Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Wednesday

Things to read! Yahoo!

McDaniel ready to play in and out | Seahawks Insider - The News Tribune
“They gave me a lot of opportunity, which I never had in my career,” McDaniel, entering his ninth NFL season, said. “I had the opportunity to start. Got a ring. Got another chance to get another ring. I was excited that they wanted me back and glad we came to terms. “The whole time, even during the season last year, I knew my contract was going to be up and there were going to be some things that had to be handled. Immediately after the Super Bowl, I had my fingers crossed, hoping Seattle was going to try to sign me back. There was a lot of other teams that were trying to get me, but, at the end of the day, I really wanted to be here. So, I was happy that they showed interest.”

Cliff Avril and Jermaine Kearse unite at All-Star Softball Classic
On Saturday at the United Way All-Star Softball Classic at Safeco Field, though, the greatest cheers were reserved for Super Bowl winners Cliff Avril and Jermaine Kearse.

Plenty of superlatives for Seahawks after workouts | HeraldNet.com - Sports
School's out, so to speak, for the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFL.

Under-the-Radar Players Who Could Become Big Names in NFL Training Camps | Bleacher Report
When it comes right down to it, very few NFL players develop into superstars right away. Some play well enough to make a handful of starts in the league, while others show improvement on an annual basis and mature into well-known players.

Eight things to watch before training camp - NFL.com
What are the big hanging questions as teams gear up for camp? Gregg Rosenthal examines potential suspensions for Ray Rice and Josh Gordon, QBs jockeying for long-term deals and much more.

Drew Brees: Saints can win the Super Bowl this year - NFL.com
Drew Brees is ready to lead the Saints to the Super Bowl again. Is there reason to believe New Orleans is now on par with Seattle and San Francisco in the NFC's power rankings?

Aaron Rodgers: Packers more physically intimidating - NFL.com
The Green Bay Packers spent the offseason adding size to their roster on both sides of the ball. Aaron Rodgers noted that in the past it felt like they were a "JV team," but no longer.

Report: Brandon Flowers met with 49ers on Friday | ProFootballTalk
Ultimately, the 28-year-old Flowers reached a one-year deal with San Diego, where he figures to be a vital part of the Chargers’ secondary. But the Niners’ interest in the 2013 Pro Bowler is notable. The 49ers are perhaps as thin at cornerback as they are at any position, and their visit with Flowers may suggest they are open to adding to their defensive backfield.

The Coryell Index — FootballPerspective.com
Yesterday, we looked at the Billick Index, a measure of coaches who managed teams that were good at preventing offensive touchdowns and bad at creating them. Today, the reverse, which is appropriately named after Don Coryell. Coryell’s teams were slanted towards the offense even when he was in St. Louis, but the situation exploded when he went to San Diego. Here’s a look at Coryell’s year-by-year grades in the Coryell Index: for example, in 1981, his Chargers scored 23.1 more offensive touchdowns than the average team, while opposing offenses against San Diego scored 10.1 more touchdowns than average. Add those two numbers together, and there were 33.3 more offensive touchdowns scored in San Diego games than in the average game in 1981 (this is the same information presented as yesterday, but now the “Grade” column reflects the number above average).

Hungry Hawks Make Minicamp Count - The Official Web Site of Earl Thomas | NFL Safety . Seattle Seahawks
After winning the Super Bowl, making a third straight All-Pro team and signing a record contract extension, some might think they’ve earned the opportunity to ease up at least a little bit going into their fifth NFL season.

Rams expect to have just one player on PUP list to start training camp - Turf Show Times
The Rams made it through OTAs healthy, a win in and of itself. Only one player figures to be unavailable when training camp starts at the end of next month.

Patrick Peterson, Antonio Cromartie both called overrated at their position - Revenge of the Birds
More criticism for Peterson.

Doug Flutie: NFL becoming more like the CFL - NFL.com
"The game in Canada was more exciting, more explosive, more wide open," Flutie wrote. "It was what the NFL is now becoming. We were going no huddle, over the ball, from the time I got up there. No-back sets, six wide receivers, throwing the ball all over the field. There is a 20-second clock between plays rather than 40. It just creates a pace that the NFL is now realizing to be more exciting-and actually more effective. The NFL is turning into a no-huddle, up-tempo, fast-paced, throw-the-football type of game now. The CFL has been that for the past 30 years."

Eric Ebron thinks NFL needs a hybrid tight end-receiver designation | ProFootballTalk
Lions rookie tight end Eric Ebron, who is expected to do many of the same things in Detroit’s offense that Graham does in New Orleans, told Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News that he thinks it’s time for the NFL to create a new position to encompass hybrid players who don’t really fit the traditional mold of a wide receiver or a tight end.

Jonathan Cooper not quite fully recovered from broken leg | ProFootballTalk
“I think I have progressed quite a bit but not quite game ready,” Cooper said, via ESPN.com. “I’ve come out here and I’ve done everything they’ve asked me to do rehab wise and lifting wise and on the field to the best of my ability. But my performance isn’t quite where it needs to be for Game 1.”

Marshawn Lynch's golf swing is a lesson in hacking at things - SBNation.com
Some people relax with a game of golf. Judging from Marshawn Lynch's golf swing it's another chance to crush something.

Seahawks' Sherman to Vernon Davis: 'Do what you believe' | CSN Bay Area
Richard Sherman was asked to weigh in with his opinion of Vernon Davis’ holdout.

Schottenheimer: Tavon Austin playing faster for Rams - NFL.com
"Moving him around to a lot of different spots," Schottenheimer recently said, via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "You'll see us hand him the ball, do some different things. He's playing so much faster just because he knows what we're doing. He has the system down cold."

Podcasts - MyNorthwest.com
Former Seahawks fullback Mack Strong comes on the Bob and Groz show to talk about paying Marshawn and the Seahawks not getting complacent.

Healthy 'rookie season' Jonathan Cooper's goal - ESPN
Jonathan Cooper's stats may say he's a rookie. His experience may show he's a rookie. But don't call Jonathan Cooper a rookie.

Sherman softball game on tap, with donation plans set | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times
Richard Sherman’s second annual celebrity softball game is nearing, set for July 20 at Safeco Field.

Mike Carey joins CBS as rules expert for 2014 season | ProFootballTalk
When the NFL released the list of officials for the 2014 season, Mike Carey was listed as a referee for the 20th consecutive season.