Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Tuesday

Read these! Hurry!

All-Time great secondaries: the Seahawks are rising | The Tailgater
The NFL Network’s Top 10 program counted down the best cornerback tandems in history a few years ago. I got to contribute to the show, and the producers came up with a fine list of outstanding cornerback duos, capping the list with Lester Hayes and Mike Haynes from the Raiders of the early 1980s.

Ranking the NFL's best and worst defensive backfields. | SportsonEarth.com : Mike Tanier Article
That was easy. Here's a harder question: Where do the Seahawks rank among the greatest secondaries of all time? Too soon, you say? I disagree.

Vernon Davis' Monday Morning Quarterback guest column | The MMQB with Peter King
Welcome to my version of Monday Morning Quarterback. With Peter King on vacation, I have some thoughts on financial literacy in the NFL, the identity of the best QB not named Colin Kaepernick and the last word on that NFC Championship Game.

Vernon Davis will be a holdout at mandatory minicamp - NFL.com
San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis has reversed course and will now miss mandatory minicamp Tuesday. "It's all about getting paid what you deserve," he wrote. "It's not that complicated."

Brandon Browner has size, power to help Patriots turn the corner | Boston Herald
“I do think that was a huge part of it because (the Patriots) know Denver’s receivers gave them problems with physicality a lot of times,” Sherman said. “Especially once Aqib (Talib) went out, they had trouble stopping them, and it’s a game of wills. The Broncos were able to impose their physicality on them, and I think Brandon will negate all of that, and have a countering effect, impose his will and play a tougher game.”

Niners' rookie cornerback Jimmie Ward used to being overlooked - SFGate
Northern Illinois defensive end George Rainey laughed dismissively after he'd sized up the true freshman with big dreams and a bantamweight body.

Michael Bennett: 'Hawks should pay Marshawn Lynch - NFL.com
"Come back, Marshawn, come back! We need you," Bennett told NFL AM on Monday. "Without Marshawn, we wouldn't win a Super Bowl. Obviously he's one of the best running backs in the game, and he feels like he should be paid like one of the best backs in the game. And, of course, I agree with him. I mean, for a guy to take those kind of hits in the NFL and continue to do it at a high level?"

Death of the Middle Class: NFL QB Edition | BMB
Whether it’s Colin Kaepernick getting a 2,500 percent salary increase or the Chiefs grappling with the idea of handing Alex Smith $15 million, teams everywhere are feeling the effects of the 2011 lockout and seeing an unmistakable trend emerging.

Can 49ers learn anything from Spurs' bounce-back season? | CSN Bay Area
The San Antonio Spurs blew a five-point lead with 28 seconds remaining. A win would’ve clinched the NBA title. The Spurs lost that game in overtime. Then, they dropped Game 7 to the Miami Heat.

Seahawks officially sign Kevin Williams, release Keith Price | Seattle Seahawks | The News Tribune
The Seahawks cut QB Keith Price and DE Kenneth Boatright on Monday in order to sign DT Kevin Williams and RB Demitrius Bronson.

Korey Toomer looks to continue his maximum efforts at Seahawks’ minicamp
Monday metatarsal musings: Korey Toomer is having his second impressive spring for the Seahawks, but the third-year linebacker must carry it over to summer and fall after missing his first two NFL seasons with injuries.

Lots of candidates for the Seahawks top 10 - Seattle Seahawks Blog - ESPN
Judging by how many players received votes in the Sound-Off Saturday survey, it’s no easy task to pick the top 10 Seahawks in history.

Harvin hoping to add to Seahawks' running game - 710sports.com
"Being that I haven't run the ball here as much as I did in the past I think it could be a little more dangerous here," Harvin told "The John Clayton Show" on 710 ESPN Seattle Saturday, "especially when you've got a [dual-threat] quarterback, you've got a beast in Marshawn Lynch and you've got a lot of receivers that can stretch the field. There's a lot of playmakers here."

Hawk Talk: Live Seahawks chat with Danny O'Neil - 710sports.com
The next edition of "Hawk Talk" with Danny O'Neil is scheduled for 12:30 Tuesday, which is an hour before the Seahawks will begin their three-day minicamp.

Max Unger: Continuity is key for Seahawks' O-line - 710sports.com
The Seahawks' offensive line led the way for the NFL's fourth-best rushing attack last season.

