SB Nation Los Angeles: All Posts by Danny Kelly

Seahawks take on 12th man at Madden

2013-05-20T22:44:19Z

I thought this was pretty great -

Via GoSeattleSeaHawks12 (really great Seahawks YouTube Channel, by the way):

The EMP Museum was having an event to recognize the history of video games. The final night was Game Nite and a few Seahawks showed up for the party. Richard Sherman, KJ Wright, Bobby Wagner, Doug Baldwin and Chris Maragos. They played each other at Madden and a lucky fan got to play Bobby Wagner. I won. It was an epic start to an epic night. Richard Sherman provides commentary for the games he doesn't.

The order went Maragos vs KJ, Sherm vs Baldy, me vs Wagner, Sherm vs KJ. Sherm picked off Baldy 5 times. 3 were pick 6s - KJ beat Maragos, Sherm beat Baldy, Sherm beat KJ.

"Russie"

2013-05-20T21:35:37Z

Per the singer/songwriter herself: "Russie, a cover of "Jolene" by Dolly Parton, modified for Russell Wilson and my husband."

I'm guessing a LOT of women in Seattle probably feel this way. Go Hawks.

Josh Portis arrested for DUI

2013-05-20T20:51:11Z

Seahawks' backup QB Josh Portis was arrested for DUI on May 5th. According to the Seattle Times' Bob Condotta:

Portis was pulled over at 9:26 p.m. on May 5 after he was observed driving 80 miles an hour in a 60-mile-an-hour zone exiting the Mount Baker Tunnel on eastbound I-90 in a 2008 Range Rover.

A report from the Washington State Patrol says the officer noticed "a strong odor of intoxicants coming from the vehicle" and that the driver "had watery bloodshoot eyes." Portis later submitted to two blood tests and registered blood alcohol concentration readings of .092 and .078. The legal limit in the state of Washington is .080. He was charged with a gross misdemeanor.

Portis is already facing stiff competition to make the final roster this year as Russell Wilson's backup, after Seattle brought in QB Brady Quinn and recently signed QB Jerron Johnson, but I'd wager this misstep won't help his chances.

Portis made the Hawks' 53-man roster in 2011 as an undrafted free agent but started out on the Practice Squad last year before being released from that outright, mid-way through the year. We never really heard why, but according to Dave "Softy" Mahler's radio show today, Portis was abruptly released at that time because he missed the team bus from the hotel to the stadium on the Miami trip in Week 12. He signed with the Toronto Argonauts after his release but then he was re-signed by the Hawks at the beginning of April.

John Schneider addresses Bruce Irvin situation, more

2013-05-20T18:05:58Z

John Schneider was on SIRIUS this morning with Bruce Murray & Rich Gannon, and friend of the blog Glen Peer provided some notes on the conversation, specifically with reference to Bruce Irvin and the dialogue going around right now that Seattle has a PED problem. Here's the beginning snippet of that interview:

As for the rest, please not that these aren't direct quotes - Glen takes notes through the interview - but instead just convey the essential points.

On Bruce-how disappointed are you? Any thoughts?

[Obviously very disappointed.] "I can't really talk specifics, but Pete and I sat down with Bruce, and addressed it with him. And then Bruce addressed the team."

"This is a good opportunity for someone else to step forward."

He talked a bit about doing more in-house, in terms of education, than the NFL mandates. Mike Sando notes that Schneider said the Seahawks go 'above and beyond' in that area of educating players.

On the number of failures... "does it surprise you?"

"Not surprised, I visit a lot of college campuses, and I hear what's going on there. So, no I'm not surprised."

This is an interesting point by Schneider, bringing up the idea that teams, perhaps, have to deal with more Adderall issues with incoming players than the general public may know of.

How does this affect the 1st month:

"Obviously there's a couple guys - Malcolm Smith, and Mike Morgan are here. Some guys who have cool abilities who we can move around. KJ [Wright] is a guy we can move around. Our two draft choices [Big Jesse Williams & Jordan Hill, I think] have had good camps so we can mix them in, so we have to treat this like [Bruce] sustained a high ankle sprain and adjust like you would to that in season."

