Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Gameday

Gameday, baby.

How the new class of promising NFL quarterbacks can reach greatness - Grantland
What the newest class of star quarterbacks needs to master on its way to becoming Tom Brady or Peyton Manning

Ask 5: Is safety spot closing in on cornerback in draft value? - NFL.com
Daniel Jeremiah believes the safety position is closing the gap on cornerback in NFL importance. He posed that thought to five league executives to see if they agreed.

McDaniel gets audition to impress Seahawks' staff | Seattle Seahawks | The News Tribune
Only two players did not return from the Seattle Seahawks’ top-rated defense from last season.

Seahawks notes: Sidney Rice, Michael Robinson out; Tony McDaniel to start | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
On an ESPN article that emphasized the unique way the Seahawks operated, including yoga and meditation, Carroll said, “Ah, that’s not a big part of our game. The article dramatized stuff. We have a handful of guys that are involved in their stuff…There’s a lot of guys around professional sports that do yoga and that kind of stuff. We don’t have a big program like that here. It kind of came off like we did.”

Andy Reid-Alex Smith union heads new-look Kansas City Chiefs - NFL.com
The Chiefs loved Baldwin's professionalism and work ethic, but they felt the pressure to produce was overwhelming the third-year man. Meanwhile, Jenkins spent the summer working out with Kaepernick, but the results just weren't showing up on the field. So Dorsey and Niners GM Trent Baalke both went looking around for possible fits, and eventually made a swap. Baldwin is more of a "post-up" receiver, as Dorsey said, while Jenkins is a speed-and-quickness player. "It's a fresh start for both guys," Dorsey said. "I think A.J.'s skill set fits this offense a little bit better." In trades, we always want to know who won. Dorsey had an answer for that, though it's not one you'd expect. "At the end of the day, the kids won. OK? So why not be fair? The kids won. Sometimes, in the NFL, that's not a bad thing," he told me. "We're so competitive in society, sometimes it's like, 'OK, who won this? Who won that?' You know what? The kids won this one."

DT Jordan Hill has strained biceps - August 22, 2013 | Seattle Seahawks
G James Carpenter is getting closer to returning from a foot injury that has sidelined him recently. Carroll said the hope for Carpenter is that he will be able to return to practice next week and possibly get some action in the preseason finale against the Oakland Raiders.

Seneca Wallace signs San Francisco 49ers contract - NFL.com
The San Francisco 49ers added veteran quarterback Seneca Wallace on Thursday. It might be a sign that the team is losing confidence in Colt McCoy, whom it acquired just five months ago.

This awesome Seattle Seahawks motorcycle will make you green with envy | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
So you're a Seattle Seahawks fan and you think your Russell Wilson jersey, Shaun Alexander bobblehead or Matt Hasselbeck living room shrine might not be enough to show just how big of a fan you really are.

NFL tries to play hardball on HGH, blames NFLPA for ‘delay tactics’ for testing | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
The NFL has fired a shot across the bow of the players union again on testing for HGH.

Pat Kirwan - CBSSports.com 2013 NFL team-by-team record predictions
Kirwan: Our former NFL front-office staffer uses his years of knowledge and summer trip around the league to prognosticate each team's win-loss record.

Take a deep breath, big boys | National Football Post
It may be hard to believe, but a fast-paced attack could be an NFL offensive lineman’s best friend.

Is change always good? The Cowboys move back to a 4-3 defense
Depending on whom you ask, Tom Landry either revolutionized or invented the 4-3 front. When he became head coach of the expansion Cowboys, Landry’s teams always fielded four down linemen. And by the time he was forced out, the 3-4 fad that dominated the ’80s had subsided, resulting in Dallas running a 4-3 front every season from 1960 to 2004.

A Brief History of Preseason Pointlessness | The MMQB with Peter King
When is a pro football game not a pro football game? When it happens in August. When the biggest stars hardly play more than a quarter. When die-hard fans are ashamed to admit they watched beyond halftime. An NFL preseason football game is not a traditional football product.

