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Seattle Seahawks News

Report: 'Hawks WR Williams fell back on bad habits
May 27
NFL.com
 
"One of the feel-good stories of the 2010 NFL season involved Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Mike Williams, the 10th overall pick out of USC by the Detroit Lions who produced just 44 receptions for 539 yards and two touchdowns in 30 games before eating himself out of the league as he ballooned to over 270 pounds. Williams received a tryout from his former college head coach Pete Carroll, made the Seahawks' 53-man roster and led the team with 65 receptions and 751 yards, adding two regular-season touchdowns before signing a three-year, $11.25 million contract extension and adding three receiving touchdowns in the playoffs. Williams' production dropped substantially in 2011. In 12 games,"
Pete Carroll says Hard Knocks is "not our style"
May 26
Pro Football Talk
 
"Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is a Hard Knocks fan — just as long as some other team is on. The Seahawks were approached about appearing on Hard Knocks and said no, and Carroll said on NFL Network Friday that's because the show would get in the way of the work he has to do at training camp. "That's just not going to suit what we're trying to get done here," Carroll said. "I think it's a great show. I love watching it. I loved Rex [Ryan], and when the Bengals — I love those kinds of shows. I look forward to seeing it. But I just don't want to put that in the middle of our process. We're trying to win football games and hopefully we can entertain that way, not on the show. That's not our"
Why dealing for Kellen Winslow makes sense for Seahawks
May 25
Seattle Times
 columnist Steve Kelley
"Two years ago, when John Schneider and Pete Carroll were beginning the task of rebuilding what Tim Ruskell had torn down, they couldn't have afforded a risk like Kellen Winslow. The Seahawks needed to get younger. They weren't in a position to gamble on a tight end like Winslow, whose practice time is limited because of the wear and tear on his knees. They needed guys who were all-in, all day, every day. Two years ago, their focus was broader. They didn't have room on the roster for specialists. But it is a sign of the maturity of the 2012 Seahawks that they can go after specific needs. They can make a trade, as they did this week with Tampa Bay for a player like Winslow, whose skills"
Matt Flynn has good day in Seahawks' 3-way QB competition
May 25
Seattle Times
 
"You might have a better chance of winning the $128 million Powerball this week than prying meaningful information from Pete Carroll about the Seahawks' quarterback derby. He won't handicap the race between incumbent Tarvaris Jackson, newcomer Matt Flynn and rookie Russell Wilson. But Carroll said no matter what happens, the decision on who starts the Sept. 9 season opener at Arizona isn't likely to be made until after a couple of exhibition games. "I know we're going to need the games to see stuff because these guys are going to do really well," Carroll said. "They're not making a lot of mistakes and they're not way off base on any of the things that they're doing. So everybody is making"
HGH testing in NFL no closer to starting because of search for new candidate to lead study
May 25
Washington Post
 
"The NFL and the players' union are looking for a new candidate to oversee a population study that would be a precursor to players being blood-tested for human growth hormone, union executive director DeMaurice Smith said Thursday. That search must recommence after a mutually agreeable candidate withdrew from conducting the study, Smith said at an afternoon news conference outside the union's offices in downtown Washington. "We just recently found out .?.?. the league's choice to run the population study that we had consented to recently withdrew and said that he wasn't the right person to get this done," Smith said. "I'm thrilled that the league has made a decision to move forward with the"
Kellen Winslow sued for more than $130K in damages
May 24
NFL.com
 
"Seattle Seahawks tight end Kellen Winslow is being sued for more than $133,000 in damages to a Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., home that he and his wife had rented for six months in 2011, Brent Schrotenboer of U-T San Diego reported Wednesday. The suit, recently filed in San Diego Superior Court, alleges that Persian rugs "were stained with dog urine and also littered with dog feces," and that the home smelled of animal waste, according to the newspaper. The walls of the master bedroom allegedly had holes in it, and outdoor furniture was "pocked with cigarette and cigar burns." The suit also alleges that Winslow's final rent payment was $500 short of the $9,000 per month that he owed, and that"
NFLPA files collusion claim against NFL, says it had secret $123M salary cap in 2010
May 23
CBSSports.com
 
