Field Gulls

Seahawks Listens: Matt Flynn, Dave Krieg On the Airwaves

2012-05-17T01:48:07Z

From what I gather, people appreciated the post I threw up on Saturday that rounded up (possibly) interesting radio interviews and shows that might be worth a listen, so I plan on making it a semi-regular column here at Field Gulls. Brock and Salk had Seahawks QB Matt Flynn on their show today, and Softy hosted former Seahawk great Dave Krieg. I've embedded the audio for those interviews below, head in and give them a listen.

More audio at MyNorthwest.com

NFC West Check-In: Arizona Cardinals

2012-05-16T21:49:34Z

I'm taking a brief moment to update you on the state of the teams that we must be better than in order to return to the playoffs in 2012. Well, we don't technically have to be better than all of them, but given the state of the NFC West over the last decade, we must assume that a Wild Card isn't coming. Winter is coming, but probably not a wild card because in that case we'd have to be better than a whole lot of teams.

Yesterday I went over the likely cellar-dweller of the division, the Rams but the Cardinals all of a sudden look like a formidable opponent. I actually kind of think that the Cards will be the "hot pick" for many analysts as winners of the NFC West when those predictions come out. As the 49ers regress to normalcy and Alex Smith throws more than five interceptions, San Francisco will be in danger of not repeating their division crown. But will it be the Cards, Seahawks, or even Rams that take that crown?

Probably not the Rams but the Cards might just be legit. After winning seven of their last nine games, Arizona is rollin' and feelin' good. Have they done enough to win double-digit games for only the second tiem since 1976? Let's see...

2011 Record: 8-8

Standard League Offensive Rankings: 24th scoring offense, 19th total offense, 17th passing offense, 13th passing touchdowns, 27th in interceptions, 24th in rushing offense, 16th in rushing touchdowns, 17th in yards per carry, 28th in turnovers, 28th in turnover differential.

Standard League Defensive Rankings: 17th in scoring defense, 18th in total defense, 17th in passing defense, 5th in passing touchdowns allowed, 26th in interceptions, 21st in rushing defense, 23rd in rushing touchdowns allowed, 16th in yards per carry, 26th in turnovers forced.

Football Outsiders: 31st in Offensive DVOA, 27th in Weighted Offense, 30th in passing, 16th in rushing, 25th in Defensive DVOA, 14th in Weighted Defense, 14th against the pass, 23rd against the run.

2011 Head Coach: Ken Whisenhunt (39-39) enters his sixth season as head coach of the Cardinals. GM Rod Graves also enters his sixth season with Arizona. Mike Miller enters his second season as offensive coordinator and Tacoma-native Ray Horton enters his second season as defensive coordinator.

Key Free Agent Additions: CB William Gay, G Adam Snyder, S James Sanders

Losses: DB Sean Considine, DB Richard Marshall, G Deuce Lutui

Key Draft Picks: WR Michael Floyd, CB Jamell Fleming, T Bobby Massie, G Senio Kelemete, QB Ryan Lindley

Outlook:

The Cardinals were 8-8 last season but their overall numbers are poor. Arizona, basically, does nothing great. They don't do a lot of terrible, but they're average-to-below-average all over the field. They lack elite players and they'll have competition at the most important position but do they go with their gut or their wallets? John Skelton's numbers weren't as good as Kevin Kolbs (and they were both pretty awful) but Skelton recorded five game-winning drives per Pro-Football-Reference. The team was 3-6 when Kolb started, but he just received a $7 million roster bonus rather than letting him go.

Last season the Cards had a very large swing of how good or how bad they could be and in the end they wound up at .500 but many of their games were incredibly close. Their first three losses (Washington, Seattle, New York Giants) were by a combined eight points before they lost 34-10 to the then-winless Vikings. They beat the Rams on an OT 99-yard punt return by Patrick Peterson and the Cowboys on an OT 52-yard pass to LaRod Stephens-Howling. All told, they went 4-0 in overtime last season and that could always just as easily be 0-4.

Their signature win of the season and their only win over a playoff team, was a 21-19 victory over the 49ers after Skelton again led a 4th quarter comeback with unanswered touchdown passes.

So, while they finished hot and with an 8-8 record, the Cardinals were very close to winning 3 or 4 games, again, as the Cardinals tend to do. But are they going to take the next step, build on momentum, and improve from within? Well, they'll have to because they had no 2nd round pick and were almost silent in free agency.

They made some low-key moves by adding a guard and some defensive back help but mostly the team in 2012 is the same as it was in 2011. The key will be who starts at QB and how well he performs, because you either go with the expensive guy or the unknown that led you to all of those wins. Picking a QB and sticking with him might just be the entire key to the Cards playoff chances.

Beanie Wells finally had a breakout season at running back (I say "finally" but it was only his third year) totalling 1,047 yards in 15 games but he was wildly inconsistent. He gained 228 yards in one game against the Rams and only had two 100+ yard games total in the year. In fact, after week four, he only had one game in which he gained 90 or more yards. For that reason, the Cards will hope for a healthy return of 2011 2nd round pick Ryan Williams, who missed all of his rookie season with a ruptured patella tendon.