Eddie Lacy and Why I Prefer Talent Over Situation | The Rookie Scouting Portfolio
Eddie Lacy was my top back in the 2013 class before the NFL Draft. After the draft, I dropped him to fourth in behind Giovani Bernard, Le’Veon Bell, and Marcus Lattimore. Why? The three factors that we learned that caused NFL teams to drop him on their draft boards:

The Jets QB “Competition” | NFL Philosophy
Earlier today, Manish Meta of the New York Daily News wrote that the New York Jets’ quarterback competition between Mark Sanchez and rookie Geno Smith is far from an actual competition. Meta called the front by the Jets a “charade” and suggested that the plan all along was to start Smith opening day.

'The NFL doesn't owe me anything': A former linebacker who was suing pro football explains why he's now satisfied with what the league is doing to prevent concussions and care for its players. - SBNation.com
A former linebacker who was suing pro football explains why he's now satisfied with what the league is doing to prevent concussions and care for its players.

St. Louis Rams preseason 2013: By the numbers - Turf Show Times
What do the stats say about the Rams' preseason progress?

Rams vs. Broncos: A more involved tune-up - Turf Show Times
The third game of the preseason is about as close as it gets to a dress rehearsal for the regular season.

Arizona Cardinals interviews: Kerry Taylor, Daryn Colledge, Javier Arenas and more - Revenge of the Birds
Catch up with what they said on the air.

49ers wide receivers clears up slightly with departure of Ricardo Lockette - Niners Nation
We break down the 49ers wide receiver depth chart in light of the release of Ricardo Lockette.

Top 10 Thursdays – Top 10 Games to Watch This Season | Fanspeak NFL Blog
Every year, there are a total of 256 regular season games played in the NFL. When you take a look at the comprehensive 17-week NFL schedule prior to the start

Jermaine Kearse is catching on fast with Seahawks | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
Ex-Husky receiver showing vast improvement, making strong pitch to be a Seahawks contributor this season.

Seahawks rookie Benson Mayowa is playing like he has nothing to lose - 710sports.com
Benson Mayowa wasn't invited to the scouting combine and went undrafted out of Idaho, but thanks to a strong preseason he has a legitimate chance to make the Seahawks' 53-man roster. - Blog 710 ESPN Seattle at 710sports.com

TD receptions haven't quite been 'a given' for Arizona Cardinals - ESPN
Carson Palmer's arrival by trade should help the Arizona Cardinals recover from a three-year struggle at the quarterback position. Bruce Arians' arrival as head coach means additional playing time for tight ends in his fullback-free offense.

Carroll: Winning in preseason is important - NFC West Blog - ESPN
“We take these games very seriously,” Carroll said of the preseason. “I do not blow off these games like it’s just an opportunity to look at the young guys. It’s way more than that for us. We’re trying to build a mentality around here of winning and understanding how you win. It's learning the lessons that it takes and the discipline it takes to always show your best every time you go out there. “I don’t think you should ever play anything and just kind of show up. I think you should go for it every chance you get forever. You can’t afford to try and call on it when you need it. Every game is a huge game for us. That’s how we do it."

Two St. Louis Rams crack #NFLRank list - ESPN
Two Rams cracked the list on ESPN’s #NFLRank project Thursday morning, the first pair of St. Louis players to show up on the list.

Know thy enemy: Green Bay | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
— Here is Green Bay’s depth chart. And as someone who covered UW football for a long time until a few months ago, a couple things stand out there. One is David Bakhtiari as the team’s starting left tackle — he played at Colorado last season before leaving early for the NFL. Another is backup fullback Jonathan Amosa, who played at Washington, earning a scholarship as a walk-on, and is attempting to beat out John Kuhn for the starting fullback job — a tough task. Amosa also played at Rainier Beach in Seattle.

When Are The First Cuts? A Guide To the Rest Of Seattle Seahawks Preseason - 12th Man Rising - A Seattle Seahawks Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
Aug 17, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) greets fans after a 40-10 preseason victory over the Denver Broncos at Cen