"The NFLPA has filed a collusion claim against the league, only a day after an appeal was denied made by the Cowboys and Redskins to protest the NFL's punishment for front-loading contracts of players during the 2010 uncapped season. According to the union, the complaint details a conspiracy in which the NFL imposed "a secret $123 million per-Club salary cap for that uncapped 2010 season." The claim was filed with the U.S. District Court in Minnesota, which means Judge David Doty – certainly not a favorite of the NFL -- likely would oversee the claim. "When the rules are broken in a way that hurts the game, we have an obligation to act. We cannot standby when we now know that the owners"
Buccaneers acquire tight end Dallas Clark, trade Kellen Winslow to Seattle Seahawks
May 22
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Monday began with Bucs tight end Kellen Winslow dropping a bombshell, relaying a conversation in which coach Greg Schiano told him his days in Tampa Bay were over. Shortly before midnight, Winslow was sent packing, traded to the Seahawks for an undisclosed 2013 draft pick. Meanwhile, the Bucs acquired his replacement, signing former Colts star Dallas Clark, who teamed with Peyton Manning to help annually make Indianapolis an offensive juggernaut, to a one-year deal. Winslow, the team's most consistent receiving threat during the past three seasons, said Monday on SiriusXM NFL Radio that Schiano told him the team planned to trade him. Winslow, traded by the Browns to the Bucs in 2009 for a"
Seahawks get TE Kellen Winslow in a trade
May 22
Seattle Times
 
"The Seahawks have tried to bolster the tight end position ever since free agent John Carlson left in March. But other free-agent options were limited. However, a reported dispute between new Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano and Kellen Winslow, the team's receptions leader the past three seasons, has allowed Seattle to acquire the one-time Pro Bowler for next to nothing. The Seahawks announced Monday night they had traded an undisclosed 2013 draft pick for Winslow. ESPN reported the Seahawks gave up a seventh-rounder that could be upgraded to a sixth-round selection. Winslow, who turns 29 on July 21, has three years and $13.3 million remaining on his contract. He's due to make $3.3 million in"
Seahawks hope Doug Baldwin, Earl Thomas build on superb seasons
May 18
Seattle Times
 
"They were two of the brightest spots for the Seahawks last year, and two of the biggest reasons more is expected from Seattle in 2012. On a team chock full of youth, receiver Doug Baldwin and free safety Earl Thomas made breakthroughs in 2011. Baldwin led Seattle with 51 catches, the first undrafted rookie to lead his team in catches since the NFL and AFL merged in 1970, while Thomas was named to his first Pro Bowl at the ripe old age of 22. So what's next? It's a question not only for Baldwin and Thomas, but for this team to turn the potential it showed the second half of last season into a playoff berth. Were those final eight games a tease or a turning point? That depends in part on"
NFL rookies signing contracts rapidly under new salary system
May 17
Washington Post
 
"The primary aim of the NFL's year-old rookie pay system was to limit the amount of guaranteed money in the contracts of players selected early in the draft. It immediately became clear when the new system went into effect last summer that it was accomplishing that goal. Top draft picks signed deals worth much less than the contracts of prized rookies in previous years. But the system also was designed to streamline contract talks between NFL teams and their rookies, making those deals much less complex and negotiations simpler. It has taken longer to find out whether that would happen, but the quick pace of signings that followed last month's draft strongly suggests that rookie contract"
Seahawks add four players to 90-man roster, including former O'Dea star Donny Lisowski
May 16
Seattle Times
 