As for the receivers group, Larry Fitzgerald is still one of the top five at his position in the game if not one of the most physically-gifted players to ever line up on the outside. He's coming off of his fourth 1,400+ yard season and has performed no matter who is throwing the ball. He'll have major help though for the first time since Anquan Boldin left with the first-round addition of Floyd, a big and agile receiver from Notre Dame that I thought was the best receiver in the 2012 draft. It takes some time usually for receivers to adjust, but A.J. Green and Julio Jones showed that it's not always the case. Floyd's presence will pay major dividends for Fitzgerald.

On the line, the team cut and then re-signed Levi Brown and added Adam Snyder from the 49ers. Their line is good but probably not going to go down as one of the best in the league.

Offensively, the Cards were not very good last season. Even during their winning second half the most points they scored was 23. They don't get shutout, necessarily, but they won't blow you away. If Floyd steps in to perform soon and Ryan Williams is healthy, they could become a more potent offense but again that will heavily rely on who is taking snaps and if that guy becomes better than he was in 2011.

On the defensive side of the ball, I had heard somewhere on Twitter or something that one of their players declared that they were about to be "elite" or something. Their first goal should probably be to become good first.

The Cards offense didn't score 30 all season but their defense gave up 31 to the Giants, 34 to the Vikings, 32 to the Steelers and 30 to the Ravens. (Okay defense doesn't give up all points but you get it.) They were "okay" against the pass but not good against the run.

Their biggest move of the off-season was re-signing Calais Campbell to a five-year deal. Campbell had 52 solo tackles, 19 assists, eight sacks, two forced fumbles and ten pass deflections last season. He's a force on the outside and the key to the front seven. Also around the line, Darnell Docket is about to turn 31, Nick Eason is about to turn 32 (joint birthday party?), and former first-round pick Dan Williams is returning from injury. On his Wikipedia page it says, "No notable achievements."

Daryl Washington, Paris Lenon, and Sam Acho and O'Brien Schofield are the linebackers. Funny, maybe it's my perspective or maybe it's just the major differences in the two defenses, but it seems like the Cards and Hawks had similar needs and we addressed them and they didn't. The Cards are looking for pass rush to come more from the LB than we are but where are the dynamic players outside of Campbell? Acho was interesting as a rookie last season and maybe one to watch.

In the back, Patrick Peterson is the other dynamic player on Arizona's defense. As a rookie, they eased him into the defense (and he improved as the year went along and could be a Pro Bowl CB in his own right) but he was the best punt returner in the league last year as well. Gay and the return of Greg Toler could make this a very good stable of cornerbacks and the ever-steady Adrian Wilson at safety could make it an excellent secondary overall.

It seems that secondaries reign supreme in the NFC West and maybe that's why all of the quarterbacks suck.

On special teams, haha remember when you were a Giant Jay Feely?

2012 Schedule:

Seattle Seahawks

@ New England Patriots

Bye

St. Louis Rams

@ Seattle Seahawks

@ San Francisco 49ers

Again, I don't like to make predictions on records but remember yesterday I mentioned that you'd rather play the good teams on the road and the average teams on the home if you're an average team looking for wins? Yep. The Cards get the Eagles, Dolphins, Bills, Lions, and Bears at home. Those teams aren't all bad but they're all beatable.

I don't think that the Cards are nearly as good as their 7-2 finish and maybe weren't as good as their 8-8 record in 2011 but if certain players stay healthy, if Kolb wins the job and improves like Matt Cassel did during his second season with the Chiefs, if Ryan Williams stays healthy, Patrick Peterson gets better, and Floyd performs early in his career, they could be right around the same mark again.

I'll say five wins on the low end and nine wins on the high end. In the absolute best-case scenario, I see ten wins but that's in the best case scenario. They didn't get worse but what did they really do to improve besides save some money on Levi Brown and draft Floyd?

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Seattle Seahawks Scouting: Revisiting Russell Wilson's Game Tape

2012-05-16T19:21:55Z

Russell Wilson's strong performance over the weekend at Seahawks' rookie camp - he took close to 500 snaps and threw nearly 400 passes - caused a major stir, especially considering Pete Carroll officially declared Wilson part of the three way competition at quarterback once the activities were over. To an extent, the media/scouts' buzz about his potential - in other words, everyone's continued surprise as he continues to succeed - reopened Pandora's box in regards to Wilson and his unique skill set. It's not uncommon for a young player to be impressive in shorts and no pads - which he should be - but still, he made a positive impression; thoughts about his anticipation, his high release, and the ability to throw people open downfield were just some of the observations passed along via twitter and other mediums by those on the scene.

As I was able to see exactly none of what occurred, I did what I considered to be a decent consolation prize and went back to the three "game tapes" of him from 2011. Additionally, though I advocated for Wilson up to the draft - my first choice third rounder heading into day two - I never posted anything visual pertaining to him. So, the conjunction of the two sentiments above has gotten me to here. In case you're beginning to wonder; this isn't a "why Wilson is great" themed post or a comprehensive scouting report, but instead a look at some of the little things that made him stand out over the past months - when applicable, how that translates to his "fit" in Seattle. These aren't necessarily the best or biggest plays he makes, just ones that show what he can do - with a few negative plays sprinkled in for some balance.