Interesting here, of course, that he mentions linebackers in the discussion for 'replacing' Bruce for the first month - Mike Morgan has speed and length at the outside linebacker position, and K.J. Wright is a guy that they've said, for some time, could play LEO in a pinch.

Other notes:

What have you seen from Percy, what has stood out the most?

"The thing that stands out is how dialed in he is with Russell, and how he's jumped on board to get the timing down with him. [They're] throwing all the time out here together. He is just so unique. The versatility just stands out, and his hands, body control-just really unique player."

On the Rookies

"Jesse and Jordan have done a great job, really jumped in and really want to push for time and contribute. Interesting to see the guys from the big programs, they just step right in."

On the 7th rounder's specifically - "how difficult for those guys to make the team"

"Every year is different, so we view it like we're starting fresh; while we did some cool stuff last year there's new opportunities. You saw Pete's philosophy on competing stand out last year with the QB position... so when you're selecting in the 5th, 6th, 7th round or even rookie FA guys look at is ‘hey I'm going to have an opportunity' they know guys like Doug Baldwin was a rookie FA and lead team in receptions two years ago. We have a great teaching staff here, and they [players] know if they take advantage of their learning time they have an opportunity to contribute."

Would you have considered Freeney with the Bruce news, and are you done with Free Agency...

"We are always evaluating what's out there, trades, free agents, who are going to be cap casualties. So we're always working it trying to figure out what's coming down the path."

Last year this time you were excited about QB room and the completion and particularly Russell. How excited are you for this year and the future with him...what's his area for the most improvement for him? [Per Glen: Gannon had a lengthy set up about his leadership, which I think kind of forced JS to forget the 1st part of the question....]

"You hit it, he's always striving to improve. You can't out work him. He took the guys to Cali, set up the trip himself, with Alaska airlines, organized it all on his own and they had a great time. He's out there throwing at practice while the defense is on the field, pulling the rookies out early to throw while the defense is going. So it's just those little things, and his leadership is outstanding - I don't know how else to explain it." [Didn't answer what he needs to improve, or where he sees best opportunity to improve.]

Does he do anything people don't know about?

"I think it's been fairly well documented. He was at the pro bowl, and I guess he was with Drew Brees the whole week... right on his hip. He studies a lot of other QBs, and tried to spend as much time with the other guys there. He's always on that quest for knowledge."

Thoughts on Free Agency-specifically veterans and how its unfolded

"I am surprised to a certain extent. We had the flat cap so it was going to be an odd year. We had a number of guys, Antoine Winfield specifically, who really just reached out to us and really had a passion to be part of this defense. There's guys that are still good football players that don't have jobs right now. The guys who saw what was coming down the road, agents I mean, who educated about the cap got deals early and will go to camp. It's been odd, but you build your models for the future and the guys you have on the team and will get rewarded eventually."

-------

So... a lot of interesting points there by Schneider, from the Bruce Irvin suspension (treating it like a high-ankle sprain) to Percy to Russ. What sticks out to you guys?

Seahawks kick off OTAs this week

2013-05-20T14:24:09Z

The Seahawks kick off the first of three sets of OTA practice sessions this morning. These "Organized Team Activities" start today, continue tomorrow, and then finish up on Thursday, with more of these involuntary workouts set to pick up again next week, May 28-29, & May 31, then again June 3-6. The Seahawks' mandatory minicamp runs June 11th through 13th.

PFT put together a handy little primer on OTAs, for those wondering what they are:

OTAs are voluntary workouts. On-field coaching instruction is allowed, but live contact is prohibited. Per the CBA, prohibited contact includes "blocking, tackling, pass rushing [and] bump-and-run" situations. Players can wear helmets, elbow pads and knee pads, but OTAs are not to be fully padded practices.

Some offense vs. defense team drills are allowed during OTAs; for instance, 11-on-11 drills can be conducted. Some special teams work is also allowed. However, no one-on-one workouts can occur, such as a receiver competing against a cornerback.

During OTAs, players are limited to two hours of on-field practice time and no more than six hours of total work in a given day.