"Rookie defensive back Donny Lisowski made his first impression a convincing one, while veteran offensive tackle Alex Barron simply made the most of another NFL opportunity. They were two of the four players the Seahawks added to their roster from a pool of more than 30 that participated in last week's rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. Seattle also agreed to terms with tight end Cooper Helfet and tackle Andrew Mitchell. They were added to the 90-man roster, which will be reduced to 53 before the regular season starts. Seattle released cornerback London Durham, linebacker Adrian Moten, tackle John Opperud and guard Brent Osborne. Of those four players, only Moten appeared in a game for the"
James Carpenter could miss Seahawks' 2012 season
May 14
NFL.com
 
"There's "a decent chance" that Seattle Seahawks right tackle James Carpenter will not play in 2012 because of the knee injury he sustained last November, according to Dan Pompei of the National Football Post. The Seahawks' first-round draft pick in 2011, Carpenter started the first nine games of the season -- one game at left guard, followed by eight at right tackle -- before he tore an anterior cruciate ligament during a one-on-one pass rush drill in practice and was placed on injured reserve. At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Seahawks general manager John Schneider acknowledged that Carpenter "had a long road ahead of him" in his recovery and followed that up in April by saying it"
Russell ups the Seahawks' competition at QB
May 14
Seattle Times
 
"Seattle rookie Russell Wilson will be part of the competition to become Seattle's starting quarterback this fall, coach Pete Carroll said Sunday as the team concluded a three-day minicamp for rookies. "He showed us enough," Carroll said. "He's in the competition." Wilson was the team's third-round pick, and he will join a competition that already included free-agent addition Matt Flynn and incumbent starter Tarvaris Jackson. Russell was chosen in the third round by Seattle with the No. 75 overall pick. It was the highest pick the franchise has used on a quarterback since 1993."
Russell Wilson in mix to start at QB, Seahawks' Carroll says
May 13
NFL.com
 
"Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Sunday that third-round draft pick Russell Wilson has earned a spot in the contest to be the team's starting quarterback. "He showed us enough," Carroll told the Seahawks' official website. "He's in the competition. That is going to tax us, as we know. It was already going to be taxing with two, but he's shown us enough that we need to see where he fits in with these guys." Carroll had already said free-agent acquisition Matt Flynn and veteran Tarvaris Jackson would fight for the top spot. Now, apparently, Wilson can be added to that mix."
Memories of brother help keep draftee Turbin motivated
May 13
Seattle Times
 columnist Steve Kelley
"Robert Turbin's older brother was in trouble. Caught in the web of heroin addiction. Lost on the dangerous streets of Oakland, looking for another fix, feeling as if there was no way out. But Robert had a plan for Lonnie. It was something he'd been thinking about all season at Utah State, as he was piling up 100-yard rushing games and helping the Aggies get to their first bowl game since 1997. Robert was going to get drafted into the NFL and wherever he went he was going to take his brother with him. Get him out of Oakland and into a healthier environment. Let him see there was hope. Robert believed Lonnie could have a future. "I owed it to him," Robert said Friday after the Seahawks'"
Tall task for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson
May 13
Seattle Times
 
"Russell Wilson stood out early on. Wait. That's a poor choice of words considering all the fuss over Wilson's height — or more accurately his lack thereof — at 5 feet 11. It's the size of his arm that was evident long before he became a four-year starter at quarterback, a baseball prospect in the Rockies organization or the Seahawks' third-round draft pick. This was back when Wilson was in fifth, maybe sixth grade in Richmond, Va., serving as a ball boy for the high-school varsity team, and he left a referee waiting for the football in the middle of the field. "For once in his life, Russell must not have been paying attention," said Charlie McFall, the coach at the Collegiate School."
Starting jobs harder to come by for Seahawks rookies
May 12
Seattle Times
 
"Seattle's rookies reported for their first day of work under a cloudless sky and their coach's relentless optimism. The forecast for playing time, however, is significantly more hazy this year. "Our depth is so much better than a couple years ago," coach Pete Carroll said. "These guys are going to have to fight for their playing time." That reality stands in sharp contrast to the plug-and-play program Seattle followed in Carroll's first two years in town when first-round picks were starters the first day on the job. That was true for left tackle Russell Okung and free safety Earl Thomas in 2010. It was true for offensive lineman James Carpenter a year ago when he was one of three rookies"
NFL plans for replacement officials
May 10
Foxsports.com
 