At the least, with all of the gushing quotes that have been said pertaining to him by Carroll, Schneider, and his Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema; though quarterback talk will be abundant in the coming months, it could help to pair some visuals with the overwhelming praise that has been thrown on him in the past few weeks. As his first impression is fresh, hopefully the tape will help give a rough idea of what seemingly occurred in rookie camp last weekend.

The first video, the loss at Michigan State when John Schneider texted Pete Carroll from the sidelines about how much Wilson was tilting the field, after the jump.

At Michigan State

At 0:37 -- the defensive tackle reads the back and knows Wilson has the ball, and another defender comes free from the backside; with poise, he flicks it over the backside defender to the fullback for the easy touchdown.

At 0:50 -- the safeties bite on Wilson's fake - which they had been doing - which allows Wilson to manipulate the weakside linebacker, creating a small window and sticking it in there on the post.

On the next play Wilson throws a pick, a miscommunication with the receiver as Wilson tried to stick it in between the two safeties. At 1:38 watch how he reacts and finishes the play, a competitor.

Negative play alert: At 2:00 he takes a safety in the end zone, due to a grounding penalty. A sticky situation here.

At 2:40 Wilson is able to find a crease and slip downfield. I like how he gets below the contact, something he does pretty often. On the next play he shows off more agility and even a stiff arm.

At 3:40 the defense bites hard on Wilson's fake again. Wilson shows great patience by letting his outside receiver run the slant as the underneath receiver draws the corner up in his into his zone; then the outside receivers slant is broken off into a corner route, in front of the safety. Maybe a smidgen underthrown, but only where the offensive guy can get it.

At 3:56 is a trap-shovel option where they pull the backside guard, giving Wilson one receiver to throw to - the fullback was out wide and is blocking - on the sideline. Impressive body control on the strong cross body throw and a conversion on 2^nd and long.

At 4:12 on 1st and 10, Wilson keys and diagnoses quickly leading to the backfield wheel throw. The throw itself is snap-throw over the bearing-down defender.

At 5:06 the safety sneaks up and Wilson makes easy work of it with a throw down the middle.

Negative play alert: 5:40. This play is called whoops.

At 5:55 is a beautiful deep ball from the pocket - he slides, finds the lane and throws over defender. The receiver doesn't break stride, and drops the ball. A non-Wilson whoops.

At 6:42 he does a nice job simply sliding forward out of the pressure - he didn't have many options - but makes the play when he gets the defender up in the air with a strong pump, and then shows some speed.

At 8:04 On 1^st and 20; the pocket collapses and instead of stepping up, Wilson rolls back and out. Noticing that the safety is deep 1 on 1 with the receiver and the corner is defending up in the flat, Wilson buys some time and like he did earlier in the game at 3:40 hits the deep throw along the sideline, this time in a very different situation.

He throws the receiver open 40 yards downfield, with a ball that travelled 55 yards on a rope - it was actually a bit longer as the throw was from the middle of the field - and placed on the sideline. Big time throw here, and I think one that puts to rest any questions about Wilson's arm strength. And while the play where Charlie Whitehurst led Sidney Rice out of bounds on a potential touchdown play in Cleveland Week 7 last year comes to mind - sorry to bring it up - this play is a totally different animal.

At Ohio State

Last week I noted Wilson saying an important part of the game is putting the ball in the "right place at the right time." Early in this game his usage of the fullback and tight ends on 1^st and 2^nd down in the flat stood out. While not the sexiest offensive strategy, Wilson makes smart throws to keep the chains moving or make 3^rd down more manageable. I think this skill fits well in Seattle's offense; take a look at Danny's post from December on the Seahawks' offensive identity - primarily looking at ‘21' and ‘22' formations and the use of the fullback/tight end in the passing game - for a few examples of what I'm talking about in greater detail.

At 0:13 and at 0:34 on play action, Wilson gets easy 2^nd down yardage using this strategy to set up 3^rd and short, and 1:02 is a first down throw to the right flat, into the outside hip/into the chest of the runner - away from the defender - letting him turn upfield. Wilson takes an extra split second to get this one right and it pays off with flawless location on this pass.

Going backwards for a second, at 0:46 is play action to a snap touch throw, to where only the receiver can get it.

At 1:30, on fringe of red zone, take a shot - smart throw, but high. Another inaccuracy moment, but right throw at the right time.

Here's a contrast to earlier fullback example. At 1:58 is a possession that fails. It starts with a heavy set, play action explosive play opportunity from deep within own territory - something Bevell does on occasion - that results in a smart throw away; more flat work on 2^nd down isn't sexy but it's sound, especially playing with the lead.

At 2:40 the long arms help as Wilson stands tall and makes a big throw to the right spot, low where only the receiver can get it. Also, note the footwork - on his hop/crossover step, notice how when he comes down to finish his drop his feet come down simultaneously - his left foot in front of the right - and he's ready to throw. This adjustment is something he does on most 3^rd downs or when playing from behind. At 2:55 shows a contrast; he throws tall again and from a weird arm angle, but notice the slight change in the tempo of his hop/crossover/finish of the drop from the play before. A more traditional drop, but again an explosive passer on the balls of his feet. This maneuver is something to watch in general, one of my favorite attributes of his.

