR
The 49ers opened up training camp with Kyle Williams taking the bulk of first-team wide receiver reps opposite of 11-year veteran Anquan Boldin.

Fisher says Rams may not have a bell cow back | ProFootballTalk
Yes, Daryl Richardson is projected to be the Rams' starting running back. But, no, that doesn't mean it's time to make Richardson a first-round fantasy draft pick. Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Thursday that, with Stephen Jackson gone, the team may simply use a revolving door at running back.

Justin Smith Full Go for Camp
The triceps injury that hampered Justin Smith in the 2012 postseason sounds like a thing of the past. The All-Pro defensive lineman confirmed that he’s “100 percent” entering Thursday’s opening training camp session.

Colin Kaepernick ‘Universally Respected’
After 10 starts in the National Football League, Colin Kaepernick has become a popular figure in the 49ers locker room.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | The Wade Phillips All-Stars
Three years ago, we started a series on "coaching all-stars," the best player-seasons in the history of some of the NFL's best or most famous coaches. For this latest installment, we're looking at Wade Phillips.

49ers Blog: Healthy again: 49ers activate WR Williams, LB Fleming for training camp - 49ers - The Sacramento Bee
Receiver Kyle Williams, who seemed tantalizingly close to returning to practice last month after an ACL tear in November, will be back for the start of training camp. The 49ers today removed both Williams and linebacker Darius Fleming from the physically unable to perform list, meaning they are poised to join their teammates for today's initial practice of training camp.

Having the worst game of your career in the playoffs
Scott Kacsmar recently wrote about how Daunte Culpepper had the worst performance of his career in his biggest game. In his only NFC Championship Game appearance, Culpepper went 13-of-28 for 78 yards with three interceptions and four sacks. Which made me wonder: how many other great quarterbacks have had their worst game in the playoffs?

Battle Stations: Wideouts - Training Camp Lowdown - Rotoworld.com
Adam Levitan identifies five key position battles at the receiver spot and picks winners.

The Pop Warner Offense That Confounded Sean Payton, and What It Says About Offensive Innovation in the NFL - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
Much of the talk this offseason has been about stopping the read-option, but in Sean Payton's year away from the NFL, he had trouble with a much different offensive attack: the single wing.

42-Day NFL Warning: Matt Ryan Becomes the Latest Crazy-Rich Quarterback - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
In what now seems like a weekly occurrence, another NFL quarterback has been handed an absurd amount and will be inextricably linked with the success of his franchise for the foreseeable future. Matt Ryan agreed to a five-year, $103.75 million (with $59 million guaranteed) contract extension with the Falcons this afternoon, becoming the latest QB to pull in a massive haul this offseason. Just to recap, we've also had:

St. Louis Rams Roster 2013: Cornerbacks - Turf Show Times
In case you haven't been paying attention, the NFL has evolved into a pass-happy, gunslinging league. While the Rams are in one of the more run-oriented divisions, as shocking as it sounds,...

St. Louis Rams 2013 roster: Linebacker - Turf Show Times
Forming the second level of the defense has taken some time. It could well be that 2013 is the year the task is complete for the Rams.

Player Personnel: Clevleand Browns - Making the Case for the Pistol
The popularity of NFL football and the growth of the internet, coupled with social media, has allowed for an entire cottage industry of NFL bloggers, draftniks, and analysts to emerge. Fantasy Football has also given an outlet to those football fans looking to climb inside the War Rooms of the NFL, and their success has brought with it visions of taking that knowledge to the next level.

Massive expectations greet Seahawks | Seattle Seahawks | The News Tribune
Players, coaches anticipate this season will be their chance for success, but questions remain, plenty of hard work lies ahead

The bizarre case of the missing $2 million - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The chart we ran following Eric Wright's trade to the San Francisco 49ers requires two updates. First, we need to subtract Wright from the mix after the 49ers failed him on a physical examination, voiding the trade. Then we need to subtract $2 million in projected 2013 salary for starting cornerback Tarell Brown.

The Human Factor of Football - Big Cat Country
We all love football, whether we played it or not. We're mostly intelligent, or at least pretend to be and, most importantly, a lot of us here on the site tend to listen and learn. Key words: "tend...

49ers Blog and Q&A: We will rock you? Kaepernick not worried about opponents' tactics this season
One of the storylines during the NFL offseason has been how defenses -- like the 49ers' Week 1 opponent, Green Bay -- will adjust to the proliferation of read-option quarterbacks like Colin Kaepernick. And one of the possible solutions is to hit the quarterback whether he keeps the quarterback or not.

Ryan Swope, Cards rookie, retires due to concussions - NFL.com
Ryan Swope fell to the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft because of his history of concussions at Texas A&M. Those concussions sadly have ended the rookie wide receiver's career before it really ever started.

San Francisco 49ers – Niner Insider Blog – SFGate.com » Report: CB Brown’s offseason absence cost him $2 million
Tarell Brown evidently really didn’t want to participate in the 49ers’ offseason conditioning program.