"The NFL used replacement players in the past because of labor strife. The same may be happening with its current cast of officials. According to a letter obtained by FOXSports.com, the NFL has asked its officiating-scouting department to begin assisting the league in identifying potential replacements for the 2012 season. The move comes as the league and the NFL Referees Association have reached an impasse in labor negotiations. The agreement between the two sides expired at the end of the 2011 season. "Negotiations are ongoing, and should the two sides reach an agreement in the near future, there will be no need to hire additional officials," wrote Ron Baynes, who is the NFL's director of"
Seahawks' Red Bryant vows to live up to his new contract
May 10
Seattle Times
 
"Red Bryant stepped off the practice field Wednesday morning and directly into an interview with television cameras rolling and about 10 reporters waiting. The scene was odd, in a sense, because the Seahawks defensive end was being asked for answers in the first year of his Seattle tenure that there aren't many questions about his role. No doubt about his position, unlike two years ago when he switched from defensive tackle to end. No questions about his durability, after he started 16 games for the first time in his career. No uncertainty about his future, since he signed a five-year contract to remain with Seattle. "It's definitely a change," Bryant said. "I've got more security ... I"
NFL: Study says former players live longer
May 9
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"The NFL is telling retirees about a medical study that says former players live longer than men in the general population. While player safety issues related to brain trauma and other football-related injuries dominate the headlines, the study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found 334 deceased men in a sampling of 3,439 former NFL players. Estimates for the general population anticipated 625 deaths. Players in the study participated in the NFL for at least five seasons from 1959 through 1988, and were observed by NIOSH through 2007."
Report: Seahawks sign 1st-round pick Irvin
May 7
Seattle Times
 
"The Seahawks have signed their first-round pick Bruce Irvin, according to a report from ProFootballTalk.com. Irvin is the first first-rounder to sign his contract. While holdouts for draft picks were common in the NFL over the past decade, contract agreements with rookies have become much more straightforward since the implementation of the new collective-bargaining agreement last year. A rookie wage scale was implemented, which makes the negotiation of those deals much more straightforward. Offensive lineman Mike Pouncey was the 15th pick of last year's draft, and he signed a four-year contract worth a total of $9.2 million with Miami, and because of the salary scale, that precedent"
And the Seahawks' quarterback controversy, er, competition begins
May 5
Seattle Times
 
"Tarvaris Jackson took the first snap of Friday's workout. That this fact is even worth mentioning gives you an idea of just how scrutinized Seattle's quarterback situation is going to be. The Seahawks are four months from their first meaningful game. Players weren't wearing helmets nor pads during a non-contact workout, and no sooner had the Seahawks concluded a 45-minute workout than the coach was being asked about the competition between Jackson and free-agent addition Matt Flynn. So who's ahead? "Who said 'competition' the most?" Pete Carroll asked, referring to interviews of Jackson and Flynn. "Whoever said that word the most when they were up here getting interviewed, he's ahead right"
Seahawks GM was 'uncomfortable' that no one talked about Bruce Irvin
May 2
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
 
"In the NFL Draft last week, the Seahawks were clearly in the hunt for a quick and explosive defender. Their top three choices, according to General Manager John Schneider, were linebacker Luke Kuechly, safety Mark Barron and pass-rusher Bruce Irvin. Keuchly and Barron were on many draft analysts' lists as top defensive picks. Irvin? Not so much. "They were, a little bit, standalone guys — not by a huge margin, but the three of them basically were up there all by themselves," Schneider told Dave "Softy" Mahler on KJR radio Tuesday. "Obviously we felt strongly about Barron, we felt strongly about Kuechly as well, but we really wanted to address our pass rush. And it just fell to a spot where"
Deciphering what the heck the Seahawks were thinking in draft
May 1
Seattle Times
 
