Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Friday

Thank god it's TGIF.

Former Vikings DT Kevin WiIlliams Signs With Seattle Because Of Course He Does - Daily Norseman
The Williams Wall is officially dead, and a remarkable 11 year career comes to a close

Vikings: Kevin Williams declines late Minnesota offer, signs with Seahawks - TwinCities.com
"I played my contract up,'' Williams said in a phone interview with the Pioneer Press. "They had a chance to sign me back at the beginning of the offseason, and they didn't really want to.

On Kevin Williams' comments about Frazier - Minnesota Vikings Blog - ESPN
"You've got to kind of take into account your players," Williams said. "A lot of the leaders there, when Coach Frazier was the head coach, tried to lend a helping hand to kind of steer the ship right. I think he could have done better with listening to his players, letting them contribute and have some input about some things, and things might have went a lot better. As a (defensive) coordinator, I mean, he was very receptive of his players. he did an awesome job with listening and helping us tell him what we saw on the defense and make things better. I think once he became a head coach, it's a lot of pressure, once again, to win games, and it takes its toll."

What the Kevin Williams signing could mean for Seattle | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
When the time comes, defensive tackle Kevin Williams will generate consideration for the Hall of Fame.

First-year coach Jay Gruden has Redskins thinking quick turnaround - Don Banks - SI.com
The honeymoon months are always fun and filled with promise for a first-time NFL head coach, in that blank-slate, anything-is-possible sort of way. But soon enough, we'll begin to find out if Jay Gruden and his new-look Redskins resemble the club that took the NFL by surprise in 2012, storming to an NFC East title, or the team that bottomed out in dysfunctional fashion in 2013, posting Washington's worst record (3-13) since the dawn of the Norv Turner era in 1994.

Joint Post: Talking Wide Receiver Size With Matt Waldman — FootballPerspective.com
Friend-of-the-program Matt Waldman had some thoughts on the topic of wide receiver size, and then asked if I could contribute with some data. Matt posted our joint effort on his Matt’s site, but I’m reproducing it below for the Football Perspective readers. On twitter, some asked if I could do a separate study on wide receivers and weight rather than height. I’ll put that on the to-do list.

Pain Is Just Part of the Game in the NFL | Bleacher Report
Toradol shots, Vicodin, Percocet. Every player in the NFL has his own form of pain management to mask injuries for three hours of football on a Sunday afternoon with injections, pills, whatever.

Vernon Davis says he’s planning on showing up for minicamp | ProFootballTalk
Vernon Davis staying away from voluntary workouts, while looking for a new contract, is simply business. Giving away another $70,000 seems like bad business. Davis told 95.7 The Game that he intends to be on hands for the 49ers mandatory minicamp next week.

NFL coaches still upset about offseason player availability in new CBA | The MMQB with Peter King
With strict limits on player activity between February and July, coaches have complained about the negative impact on the sport’s quality. It only makes sense, since the restrictions were put in place without input from those griping .

Dri Archer drawing comparisons to Jamaal Charles? - NFL.com
Steelers rookie Dri Archer is drawing comparisons to Jamaal Charles. Should you buy the hype? Marc Sessler weighs in with three other first-year players to watch in his Rookie Notebook.

Examining ownership succession plans for 13 NFL franchises - CBSSports.com
With a handful of owners dying in recent years, we examine what's on tap from a succession standpoint for those franchises and others with aging owners.

Matt Ryan leads NFL players on Forbes.com's highest-paid list - CBSSports.com
Forbes.com released its list of the 100 highest paid athletes and, not surprisingly, you had to scroll down a bit to find an NFL player. But when you did, Matt Ryan led the way at No. 10.

Tyrann Mathieu opens up about thoughts of suicide - NFL.com
Tyrann Mathieu remembers his LSU days, when an arrest led to thoughts about ending his life. After overcoming adversity, Mathieu now wants to help others who might have similar feelings.

Bigger, healthier Falcons can't wait to prove critics wrong in 2014 - CBSSports.com
After getting bigger up front on both sides of the ball, and with key playmakers back, the Falcons, led by steady Matt Ryan, are motivated to prove 2013 was a fluke.

Seven things to watch on this season's 'Hard Knocks' - NFL.com
We learned Thursday that the Atlanta Falcons will be featured on this season of "Hard Knocks." What are we looking forward to in the ninth installment of the HBO series? Roddy White, for one thing.

Observations from the final day of Seahawks OTAs | HeraldNet.com - Seattle Sidelines
--Speaking of Kearse, he had a pair of nice touchdown catches towards the end of practice, including a leaping grab in traffic on a perfect touch throw from Russell Wilson.

OTAs end with a big day from Tharold Simon | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
The 10th, and final, OTA is in the books. The Seahawks practiced for a long time Thursday, spending almost two hours on the field.

No charges in Fla. for Kaepernick, 2 other players - seattlepi.com
San Francisco 49ers star quarterback Colin Kaepernick and two other NFL players will not face charges in an incident involving a woman at a downtown hotel, prosecutors announced Thursday.

Seattle Seahawks' toughest task is staying humble - ESPN
Earl Thomas loves it now when people call him champ. He also must feel pretty good about a new contract worth $40 million.