Negative plays alert: At 3:39 he completely misses the receiver. Note here is the quick footwork again. On the next play, he gets caught in the pressure.

At 4:10 is a smart, snap-throw away.

At 5:10 is another throw to the fullback on 1^st down, play action from a heavy set.

Negative play alert: At 5:19 another intentional grounding deep within his own territory. Two games and two such penalties is something to note

At 5:42 is a quick screen that is successful due to Wilson. The three-step pump-fake requires great footwork, balance, body control and strong hands. The pump holds the safety for just a minute, keeping the separation and helping his receiver get open. The quick-flick, second baseman-like throw is on the money.

At 5:53 Play action draws the safeties up and Wilson launches a smooth bullet down the left hash from the pocket, which is almost caught.

At 7:20 Wilson does a great job of manipulating the zone. The receiver running up the hash draws the safety, along with a Wilson pumpfake, and then Wilson throws the outside receiver open with a back-shoulder throw. The defender doesn't have a play on it, but the receiver can still turn and run instead of heading out of bounds.

The games ends with Wilson making a great effort and a giving his receiver a few legitimate chances to make the play 1 on 1 downfield, but to no avail. On the final play of regulation Wilson throws a ball up and helps his receiver draw PI. On the final play, Wilson the ball is stripped/tipped as he releases. An odd sequence and Wisconsin losses, but he keeps them in it until the end.

2011 Big 10 Title Game vs. Michigan State

Moving much quicker through this tape, a few examples to build on above and lead us to the conclusion.

At 0:47 he slide-steps - looks like an elongated one-step - and throws with pressure in his face. He shows some savvy, negotiates double a-gap blitz and just sticks it in there.

At 1:10 sneaks out backside on a halfback pass and makes the catch.

Negative play alert: At 2:00 Wilson doesn't sense the backside pressure, after the tackle gets leaning and crossed by the rusher, and is clobbered. Realistically though, not much he could have done here.

At 2:21 another shovel-trap option, and Wilson throws a vicious stiff arm.

Negative play alert: At 2:43 Wilson has trouble with backside pressure on the move, similar to the example above in the Ohio State game.

At 3:45 we see a rare spread (00) formation, and he throws to he fullback in the flat. At 8:10 is the same thing, just on the other side.

At 4:50 it's 3^rd and 17, but that's no issue. He shows toughness by evading the corner blitz, then rolls right and quickly sets - notice how quickly that left foot is down - to launch a cross field, 50 yard bomb for the touchdown. The safety had no chance on this ball.

At 5:45 he looks for the fullback or the wheel route (like in first game MSU game) but the ball gets batted. Wilson catches it! We've seen Drew Brees do that before...

At 6:10 he keys and diagnoses the coverage well, shows good anticipation and makes the flick/snap-throw with pressure in his face.

Negative play alert: At 7:05 a play similar to the first touchdown pass, this one gets batted down on a two point conversion.

At 8:42 is a 4^th and 6, game pretty much on the line; he rolls, searches, and throws over a defender to where his receiver has a chance and the safety doesn't.

Then watch the two point play, as Wilson ends things in styllllleee. So stylish, in fact, the gametape has the play twice. Personally, I think this final play puts it all together and shows what Wilson can be when he's at his best; intelligence, athleticism, poise, precision in the biggest of moments.

In conclusion, while not a complete picture of Wilson's game, especially considering it's only a three game sample, hopefully some of his positive attributes are more apparent: he can throw 50 yards or more on a rope; the baseball background shows up in his ability to flick-snap release the ball - think Michael Vick, but not quite as strong an arm - with velocity when on the run; he can throw when his body is in a variety of positions, including across his body when moving left. His mobility doesn't turn him into a run first quarterback, more Drew Brees or Ben Roethlisberger than Michael Vick in this regard; his intelligence translates through his play, making smart throws and taking shots when appropriate.

The fluidity and balance he shows during his drop is impressive - this will sound a bit weird, but in particular I'm captivated by the way he maneuvers his lower left leg (knee to toes) and is able re-set his feet, and in general he plays from and explodes off the balls of his feet; his athleticism threatens the edge in the passing game and complements a strong running game, allowing the game plan to move the pocket with various methods; he can get to the ground and away from contact quickly when running, perhaps another baseball influence. Strong hands and long arms allow him to make small plays into bigger ones; he can make throws over defenders in his face; he's great at leading his receivers open, capable of putting the ball where only his guy can get to it. Last, but certainly not least, he comes alive when playing from behind or in the 4th quarter, making huge plays in huge moments. Based on Seattle's struggles in this area in 2011, there's no doubt the way he usually elevates those around him and tilts the field in key situations will be a welcome sight if/when he gets the opportunity.