"Deciphering the Seahawks isn't just a chore. It's a full-time job. Even Lady Gaga would call them eccentric. They put the "ooky" in kooky. There's no telling what coach/vice president Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider will do next. In two-plus seasons in charge, they have been guilty of the following, all in the pursuit of unconventional excellence: Reconstructing the roster days before the season starts, turning a journeyman linebacker and a 323-pound tackle into starting defensive ends, preferring extremely oversized cornerbacks, giving up draft picks to take a chance on quarterback Charlie Whitehurst and breaking up with Matt Hasselbeck to make room for Tarvaris Jackson."
Jets cursed out Seahawks for drafting Bruce Irvin
April 30
NFL.com
 
"The Mel Kipers of the world thought the Seattle Seahawks reached when they took pass rusher Bruce Irvin in the first round. The Rex Ryans of the world thought it was a great pick. We'll trust the Ryans on this one. After they took Irvin 15th overall, the Seahawks received a call from New York Jets headquarters. The Jets "good-naturedly" cursed at the Seahawks for taking the guy they planned to draft one pick later, according Len Pasquarelli of the SportsXchange. Irvin also was believed to be on the short list of candidates to be drafted in Chicago, Green Bay and San Francisco. One general manager called Irvin the "hottest player in the draft.""
Someone needs to tell Seahawks they play in a pass-and-catch league
April 30
Seattle Times
 columnist Steve Kelley
"I wish the Seahawks had more seriously addressed their passing game in this draft, wish they had picked at least one wide receiver. Last season, NFL scoreboards spun like dials on a slot machine. The Green Bay Packers had the worst defense in the league. They lost once. The New England Patriots were the second-worst defense. They went to the Super Bowl. With the exception of the Baltimore Ravens, who have decided they don't need wide receivers to win division titles, the teams with the most productive, most dynamic, most dizzying offenses won the most games."
Seattle uses majority of picks to help the defense
April 29
Seattle Times
 
"No offense, Seahawks, but there was an imbalance in the distribution of choices from this year's draft. Namely, no offense. Well, that wasn't entirely true as the Seahawks picked a quarterback on Friday in Wisconsin's Russell Wilson and they chose a running back in the fourth round Saturday, choosing Robert Turbin from Utah State. Those were the only two offensive players Seattle picked this week unless you count J.R. Sweezy, the defensive tackle the Seahawks picked out of North Carolina State in the seventh round with the intention of trying him at guard. But Seattle chose three defensive linemen, two linebackers and two defensive backs. Why so defensive considering the offense ranked No."
No. 1 pick Irvin leads draft class bent on speed
April 29
Seattle Times
 
"Rock bottom turned out to be a hard floor. That's where Bruce Irvin was sleeping after he arrived at a California junior college in 2008, sharing a two-bedroom apartment with seven different roommates. That low point turned out to be a launching pad as he played two seasons at Mount San Antonio College and two more at West Virginia where he developed into the player the Seahawks determined was the top pass rusher available in this draft. And as Irvin sat on stage in the auditorium at the Seahawks' headquarters, wearing a gray suit and a million-dollar smile, it was a scene he could have never predicted. "I would be lying to you if I told you that from where I was, I thought I was going to"
You haven't seen the last of Chris Polk
April 29
Seattle Times
 columnist Jerry Brewer
"Chris Polk went from God's Play to Draft Hell. The dynamic Washington running back, who often carried the Huskies back to significance the past three seasons, who scored that heavenly, season-saving touchdown against California in 2010, endured an unfortunate, unexpected and unnerving nosedive during the NFL draft. Shockingly, Polk didn't get drafted after being considered a second-round pick. He was supposed to be one of the top five running backs chosen. Instead, 20 running backs were selected — including two from Utah State and one from Abilene Christian — while Polk sat at home, snubbed. Unbelievable. Why? It still doesn't make sense. Reports of a degenerative shoulder surfaced, and"
Pete Carroll just excited over his newest quarterback
April 28
Seattle Times
 