Seahawks to open minicamp unsure whether Marshawn Lynch will attend | Seahawks | The Seattle Times
Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch faces fines of up to $70,000 if he doesn’t appear at the team’s three-day minicamp.

A couple quick notes on the signing of Demitrius Bronson | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
— There were lots of rumors following the rookie mini-camp that the Seahawks were going to sign Bronson, who in the eyes of just about all observers was one of the standout players. One reason Seattle waited, though, is that Bronson would not have been eligible to participate in OTAs under the rule barring players from participating whose college classes are still in session (meaning, those on the quarter system).

Seahawks sign DT Kevin Williams, RB Demitrius Bronson, release QB Keith Price, DE Kenneth Boatright - Seattle Seahawks & NFL News
The Seattle Seahawks made one expected and one unexpected signing on Monday when they officially announced deals with former Minnesota Vikings All-Pro defensive lineman Kevin Williams and former Washington and Eastern Washington running back Demitrius Bronson.

Is Denarius Moore falling out of favor with Raiders? - NFL.com
Denarius Moore appears to be in danger of losing his job to Andre Holmes. Is the mercurial wide receiver falling out of favor with the Oakland Raiders?

Making the Leap, No. 19: Saints' Khiry Robinson - NFL.com
New Orleans Saints running back Khiry Robinson was famously compared to Hall of Famer Curtis Martin during last season's playoffs. Can we expect a breakout year in 2014?

LeSean McCoy on Eagles cutting DJax: 'Gotta buy in' - NFL.com
LeSean McCoy believes that the DeSean Jackson situation will be beneficial for the locker room in Philadelphia. Will Chip Kelly and the Eagles miss DJax at wide receiver?

The All-22: How Dee Ford can add serious spark to Kansas City’s uneven defense | Audibles - SI.com
There’s no question that the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs enjoyed a defensive resurgence under first-year defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. A unit that finished 30th in overall defense per Football Outsiders‘ opponent-adjusted metrics in 2012 shot up to ninth last season. The team’s pass defense moved from 31st to seventh, and the run defense improved from 28th to 15th. Sutton made the most of what he had, a roster packed with Pro Bowl-level talent, by adding different coverage concepts and making the defensive line schemes far more multiple. Everyone from safety Eric Berry to nose tackle Dontari Poe benefited, and few Chiefs defenders were more impressive in the first half of the season than bookend edge-rushers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston.

Dallas Cowboys show key to efficient offense is not tempo | Audibles - SI.com
“As this game gets faster and sped up, guys are going to have to prepare the right way,” said Bengals offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth last week, discussing the plan by new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to push the envelope this season when Cincinnati has the football. “To play that style, you have to prepare yourself.”

New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham's franchise tag controversy | The MMQB with Peter King
A hearing is set for this week to determine the franchise tag calculation for the Saints’ Jimmy Graham. At issue for the arbitrator is the proper tag amount to be applied to Graham—and to be counted against the Saints’ salary cap: the amount for a tight end ($7 million) or for a wide rece...

Shutdown Corner's Overrated and Underrated: NFL coach | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo Sports
This offseason, Shutdown Corner's Frank Schwab and Eric Edholm will look into what is overrated and underrated in all aspects of the NFL. We fully expect your angry emails and comments that are sure to follow.

NFL launches clumsy effort to defend blackout rule | ProFootballTalk
At a time when the NFL faces the potential elimination of its blackout rule, the league has embarked on an effort to prevent limitations on the ability to refuse to telecast games in the local market if those contests aren't "sold out."  (More on what "sold out" actually means later.

2013 Rearview Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt — FootballPerspective.com
Every year at Footballguys.com, I publish an article called Rearview QB, which adjusts the fantasy football statistics for quarterbacks (and defenses) for strength of schedule. I’ve also done the same thing for years (including last season) using ANY/A instead of fantasy points, which helps us fully understand the best and worst real life performances each year. Today I deliver the results from 2013.

The Lions head into the season with a new look and new ideas. | SportsonEarth.com : Dan Pompei Article
In OTAs (Offseason Talk & Analysis) all through June and July, the Sports on Earth NFL team will break down each team's offseason transactions, boldest moves and burning questions as they prepare for training camp. Click here for links to every entry in the series.

Top five runs of Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch
The "NFL Total Access" crew breaks down the top five runs of Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch's career.

Mic'd Up: Cliff Avril's First Pitch
Go behind the scenes with Cliff Avril during his day at the ball park as he throws out the ceremonial first pitch for the Mariners.