The Players' Union worked very hard to set these strict off-season workload parameters when the new CBA was being written, probably much to the chagrin of the coaching staffs around the league.

The rest of the NFC West is in action this week as well:

Arizona Cardinals (Revenge of the Birds)
OTAs: May 14-16, May 21-23, June 3-6
Mandatory minicamp: June 11-13

St. Louis Rams (Turf Show Times)
OTAs: May 21, May 23-24, June 3-4, June 6-7, June 11, June 13-14
Mandatory minicamp: None

San Francisco 49ers (Niners Nation)
OTAs: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Mandatory minicamp: June 11-13

Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Monday

2013-05-20T11:00:09Z

Holy crap, brand new week, gang.

Patrick Peterson: The Numbers, The Tape, The Verdict | Pre Snap Reads
After being selected with the fifth pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, Patrick Peterson quickly made an impression on the league as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. The former LSU cornerback was a Week 1 starter on defense, but would become famous(or infamous if you’re a fan of certain teams) for his work on special teams.

Idzik’s 0-for-2 start has others taking shots already | ProFootballTalk
New Jets General Manager John Idzik hasn’t even gotten his team to training camp yet, but folks around the league are already poking at his 0-for-2 start to free agency.

Super Bowls L and LI to be awarded this week | ProFootballTalk
NFL owners will be gathering in Boston this week for a meeting that has one primary item on the agenda: Awarding two Super Bowls. First, it's Miami versus San Francisco for Super Bowl L. Then, the loser takes on Houston for Super Bowl LI. The votes will happen on Tuesday.

Twenty-nine NFL teams holding OTAs this week | ProFootballTalk
In news that will no doubt please NFL fans eager for the regular season to just get here already, the vast majority of teams will be holding on-field workouts this week.

Broncos QB Peyton Manning’s renegotiated contract cleared $2.5 million in cap space in 2013 | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
With $2.5 million in additional cap space from the Manning renegotiation, the Broncos are now $9.9 million under their 2013 adjusted cap number of $139.76 million. That leaves plenty of room to land defensive back Charles Woodson, whose other suitors — the Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions — each have less than $3 million in 2013 cap space remaining.

Every NFL Team's Dream Scenario for 2013 | Bleacher Report
Every year, each NFL team has one goal: to finish as the NFL's best team by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February. Unfortunately, that goal is unrealistic for a majority of the organizations...

NFP Sunday Blitz | National Football Post
*The use of GPS systems and heart rate monitors during practice to monitor biomechanics and recovery continues to grow in the NFL. Among the latest teams to join the trend are the Eagles and Jaguars. New Eagles coach Chip Kelly is very much into using technology and thinking outside of the box. Jaguars coach Gus Bradley was familiar with GPS monitoring because the Seahawks did it when he was in Seattle. The system is particularly helpful in terms of monitoring recovery of athletes and helping to gauge players who are rehabbing.

Roster hopeful Lockette is learning from Kaepernick - 49ers - The Sacramento Bee
Ricardo Lockette is so intent on landing a spot on the 49ers' roster that he bought a white board and markers so he could chart and study plays on his own time.

What's missing without Chris Clemons, Bruce Irvin - ESPN
Bruce Irvin's suspension from the Seattle Seahawks for the first four games of the 2013 NFL season will force additional shuffling early in the season. The team was already expected to be without starting defensive end Chris Clemons, who is recovering from knee surgery and could miss part of the season. Backup defensive end Greg Scruggs could miss the full season after suffering a knee injury more recently.

Sunday Conversation: Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians - ESPN
"Christmas Eve, we had our normal game-plan meetings and I was walking out of the building and all of a sudden I looked and the light was off," Arians recalled. "I had to get in the car and dry up some tears before I could drive home. It was an extremely emotional night -- the best Christmas I've ever had."

Hey, Pete, it’s time you talked about Seahawks’ drug-test failures | Seattle Seahawks - The News Tribune
Bruce Irvin’s four-game suspension, presumably for testing positive for the banned substance Adderall, finds Seattle Seahawks fans taking extreme sides on the issue of performance-enhancing drugs. One camp fears whatever accomplishments await the Seahawks in 2013 will be mocked by national pundits, who have come to call Pete Carroll’s team “the Seadderall Seahawks.”