"Russell Wilson wound up in Washington the last time he was drafted, too. That was two years ago and another sport entirely, though. Wilson was a minor-league middle infielder back then, a fourth-round choice of the Colorado Rockies who was assigned to the team's Class A affiliate in Pasco, the Tri-City Dust Devils. The Seahawks are bringing him back to this state as a quarterback. "This is such an incredible athlete that has had extraordinary, historic success," coach Pete Carroll said. "He has done things that people had never thought of before. The fact that he was also such an extraordinary kid, he can handle all of the pressure that he's going to be under, and all the scrutiny that he"
Hawks' three no-name picks have plenty to prove
April 28
Seattle Times
 columnist Steve Kelley
"Bobby Wagner is used to people telling him what he can't do, used to people suggesting he get real and stop dreaming. But most important, he's used to ignoring all of them and believing in himself. In high school, friends, teachers, even family members told him they believed only 1 percent of players made it to the NFL. Only one school, Utah State, recruited him to play the game that would become his career. "I'm used to people saying I can't do something and then I prove them wrong," Wagner said from Ontario, Calif. "And that kind of throws it in their face a little bit." Welcome to the 2012 Seahawks' chip-on-your shoulder draft. On the first two days of the draft, the Hawks chose Wagner,"
Seahawks select a divergent pair in second day of draft
April 28
Seattle Times
 
"Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson had so many options he had his choice of professional sports. Linebacker Bobby Wagner had so few choices coming out of high school he went to the only school that recruited him, Utah State. Wilson was a Colorado Rockies baseball prospect just a year ago while Wagner has spent four years as a college starter, playing all three linebacker positions and building himself into the highest draft choice from his school in 30 years. They might not share a story — or even a position — but they now share a team. Both were chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in Friday's portion of the annual NFL draft. The Seahawks were selecting Wilson as a quarterback for the future"
With a wide-open road ahead of them, the Seahawks took the path least traveled
April 27
Seattle Times
 columnist Steve Kelley
"Unless you were inside the VMAC war room or inside Seahawks coach Pete Carroll's head, or some other place where you weren't invited on Thursday, you couldn't have seen this one coming. Bruce Irvin? Wasn't he the raw-as-a-floor-burn prospect who was supposed to be picked Friday; a pass-rushing, second-round selection who maybe, just maybe, could be one of the steals of the NFL draft? The Seahawks came into the first round Thursday needing a pass rusher. It was their vaguely-disguised top priority. And, after trading down from 12 to 15, it was their good fortune that every available pass rusher still was on the board. They could have taken the prototypical guy, North Carolina's Julius"
Seahawks move down in draft once, but not twice
April 27
Seattle Times
 
"Yes, the Seahawks thought about backpedaling a second time in the first round. They traded back once in the first round, moving from the No. 12 overall pick to No. 15 and picking up Philadelphia's fourth- and sixth-round choices for the trouble. Could they have waited even longer to take West Virginia's Bruce Irvin? "We talked about going back again," general manager John Schneider said. "We decided to just go ahead and lock it down. We had this guy rated as one of the top players in the draft." For the second consecutive year, Seattle used its first-round choice on a player many had projected to be chosen in the second round. Last year, it was offensive tackle James Carpenter of Alabama."
Surprise! Seahawks pick speedy DE Bruce Irvin
April 27
Seattle Times
 
"The Seahawks drafted Bruce Irvin. It's important that you get that name right, and not just because no one mentioned him as a player Seattle would pick in the first half of the first round. There used to be a B.J. Irvin, but that was back in Atlanta where he dropped out of high school and spent a few weeks in jail on burglary charges. He began going by Bruce in 2008, and as he left for junior college, the change was more than symbolic. "B.J. was the one that was getting in trouble," Irvin said. "That's two different people, man." This is Bruce now, a guy who barely played in high school because of his grades but won a national junior-college championship in 2009 before going off to West"
Will Seahawks surprise, take the offensive in NFL draft?
April 26
Seattle Times
 