Thursday OTAs: Five impressions from Jenks, Condotta | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
As is our custom following OTAs, here are five impressions of the day from Seahawks beat writers.

Max Unger has no fears about an absent Marshawn Lynch - ESPN
"I need to give him a call," Unger said Thursday after practice. "He’s never listened to me before, but I can always give it a try and give him a hard time about it."

Seahawks reach deal with DT Kevin Williams - 710sports.com
The Seahawks have added to an already-deep defensive-line rotation, agreeing to terms with Kevin Williams on a one-year deal that according to ESPN's Ed Werder has a maximum value that could exceed $2 million.

Jordan Hill and Jesse Williams making up for lost time
Jordan Hill was limited during his rookie season by a biceps injury, while Jesse Williams missed the 2013 season after having knee surgery. But the defensive tackles the Seahawks drafted last year are back and battling.

Report: Seahawks sign Kevin Williams | ProFootballTalk
Williams visited with the Seahawks in April, but spoke with several other teams since becoming a free agent. He also contemplated retiring if he didn’t get an offer worth his while, but that choice obviously was less appealing that joining up with the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Seahawks OTAs over: Unger says he's got no problem if Lynch skips mini-camp | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Unger elaborated to say that "he’s obviously staying in shape.  I think the guy has done more than prove himself that he’s capable of coming to training camp in shape and I think  he’s got his own training regimen going on. As long as he does his thing on Sunday, I’ve got no problems with him."

Why are so many NFL players getting hurt this offseason? - SBNation.com
We've seen an inordinate number of serious injuries during offseason practices. What is causing this rise in non-contact ailments?

Why Marshawn Lynch Should Look for a New Contract - Over the Cap
With the news coming out that Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks is unhappy with his contract I thought we should look at what is likely going to drive a holdout for him and why he needs to do this now if he wants to maximize his job security.

Ranking the 2014 NFL Rosters | This Given Sunday
I have ranked all 32 NFL rosters with training camps a little more than a month away.

Closeout memo details bizzare behavior by Kaepernick's accuser | FOX Sports on MSN
e Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office announced Thursday that no charges will be brought against San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Ricardo Lockette and Niners receiver Quinton Patton related to a complaint filed by a woman in the spring.

Dan Pompei's Read Option: Can Packers Help Colt Lyerla Exorcise Past Demons? | Bleacher Report
Having a running back by committee really never was part of the plan for the Seattle Seahawks. The reason is the coaching staff does not want to take Marshawn Lynch off the field. Lynch is one of those backs who becomes more effective as his carries go up in the course of a game. For Lynch to be optimized, he needs to be a workhorse. But the Seahawks would like to get Christine Michael some work, and the challenge for offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will be to find a way to do that. The Seahawks think Michael is one of their most explosive players and believe he can help their offense.

Mebane on Bryant’s departure: ‘Is that for real?’ | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
"Red is my best friend," Mebane said Wednesday. So, when the Seahawks cut Bryant Feb. 28, it made for a phone call between the two friends often filled with silence. "We were just kind of like on the phone, like, ‘Man is that real? Is that for real?’" Mebane said. "You know how this business is. That’s just how it is. Like I said, we’re always going to be friends."

LaMichael James wants to be more than a kick returner | ProFootballTalk
Part of the reason that running back LaMichael James missed the first month of 49ers offseason workouts this year was because he became a father for the first time, but there were also football reasons for his absence.

Charges won't be filed against Colin Kaepernick after Miami incident - CBSSports.com
Neither Colin Kaepernick, Ricardo Lockette nor Quinton Patton will face charges from an incident earlier this offseason.

Frank Gore thwarts Father Time to drive San Francisco 49ers - NFL.com
Frank Gore's injury-plagued college career is a distant memory -- the Niners running back is one of the NFL's most reliable players. Ryan Maquinana examines the vet's extraordinary longevity.

NFL players, coaches and executives share their father’s life lessons | The MMQB with Peter King
We asked a dozen men in the NFL—players, coaches and executives—to share the best thing they’ve learned from their dad or an influential father figure. Here’s the wisdom that’s been passed on by mail carriers, businessmen, high school coaches, Hall of Famers, construction workers, educators and military veterans

Vernon Davis recognizes ‘mandatory’ nature of next week’s minicamp – 49ers Hot Read
Tight end Vernon Davis indicated Thursday he doesn’t plan to skip next week’s minicamp the way he has the 49ers’ voluntary workouts.

San Francisco 49ers News — Niner Insider Blog » Sophomore slump? Why Fangio doesn’t foresee one for Reid
Good news, 49ers fans: Eric Reid won’t need a bigger helmet this season.

QB guru George Whitfield working with 49ers as coaching intern - CBSSports.com
49ers coach Jim Harbaugh likes what he's seen from George Whitfield so far, which is one reason why he hired Whitfield as an intern.

T.J. McDonald's role expected to expand - NFC West Blog - ESPN
St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams have an extensive history of working together. Their defensive philosophies are similar and, now that they are reunited in St. Louis, the scheme isn't expected to change much at its core.