VIDEO: Antoine Winfield Highlights [HD]

2013-05-19T13:53:31Z

Get excited.

Coffee & Cigarettes: Seahawks links for Sunday

2013-05-19T11:00:06Z

Hi. Not you. Hi.

NFC West position rankings: Seahawks hold the top spot for safeties - Niners Nation
We take a look at the safety position in the NFC West, where the San Francisco 49ers DON'T reign supreme.

Back to football… « Seahawks Draft Blog
I’ve got a piece coming on a couple of 2014 tight ends, but in the meantime here’s what the Seahawks are getting from their third round pick this year…

Pressing questions for all 32 NFL teams heading into the summer - NFL - CBSSports.com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy
Who starts at QB for the Bills, Jets, Raiders and Eagles? Who fills the leadership void in Baltimore? Pete Prisco asks a pressing question for each team heading into the summer.

Jason Avant, Clay Harbor took snaps on Eagles defense - NFL.com
Eagles coach Chip Kelly continued his out-of-the-box tinkering with Philly's roster this week, trying wide receiver Jason Avant and tight end Clay Harbor on defense.

Michael Vick: Critics 'know nothing about football' - NFL.com
Michael Vick says the people who speak out against him are just ignorant about football. But are they? Analysis of the Eagles quarterback's play might prove otherwise.

Pro Bowl, Super Bowl on NFL Spring Meeting agenda - NFL.com
A draft? Captains picking teams? Those might be on the table at the NFL Spring Meeting in Boston as ways to reinvigorate the Pro Bowl, Albert Breer reported.

Which offensive rookies will make the biggest impact in 2013? - CBSSports.com
Who will be the top impact 2013 NFL offensive rookies? Let's take a look at decide.

Larry Fitzgerald: 2012 'was the most frustrating season' - CBSSports.com
Cardinals superstar wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said 2012 -- a down year for him -- was the 'most frustrating season' he's ever had.

Colon thinks Jets will dump Goodson | ProFootballTalk
Earlier this month, the Jets cut defensive end Claude Davis and cornerback Cliff Harris after they were arrested for marijuana possession. Now, the Jets face a more delicate dilemma.

Weeden “surprised” by Browns’ decision to sign Hoyer | ProFootballTalk
Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden recently said he wants to be the guy. And then the Browns went out and signed another guy. Weeden admits that the move to add Brian Hoyer, cut last week by the Cardinals, was unexpected.

Longest Streaks without a 1,000-yard rusher
Two weeks ago, I looked at the longest streaks where a team failed to have a player rush for 100 yards. Richie asked me if I could run the numbers on the longest streaks without a 1,000-yard rusher. The longest active streak in the NFL belongs to the Detroit Lions, who have not boasted a 1,000-yard rusher since Kevin Jones rushed for 1,133 yards as a rookie in 2004. Will Reggie Bush or Mikel Leshoure end that streak in 2013? Probably not.

Fantasy QB Supply & Demand - Draft Analysis - Rotoworld.com
JJ Zachariason's Quarterback Draft Analysis series continues with a look at basic Supply & Demand.

Fantasy QB Replaceability - Draft Analysis - Rotoworld.com
JJ Zachariason wraps up his five-part series on fantasy quarterback drafting with a look at positional replaceability.

Quarterbacks & 2013 Depth - Draft Analysis - Rotoworld.com
In Part II of his fantasy quarterback draft strategy series, JJ Zachariason looks ahead to the 2013 quarterback field.

Quarterbacks & Fantasy Value - Draft Analysis - Rotoworld.com
JJ Zachariason, author of "The Late Round Quarterback", dives into 2013 fantasy football draft strategy with his quarterback approach.

Tyler Eifert-Bengals pairing could be mutually beneficial | Audibles - SI.com
As soon as the Bengals selected Tyler Eifert with the No. 21 pick in this year’s draft, speculation began regarding exactly how much the Notre Dame product could help Cincinnati’s offense.