Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Thursday

This week is flying by.

The eight teams best suited for Michael Sam - Outsports
Bruce Silverman says Michael Sam made the right choice. Will the NFL?

NFL Power Rankings: Ranking all 32 teams by offseason outlook | Audibles - SI.com
Now that the season is over, the real reality checks come in for NFL teams. How adeptly have they stocked their rosters? How well have they balanced their salary cap budgets? Do they have the right coaches and executives in place to pick the right talent and develop it accordingly?

John Schneider on the Dan Patrick Show (Full Interview) 2/3/14 - YouTube
John Schneider on the Dan Patrick Show (Full Interview) 2/3/14

Chowdafest 2014 - YouTube
Thousands of people flocked to the Webster Bank Arena for the 6th annual Chowdafest. We slurped our way through 32 soups, bisques and all kinds of chowders to not only vote for which ones reigned supreme, but also to help raise money and donations for the Connecticut Food Bank.

Press Releases : News : Senior Bowl
With the game rules set up for the North and South teams to play a 4-3 defense, for these position reviews, we are making the distinction between the "Inside" or "Box" linebackers and the "Outside" or "On-the-Line" linebackers in order to sort them more specifically. Here is a look at the traditional Mike or Will candidates, those tacklers who will line up off the line of scrimmage.

Press Releases : News : Senior Bowl
With the tight end position rising in prominence at the NFL level, teams are on the look for big, athletic prospects that can block on the end of the line in the run game and as a pass protector, threaten the field vertically with their speed and create mismatches underneath against linebacker or safety-type defenders. Here is a breakdown on each of the six TE’s that appeared in Mobile.

Press Releases : News : Senior Bowl
Sims leads the way

Michael Bennett: 'This is not Costco' | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
As noted here earlier, Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett and fullback Michael Robinson were guests today on NFL Network’s NFL Total Access.

Michael Bennett says Seattle Seahawks will not get discount - ESPN
Defensive end Michael Bennett, an unrestricted free agent, said he has no intention of granting a home-team discount to stay with the Seattle Seahawks.

Seahawks had their best season because their best players did
Teams have their best seasons when their best players have their best seasons, as Mike Holmgren once pointed out. That definitely was the case for the 2013 Seahawks as they won the first Super Bowl in franchise history.

Strength of schedule: Seattle Seahawks - Seattle Seahawks Blog - ESPN
Seattle has the sixth-toughest schedule in the NFL for 2014, along with the third-toughest road schedule. The overall winning percentage of the Seahawks’ opponents is .561, and it rises to .578 for the eight road games.

Michael Bennett: Seattle Seahawks can be dynasty - NFL.com
Michael Bennett is set to become a free agent, but the Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman didn't sound like a guy itching to leave town when he spoke with Dan Hanzus at NFL Network studios.

Solving the QB puzzle: Where will vets like Vick, Sanchez wind up? - CBSSports.com
It's time to play the NFL's favorite offseason game: Musical QBs. Where will the likes of Matt Schaub, Michael Vick, Matt Cassel and Mark Sanchez wind up? We try to solve the puzzle.

Kirwan: Sam is draftable, Browns need help, fewer franchise tags - CBSSports.com
It's been a couple of weeks since the NFL stopped, but the stories don't and we get into Michael Sam, the Browns and what the franchise tag may look like this offseason.

Is trading Ndamukong Suh a good move for cap-challenged Lions? - CBSSports.com
Trade him now, or risk losing him later. That's the quandary for the Detroit Lions, who face cap issues if they keep Ndamukong Suh at his current salary. Plus, they risk losing him in free agency after this season.

Free Agency Primer: NFC West | Audibles - SI.com
In an NFL that becomes more and more competitive every year, the NFC West is the league's nuclear roller derby -- the division where every game is a huge battle for ultimate supremacy, and talent is plentiful across the board.

Free Agency Primer: AFC West | Audibles - SI.com
Just about everyone expected the Broncos to be a Super Bowl contender in 2013. The bar was not nearly as high for the remainder of the division, which made the AFC West a pleasant surprise as Kansas City and San Diego joined Denver in the postseason.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Futures: Louisville S Calvin Pryor
One of my favorite football players of the past 15 years began his college career as a corner, but finished it playing both safety positions and earned a first-team All-America selection. The 39th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, he started all 16 games a rookie. Although he lost the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award to teammate Brian Urlacher, the linebacker often said that it was Mike Brown who was the true leader of the Bears’ vaunted defense.

The AP’s All-Pro Voting Process Is a Joke — FootballPerspective.com
In early January, the Associated Press announced its All-Pro team. The voting process is pretty simple: 50 voters select their top players at each position, and a first-team All-Pro squad is announced. The runners-up at each position are placed on the second-team, but that leads to some very odd results. If fans, teams, and Hall of Fame voters are going to put weight on a player being considered a 2nd-team All-Pro, then the voters should actually vote for both a first and second team. Simply naming the second vote getter (or third and fourth vote getters at positions with two starters) as the second-team All-Pro(s) invites significant abuses of the system.

Eric Ebron still says his size/speed mix should be 'illegal' - NFL.com
Eric Ebron, the draft's top tight end, is a big fan of 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, but admits he will have to stop watching Davis' highlight tapes to get ready for games because "that's kind of cheesy."

Sammy Watkins should be class of WRs at 2014 combine - NFL.com
Clemson's Sammy Watkins should be one of the stars of the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine, but can he match the numbers of recent combine standouts such as A.J. Green and Julio Jones?

2014 NFL Draft: Morgan Breslin Scouting Report
Speed: Breslin is quick from the snap, and is able to generate a positive pass rush with his speed. He has a good first step and uses it to get on and past blockers before they can prepare. His ability to get around the outside edge is top-notch. He is at his best when he can pin his ears back and go after opposing quarterbacks without having to guess whether it’s a pass play or a run play. Having suffered a leg injury that ended his season, there will be extra focus on his ability to regain that speed.

2014 NFL Draft: Dee Ford Scouting Report
Quickness: Ford is a tremendous athlete with a superb first step, making him an explosive threat off the edge. A bit undersized, Ford uses this to his advantage against bigger tackles after he has gained leverage with his quickness, he shows great bend around the corner to close on the quarterback. Make no mistake Ford's quickness and speed along with his flexibility are what has turned him into a play making defender.

2014 NFL Draft: E.J. Gaines Scouting Report
The new breed of NFL cornerbacks is to be physical and tall. E.J. Gaines is not the tallest cornerback in this class, but there is no denying his production during his time at Missouri. E.J. Gaines, Michael Sam, and Kony Ealy were key contributors for Missouri's defense. It should not come as a surprise to see all of them gone by the end of day two of the NFL draft. Let's take a look at eDraft's official scouting report for the prospect.