"Why do the Seahawks have to get so darn defensive about their first-round pick in this year's NFL draft? Coach Pete Carroll has clearly expressed his desire for a pass rusher, and the team's need to add a linebacker is fairly obvious. But with the first round set to start Thursday at 5 p.m., and the Seahawks holding the 12th pick, it's the offensive side of the football team that seems like it could use a boost. After all, Seattle ranked 28th out of 32 NFL teams in yards gained last season and went seven quarters without scoring a touchdown toward the end of October. Yes, the running game got better over the final eight games of the season, but Seattle still finished with the second-fewest"
Dear Seahawks: Please don't draft Ryan Tannehill
April 26
Seattle Times
 columnist Jerry Brewer
"If the Seahawks were left to choose between drafting raw Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill and burning the No. 12 overall pick in the NFL draft, I'd only have only one question standing in the way of my preference. Is that incinerator environmentally friendly? Well, this is Seattle, you know. Yes, it's a ridiculous thought, but that's how afraid I am that the Seahawks will break from two years of smart drafting and take a huge risk in selecting a player that they lust after, according to several reports. Considering that the bust potential is quite high for a quarterback who started only 19 collegiate games, not to mention that the Seahawks don't need to spend a first-round pick on a QB"
Pro Bowl game likely to be shelved
April 26
ESPN.com
 
"Many players who will be selected during this week's NFL draft are regarded as future Pro Bowl selections, but the game itself likely will be suspended this season and beyond, according to league sources. The next Pro Bowl is scheduled the week before the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Feb. 3, but a game site has not been listed because of its precarious status, sources added. Sources say that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has previously voiced his displeasure with the lack of competitiveness in recent Pro Bowl games, is strongly considering suspending this year's game, sources say. Beyond 2013, another league source believes the Pro Bowl is "DOA (dead on arrival).""
NFL, NFLPA keep working to finalize rookie salary pool
April 26
NFL.com
 
"The NFL and the NFL Players Association worked on finalizing the numbers for the 2012 rookie pool Wednesday night but could not come to a resolution, according to a source involved in the process. The two sides expect to get back to work on it Thursday morning. Finalizing the rookie pool would clear the way for quarterback Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts to begin negotiating terms of the future No. 1 pick's first contract."
Idle speculation: Can you see Osi in Seattle?
April 25
Seattle Times
 
"Improving the pass rush was a priority for Seattle this offseason. And while most of the focus on who Seattle might add has focused on draft prospects like Quinton Coples, Melvin Ingram and most recently Chandler Jones, there is a wild card in the mix. Giants' defensive end Osi Umenyiora. There were discussions about the Giants trading him last year after the lockout, and I've heard he was interested in the possibility of playing in Seattle."
Seahawks notebook: That USC pipeline still waiting for some flow
April 25
Seattle Times
 
"Familiarity doesn't equate to favoritism. That has been demonstrated by Pete Carroll's first two years in Seattle as the massive influx of former USC players that some expected never materialized. Seattle has selected two players Carroll recruited to USC, both in the final two rounds of the draft. The Seahawks chose tight end Anthony McCoy in the sixth round in 2010 and then linebacker Malcolm Smith in the seventh round last year. It's not a lack of top-shelf talent that explains the lack of interest in other USC prospects. Over the past two years, the Trojans had seven players taken in the first three rounds of the draft. It's just that none of them were chosen by the coach who recruited"
Seahawks search for a speed pass rusher in NFL draft
April 25
Seattle Times
 
"Quarterback is called the toughest job in football. Finding someone to tackle that quarterback is just as troublesome, though. In fact, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he thinks that specific talent might be even harder to locate. "The most difficult talent to find is pass rushers," Carroll said. "It's why people try so hard and so often with guys early in the draft, trying to nail a pass rusher because they're just so special." The Seahawks had better pack a lunch when they go to work this week because you know what they're looking for in the NFL draft this Thursday? A pass rusher. "There's a lot of edge rushers in this draft, which is exciting," Carroll said. "We're always looking."
Ruud recovering from three injuries
April 24
Seattle Times
 