Seahawks Scouting: Jaye Howard Game Film Cutups

2012-05-16T16:48:33Z

Jaye Howard is one player that I'll be watching closely come training camp and preseason for the Seahawks. He's a guy that I had done no scouting on prior to the Draft, hadn't really heard of, and haven't really followed up on a whole lot since he was picked.

Still, he could be a guy that actually gets a good amount of snaps in 2012, and if he impresses the coaching staff enough, he could likely be a part of the Seahawks' version of the Giants' NASCAR package, as Eric Williams laid out yesterday. Howard did receive a good amount of praise though during the Seahawks' 3-day Rookie Mini-Camp from beat writers and the coaching staff, so educate yourself on his style and skillset by watching the videos below, all courtesy of DraftBreakdown and their crew of gametape cutup magicians.

Coffee and Cigarettes: Seahawks Links for Wednesday

2012-05-16T12:00:59Z

HUMPDAY.

Hawks rev up version of "NASCAR" package | Seahawks Insider
For Pete Carroll this offseason the idea was simple – add more speed to the team’s pass rush to create more sack opportunities, similar to the way New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell drew up his NASCAR package with four defensive ends on third down, Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka.

Ram tough: Les Snead leans on strengths to rebuild St. Louis - NFL.com
Tuesday was May 1. For new St. Louis Rams general manager Les Snead, the beginning of the new month meant it was finally time to tie up a whole bunch of loose ends.

Rebuilding? Rams prefer to look at 2012 as re-stocking period - NFL.com
The St. Louis Rams approached the 2012 NFL Draft embracing the reality that they were not one player away. As last year's 2-14 finish clearly illustrated, they were missing far more than that.

Can Russell Wilson win a starting job as a rookie? | National Football Post
Pete Carroll is going to give the QB a shot to compete.

Russell Wilson's shot to start reveals Pete Carroll's lack of commitment to Seahawks QBs - Yahoo! Sports
There are many derivations on the basic theme of finding and committing to a good quarterback. Or you could be like Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and continuously date.

2011's Best Performances: Defensive Tackles | ProFootballFocus.com
We began focusing on the defensive players yesterday in our continuing look at the best individual performances from the 2011 season. Today we stay on that track, shifting to the inside guys as we turn our attention to those players who spend their life at either defensive tackle or nose tackle. As is the norm, we’re going to give you the 10 highest-graded individual displays from the position in 2011. This takes into account how a DT performed while stopping the run, rushing the passer, and even when dropping into coverage (and the penalties they took, too). Let’s get to it.

Pressure point: Seahawks - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Seattle Seahawks and why.

Pressure point: Rams - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Examining who faces the most challenging season for the St. Louis Rams and why.

Marquess Wilson (WR, Washington State) vs ASU & Washington " Seahawks Draft Blog
Wilson fits the criteria as a player who should really benefit from Mike Leach’s presence at Washington State. Whether he ever develops into a first round prospect remains to be seen, but he’ll probably get plenty of targets next season.

Don't believe the hype during OTA season - NFL.com
The Super Bowl was more than three months ago. The NFL Draft is over and free agency slowed to a crawl. We are hungry for football, so we turn to Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and minicamps for sustenance.

NFL - Seattle Seahawks' QB competition is getting crowded - ESPN
It's a quarterback free-for-all in Seattle, Ashley Fox writes.

NFL - Bad time to be a rookie - ESPN
As the new 10-year collective bargaining agreement starts to play out, there may be no more notable difference in the business of the NFL than the timing and ease of rookie contract negotiations. The new CBA has, for at least a decade, radically simplified and shortened the negotiation of these deals.

Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " Jeff Fisher Says He "Didn’t Pay Much Attention" to Sam Bradford’s Rough Second Season
Jeff Fisher joined Frank Cusumano on KFNS in St. Louis to talk about what he sees in Sam Bradford that causes him the believe in the former Heisman Trophy winner. He also touched on the death of former teammate Dave Duerson and the connection to the recent Junior Seau suicide, reflected on the changes during his quarter-century of coaching and stated that he and his staff deliberately don’t work overly taxing hours.

Fantasy Football 2012 Rankings: Wide Receiver Part I - Fake Teams
It's time to rank some wide receivers.

Seven QB battles will be raging soon—and here's how they'll turn out - NFL - Sporting News
An offseason of intriguing player movement has left many teams uncertain about their starting quarterback. With organized team activities and training camps still to come, here are seven quarterback battles that must be settled between now and NFL Week 1:

Is the new CBA good for young players? | National Football Post
New deal will display some flaws.

My story: Using the Giants as inspiration, the Rams are searching for dominant units - NFL.com
Usually you hear teams, especially the bad ones, looking to build one player at a time. They talk about increasing depth across the board and getting talent everywhere. Well, the Rams might not consider themselves to be rebuilding, but they are definitely doing some renovations.

Fullback Owen Schmitt to sign with Oakland Raiders - NFL.com
The Oakland Raiders will sign free-agent fullback Owen Schmitt to a one-year contract, a source with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday.

101Sports.com: Tony Softli - Window of Opportunity is Closing
The St. Louis Rams and the CVC (Convention and Visitors Commission) are in the middle of a back and forth volley more befitting a French Open tennis match. Instead of clay, however, the two sides are negotiating over much more than the surface. The current winner is the Edward Jones Investment Company that bought the stadium naming rights several years ago (paying the Rams an average of $2.65 million per year over the course of the 12-year agreement), which is reaping some very good marketing publicity over this now public battle. (In my opinion, the Ed is much in need of a renovation, in order to make it respectable among the other NFL stadiums.)

Cosell Talks: 2012 NFL Draft Post-Mortem 2 : NFL Films Blog
I had the opportunity last weekend to attend the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie minicamp. It’s always enjoyable to see college players react to NFL coaching for the first time. If you’re a defensive lineman, I can guarantee you’ve never seen a coach quite like Jim Washburn, the old-school defensive line mentor who’s been dispensing his particular brand of knowledge for over 30 years. Washburn is one of the best in the business, and I love seeing his passion and attention to the smallest of details.

Winding road leads Toomer to Seattle
Korey Toomer wasn't even invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. But after linebackers coach Ken Norton, Jr. saw him at his Pro Day workout, the Seahawks decided Toomer was draft worthy.

Matt Barkley (QB, USC) vs Stanford " Seahawks Draft Blog
Ranked at #1 in our top 40 watch list, Matt Barkley probably should be the #1 overall pick next year. That doesn’t mean he will be. Teams are enamoured with big, athletic quarterbacks. It’s not so much why an elite talent like Cam Newton goes #1 overall, but it is a reason why guys like Jake Locker and Ryan Tannehill become top-ten picks. Barkley isn’t the big time athlete with ideal height, a huge arm and plus mobility. He’s a surgeon who’s technically better than any quarterback I’ve ever seen in college.

Comparing upsides of Matt Flynn, Russell Wilson - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
Three quarterbacks technically have a shot to win the competition to be the Seahawks' starter this season. But only two of them -- free-agent addition Matt Flynn and third-round pick Russell Wilson -- are signed beyond 2012.

Bills will give Patriots trouble in the AFC East, more early predictions for the 2012 season - Don Banks - SI.com
The NFL is both beloved and exalted in the pantheon of spectator sports because absolutely no one knows what will unfold from week to week. But that doesn't stop us from predicting up a storm when it comes to the season just ahead. More than two months away from the full-scale opening of training camps, here are seven strong hunches we're willing to share in a bold foretelling of 2012's storylines to come:

On fifth-rounder Fleming's knee injury - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Durable veterans have helped the San Francisco 49ers field one of the NFL's toughest defenses. Losing outside lienbacker Darius Fleming, a fifth-round choice in 2012, to a potentially season-ending injury will not affect their plans for the coming season. The injury stunts efforts to develop young depth for the future. One of the team's long-time starters at the position, Parys Haralson, was a fifth-round choice in 2006.

Rams sign Barry Richardson, Mario Haggan | ProFootballTalk
The St. Louis Rams announced Tuesday that they have signed free agent offensive tackle Barry Richardson and linebacker Mario Haggan. Richardson, who turned 26 today, met with the Rams before the draft.

Can Seahawks get last laugh with Barron? - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The Seattle Seahawks have continually churned their roster along the offensive line, finding starter Breno Giacomini and other contributors that way. Alex Barron becomes the latest addition after the Seahawks announced agreeing to terms with the veteran first-round choice Tuesday.

Ravens, Saints must overcome adversity; don't sleep on Bengals - NFL.com
First wave of free agency? Done. Second wave of free agency? Done. (Call it A.P. -- after Peyton.) NFL draft? Done. Now, where does your team stand in relation to its peers?

Wilson not only rookie to shine | Dave Boling - The News Tribune
Former Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren used to have a tactful phrase to describe some of the young players in the depth chart cellar early in NFL camp. They soon will be "free to go about their life’s work," he said.

Guest column: Surviving life after the NFL - NFC West Blog - ESPN
ormer NFL linebacker George Koonce recently submitted to Marquette University a doctoral dissertation on transitioning from life outside the game. This column represents his personal experience, as told to NFC West blogger Mike Sando.

Seahawks Post-Draft 12th Man Podcast With Scott Enyeart & Sports Radio KJR's Jason Puckett

2012-05-15T23:26:09Z

We talk Bruce Irvin, Russell Wilson, Matt Flynn, T-Jack, and a whole lot more. Give it a listen y'all, and you can head over to KJR's website to download it as well.

Seahawks Sign T Alex Barron, CB Donny Lisowski, TE Cooper Helfet, & T Alex Mitchell; Release Four

2012-05-15T21:47:32Z

The Seahawks have signed veteran and former 19th overall pick Alex Barron after he had an impressive mini-camp with the team last weekend. He was out of football last season rehabbing from a knee injury, and prior to that had a short stint with the Saints, Cowboys and started 74 games for the Rams after they chose him in the first round in 2005. Barron looks the part at 6'7, 320 pounds and though he was mostly known for penalties, he's looking to start fresh in Seattle, as he told Seahawks.com. "[The Mini-camp] was pretty good, because it's a little different than just a one-day workout. I got to move around, be in the huddle, do some drills, have some one-on-ones with some guys, show a little movement. It was great. I just wanted to get somewhere. I'm pretty confident in my play. I've made some mistakes in the past, also. But I've gotten to the point where after last season, and coming into the offseason as a free agent, all I want to do is come in and just show that I can play, because it can't be talked about, it always has to be shown."