"The Seahawks signed Barrett Ruud to play middle linebacker after David Hawthorne's departure as a free agent. That doesn't mean Ruud is stepping into the spot right away, though, as coach Pete Carroll said that Ruud is still working to get healthy after being slowed by knee, shoulder and groin injuries. "We've got him healthy first," coach Pete Carroll said. "He's not healthy yet." Ruud played nine games for Tennessee last season before he was placed on injured reserve because of the groin injury. He had missed only one game in his previous seven seasons combined. The Seahawks signed him to a one-year deal, a veteran capable of stepping in and calling a defense right away. First, he has to"
Middle linebacker remains unsettled spot | Seahawks notebook
April 24
Seattle Times
 
"Wondering who's going to play middle linebacker in Seattle with David Hawthorne gone to New Orleans? So are the Seahawks. The team signed free agent Barrett Ruud, but before anyone plugs him into the depth chart, he has to recover from injuries to his groin, knee and shoulder. "We've got him healthy first," coach Pete Carroll said. Ruud played nine games for Tennessee last season before being placed on injured reserve with the groin injury. He had missed only one game in his previous seven seasons combined. The Seahawks signed him to a one-year deal, a veteran capable of stepping in and calling a defense right away. First, he has to come back. "He is working out," Carroll said. "He's doing"
Pete Carroll, John Schneider are in perfect alignment for Seahawks
April 24
Seattle Times
 
"It's late April once again, and the Seahawks are all cozy in the Draft Room of Brotherly Love. John Schneider makes a joke, and Pete Carroll chuckles. Carroll meanders to making a point, and Schneider clarifies it succinctly. As the general manager and coach/vice president prepare for their third draft, their "fantastic collaboration" (former president Tod Leiweke's phrase) remains on display. At times in the past, it felt forced. But the synergy between those two, and within an entire organization that was fractured before they arrived in 2010, is authentic. And the way they carry on in public — on occasion they're a fist bump or a man-hug away from nauseating — it can seem like a"
While Kellen Moore waits, Seahawks eye QBs in NFL draft
April 24
Seattle Times
 
"The most high-profile job fair in our country begins Thursday night in New York. Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore plans to be back in Prosser, watching along with hundreds of other aspiring applicants who are hoping to land that first job out of college. The NFL's annual draft is part talent grab, part matchmaking and plenty disorienting for players like Moore, who go from impressive college careers and are immediately plunged into the scrutiny and pseudoscience that is NFL draft evaluation. "It's a little bit of an unknown, which is pretty unique for a lot of us who are used to routine," Moore said via telephone. "For the most part, you can't control this. You don't worry about it and"
Seahawks have a decision to make at linebacker
April 23
Seattle Times
 
"Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly has been called one of the safest picks in this year's NFL draft. That's not going to provide much assurance for Seahawks fans, though, when it comes to the question of whether the team should choose Kuechly on Thursday when Seattle's turn comes up in the first round. This has nothing to do with Kuechly, a heck of a prospect. He set both school and conference records for career tackles, even more impressive because he did it in three seasons and without the benefit of redshirting. He was the third-fastest linebacker at the NFL scouting combine in February, posted a vertical leap of 38 inches and has the kind of instincts that make a football scout"
Seahawks prepare for NFL draft with air of confidence
April 22
Seattle Times
 columnist Jerry Brewer
"At this time a year ago, Seahawks general manager John Schneider offered a sobering, honest assessment of a team coming off a playoff appearance despite a 7-9 record. "We still think we're in the infancy of our development," he said before the 2011 draft. Back then, the Seahawks didn't have a starting quarterback on the roster. They had a shaky offensive line, a mostly unaccomplished receiving corps, huge questions at cornerback and little depth on the defensive line. They were also three months from separating from their defensive leader, middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu. Heck, they even had uncertainty at kicker. The "infancy" comment was optimistic. The rebuilding Seahawks were still in"