It will be really interesting to see how Barron does over the rest of the offseason, and obviously possessed enough physical tools and potential to be a first round pick back in 2005. Players can and have certainly turned things around while moving to different cities, different coaching staffs and different teams, so he'll be a player to keep an eye on throughout this process to see if he can realize some of his first-round potential.

The Hawks also signed CB Donny Lisowski, TE Cooper Helfet, and T Andrew Mitchell while releasing CB London Durham, Adrien Moten, T Jon Opperud, and G/C Brent Osborne. Lisowski is a very athletic and quick-twitch athlete at 5'11, 185 pounds that had a very good weekend at the Mini-camp. He drew rave reviews from Pete Carroll "He was all over the place out here. I had no (idea about him), other than he ran extremely fast when he showed up for a workout day. And then he went out there and made a bunch of plays. So I was really fired up about him." Carroll wasn't the only one signing his praises, as several of the beat reporters covering the camp echoed this sentiment over the weekend. Lisowski obviously impressed enough to stick around for a while.

Also drawing some reviews from reporters over the weekend was Cooper Helfet, a 6'3, 240 pound tight end H-back type from Duke. Helfet had 43 catches for 395 yards for the Blue Devils in 2011, and was one of the players to work out with Peyton Manning during the offseason when he was training at Duke's facility. He's got very nice athleticism - 4.71 40, 1.63 10-yard split, 6.82 3-cone drill, and 4.22 short shuttle, - and the Seahawks have shown a lot of interesting in players of his type so he's a guy that could have a decent chance to catch on with the Seahawks, who are still seeking depth there.

Finally, Andrew Mitchell went undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2010 and was signed by the Bengals at that point. He's 6'5, 308 pounds.

NFC West Check-In: St. Louis Rams

2012-05-15T20:27:15Z

Being in a division with great teams isn't nearly as detrimental in the NFL as it is in the MLB, but it can't be ignored that sometimes you're only as good as the opponents you face most often. Seattle itself made the playoffs as recently as 2010 simply because there wasn't even an average team in the NFC West, we were just the least suckiest of all the sucks.

For the purpose of this series, I'll just be checking in with the teams that we'll play twice-a-piece this year, starting with the Rams.

2011 Record: 2-14

Standard League Offensive Rankings: 32nd scoring offense, 31st total offense, 30th in passing offense, 32nd in passing touchdowns, 4th in interceptions, 23rd in rushing offense, 29th in rushing touchdowns, 20th in yards per carry, 11th in turnovers.

Standard League Defensive Rankings: 26th in scoring defense, 22nd in total defense, 7th in pass defense, 9th in passing touchdowns, 23rd in interceptions, 31st in rushing defense, 27th in rushing touchdowns allowed, 28th in yards per carry, 28th in turnovers forced.

Football Outsiders: 20th in DEF DVOA, 17th in Weighted Defense, 15th against the pass, 29th against the run, 30th in OFF DVOA, 32nd in Weighted Offense, 31st passing offense, 28th rushing offense.

2011 Head Coach: Steve Spagnuolo. Fired on January 2nd, 2012 with GM Billy Devaney and replaced by HC Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead. Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams has been suspended for involvement in the Saints bounty scandal. Fisher has stated there won't be a DC for the Rams this season.

Key Free Agent Additions: CB Courtland Finnegan, DT Kendall Langford, C Scott Wells, WR Steve Smith, LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar.

"Key" Losses: RB Cadillac Williams, WR Brandon Lloyd, K Josh Brown, DE James Hall.

Key Draft Picks: DT Michael Brockers, WR Brian Quick, CB Janoris Jenkins, RB Isaiah Pead, CB Trumaine Johnson, WR Chris Givens.

Outlook:

The Rams had the worst offense in the NFL last season by more than a few measures. Arguments could be made for other teams depending on how you look at it, but all you really need to know is that they mustered just sixteen offensive touchdowns. LeSean McCoy ran for 17 touchdowns all by himself. Heck, Rob Gronkowski caught 17 touchdowns.

All you need to know about their win over the Saints in St. Louis is that winning on the road in the NFL is hard. Fantasy owners loaded up on Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas and even Chris Ivory against the leagues worst rushing defense but they only managed 56 yards on 20 carries. Other than that one game, the Rams were terrible in every way. Even for the Rams, a team that has won an NFL record-low 15 games over five seasons, this is finding exactly where the rock hits the bottom.

The punishment doled out was firing Spagnuolo and GM Devaney and bringing in Fisher, a head coach for sixteen and a half years with Houston/Tennessee. During that time, the Titans had double-digit victories six times, six playoff appearances, and one Super Bowl appearance in one of the best finishes in NFL history. However, his last playoff win came in 2003 and he has five losing seasons on his resume, too. (Not including a 1-5 rookie head coach season.)

There just seems to be an advantage, in many cases, to be "younger" as a head coach than to be older. If you are going to be successful in this regard, you have to adapt to the game and not expect the game to adapt to your style.... you know, the one that worked ten years ago. (Of course I don't count Pete Carroll in this category because he spent so much time at USC and he's always on the cutting edge!)

The 41-year-old Snead comes over to take over General Manager duties after spending the last thirteen years with Atlanta, the last three of which as Director of Player Personnel.

One might think that with such a terrible offense, the Rams would have invested more on that side of the ball, but they actually seemed to focus more on improving a terrible run defense and a decent pass defense. Although, why would anybody pass on the Rams in a threatening manner? I can't help but think of one of my favorite lines from Not Another Teen Movie when the hero wants to throw a TD pass to the "Lucas" character and Reggie Ray (Billy Bob) replies:

"Shoot, we're up 42-nuttin'!"

You don't pass the ball when you're up "42-0" and the Rams lost by double-digits nine times last season and saw just 484 pass attempts. Drew Brees threw the ball 657 times. Hell, the Browns threw the ball 570 times.

So yeah, their defense sucked too. The most immediate impacts you'll see to the team in 2012 will be on defense with Langford and Brockers on the defensive line and Finnegan, Jenkins, Johnson added to the defensive backs.

Langford and Brockers should start right away and honestly when they team up with Chris Long and Robert Quinn, the defensive line might not look too bad. Long is shaping up to be a very good pass rusher if he can get help around him and Quinn had five sacks last season when he was only 21-years-old. Hayes, a Fisher disciple from the Titans, was added for depth on a one-year deal.

If the Rams can stop opposing backs from gaining 4.8 yards per carry again that will force more teams to throw at them and they immediately upgraded when they signed Finnegan, one of the top free agents available this season. If character or off-field issues weren't a factor at all, then Finnegan might have had a broader market for his services and Janoris Jenkins could have been a top-15 pick. The potential of the secondary is high and third-round pick Trumaine Johnson is also considered to be fighting for a starting spot. The DB out of Montana has long arms, is fast, physical and has ideal size for a corner, and was seen by some as a possible late-1st, early-2nd but the Rams got him in the third.

Defensively, they should be better and if not, they just wasted a bunch of money and a first round draft pick. (Oh Hi Jason Smith, Adam Carriker, Tye Hill, Alex Barron, Jimmy Kennedy, Robert Thomas, Damione Lewis, Adam Archuleta, and Ryan Pickett!)

Offensively, the Rams got Sam Bradford a little bit of help on the line by adding Pro Bowl center Scott Wells but he won't do anything to help his blind side. The failure of Jason Smith to live up to being a first round pick, let alone the #2 overall pick, has forced Roger Saffold to protect his blind side even though he's better suited on the right.

The leading returning receivers are Brandon Gibson and Danario Alexander, each with 431 yards last year, and they'll be expecting Danny Amendola to return to health plus the additions of rookies Brian Quick and Chris Givens. Austin Pettis, a third round pick just last season, is on the chopping block already. Greg Salas showed some potential and Steve Smith was a good slot receiver once, but the Rams still lack a true number one and maybe even a solid number two.

At 6'4", 220 with ~4.50 speed, Quick could develop into the number one guy for Bradford, but it won't matter if the QB doesn't get any protection in 2012. Ideally, Alexander would line up opposite of quick, and Amendola or Smith would be in the slot (and they have both shown they can be very good when healthy) but it's a guessing game at this point. At 5'11, 198 with a 40 time of 4.41, Givens could develop into another good slot receiver.

Pead will be a complement to Steven Jackson and his 2,000+ career carries, as a smaller, speedy back that should get a few touches but in a different mold than Jackson. Still, he could turn into a good weapon for Bradford as soon as year one.

I don't see how the Rams will all of a sudden be even a top-20 offense in 2012 but I do believe that Bradford can be good if he's given a real chance to succeed. They just didn't add a whole lot of experienced skill talent around him and they opted against a player like Justin Blackmon or Matt Kalil as a high draft pick, instead going with Quick in the second.

On Special Teams, they cut Josh Brown haha.

2012 Schedule:

@ Detroit Lions

Bye

@ San Francisco 49ers

New York Jets

@ Arizona Cardinals

San Francisco 49ers

@ Buffalo Bills

Minnesota Vikings

@ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

@ Seattle Seahawks

I don't like to make season predictions based on a schedule where you're also trying to predict how good the opponents are based on 2011. This isn't 2011 anymore. How many people thought that the Bengals were a playoff team? Or that the 49ers would be 13-3? I will say that it appears that their home schedule is tougher than their road schedule, which doesn't bode well for the Rams. I mean, wouldn't you rather face the Dolphins, Bills, and Bucs at home and face the Packers, Patriots, and Jets on the road? It might be more difficult to beat the Packers in Green Bay but are they going to beat them in St. Louis anyway? Well, I guess that's what we would have said about the Saints too.

Best guess is three wins on the low-end and seven wins on the very, absolutely-best-case-scenario, high end.

As of today, I'd be surprised if they didn't finish last again this season but with a much brighter outlook for the future.

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