Saturday cyber surfing: 2013 NFL Draft 2nd & 3rd round roundup

Good morning, Seahawks fans, and welcome to day three of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Yesterday, the Seahawks took Texas A&M running back Christine Michael with the 62nd overall pick in round two and added Penn State defensive lineman Jordan Hill with the 87th overall pick in round three.

Heading into today, the Seahawks hold 10 draft picks – No. 123 (4th round), No. 138 (5th round), No. 158 (5th round), No. 165 (5th round), No. 194 (6th round), No. 199 (6th round), No. 220 (7th round), No. 231 (7th round), No. 241 (7th round) and No. 242 (7th round).

We’ll get started with all of that beginning at 9 a.m. PT, but in the meantime here’s a look at what’s “out there” about the Seahawks after day one and two of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times has a look at the Seahawks’ unconventional approach to draft day.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune details the Seahawks’ selection of Michael in round two.

John Boyle of the Everett Herald recaps day two of the Seahawks’ draft.

Danny O’Neil of 710Sports.com rehashes the Seahawks’ selections of Michael and Hill in the draft’s second and third rounds.

ESPN.com NFC West blogger Mike Sando has his story on the Seahawks’ moves from day two of the draft at Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com has his list of the 10 best remaining players in the 2013 draft.

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com’s Around the League has his take on winners and losers from day two of the draft.

NFL.com has an updated look at every pick made so far in the 2013 draft.

Once again, we’ll be streaming live coverage of rounds 4-7 with Seahawks Insider Tony Ventrella here at Seahawks.com, which is where you can also find Clare Farnsworth’s recap of what transpired on day two of the draft for Seattle.

You can stay connected and up to date with all of the Seahawks’ draft picks by tuning in to our Draft Central page.

And like yesterday’s cyber surfing post, we leave you with several reactions from Seahawks players and coaches as they watched the day’s picks pour in.

Awesome work today by John Schneider & his guys! Pumped for tomorrow! #GoHawks [@rodmarphoto] http://t.co/Ia6mMHciWW—
Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) April 27, 2013

@Cmike33 congrats bro! Glad to have u join the family! #GoHawks—
Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) April 27, 2013

Great pick!!!! Another guy from the golden triangle…. #seahawks !!—
Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) April 27, 2013

Who would've thought.. lolRT @Cmike33: Me and Earl Thomas 409 bmt golden triangle … http://t.co/jGIQbEgPqE—
Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) April 27, 2013

@Cmike33 welcome to the fam young buck. Get ya mind right!—
Doug Baldwin Jr (@DougBaldwinJr) April 27, 2013

Congrats to the young fellow, let's go to work.—
Kameron (@Kam_Chancellor) April 27, 2013

That's a nice smart pick. I'm sure he was the best available player in the 2nd round.—
Winston Guy Jr. (@WinstonGuyJr27) April 27, 2013

@Cmike33 calm down young buck! You'll get your opportunity! Welcome to the squad.—
Christopher Clemons (@chrisclemons91) April 27, 2013

Met and spoke to Christine Michael when he came for a visit. GREAT DUDE! #12thman #seahawks—
William (@willblackmon) April 27, 2013

SEAHAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!—
Christine Michael (@Cmike33) April 15, 2013

Huge congrats to fellow @PSU alum @J_Hill_47 on becoming a new @Seahawks #WeAre…PennState—
Michael Robinson (@RealMikeRob) April 27, 2013

Friday cyber surfing: 2013 NFL Draft first-round roundup

Good morning, Seahawks fans, and welcome to day two of the 2013 NFL Draft. After not selecting in yesterday’s first round, the Seahawks hold two picks today (Round 2, No. 56 overall and Round 3, No. 87 overall). The action revs back up at 3:30 p.m. PT.

In the meantime, here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks and around the League for Friday, April 26.

Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks trading their first-round draft pick to acquire wide receiver Percy Harvin was the right move.

Eric Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune recaps the Seahawks’ quiet first day and offers up some second-round targets for Seattle.

John Boyle of the Everett Herald details the moves made around the active NFC West on the draft’s first day.

ESPN.com NFC West blogger Mike Sando was hard at work while the rest of us in the Seahawks media room were spectating yesterday’s first round (kidding, kind of), and he shares his thoughts on the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals first-round selections.

Grantland.com’s Bill Barnwell tries to make sense of the draft’s first day, noting surprises, trade winners and losers, and what to watch for on day two.

Former University of Washington Husky standout cornerback Desmond Trufant – the younger brother of longtime Seahawk Marcus Trufant – went to the Atlanta Falcons, who traded up with the Rams to grab him at No. 22.

A 49-year-old NFL Draft streak was snapped yesterday when a running back was not taken in the first round for the first time since 1963.

NFL.com has a round-by-round look at the 2013 NFL Draft order after last night’s picks and draft-day trades.

NFL.com Around the League editor Gregg Rosenthal breaks down what he believes to be the draft’s top 20 remaining players.

Seahawks.com’s live coverage of the draft will continue later this afternoon, but you can read Clare Farnsworth’s recap of day one here.

Stay plugged in to our draft central for all the latest news surrounding your Seahawks and the rest of today’s draft.

We leave you with the reactions from several Seahawks players via Twitter as they followed last night’s first round:

Congrats to @percy_harvin for being our first round pick…we do a great job of drafting every year…#seahawks—
Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) April 25, 2013

…. And with the Seahawks First pick in the NFL draft they select @Percy_Harvin

#GoHawks—
Doug Baldwin Jr (@DougBaldwinJr) April 25, 2013

I'm excited about all the new competition that's coming to the NFC WEST!!!—
Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) April 26, 2013

NFC West best division hands down. #NFLDraft—
Doug Baldwin Jr (@DougBaldwinJr) April 26, 2013

Congrats to @Ky1eLong and @Dionj96 for getting selected in the first round! #goducks—
Max Unger (@MaxUnger60) April 26, 2013

Congrats to Desmond Trufant, it runs in the family @ExperienceTru—
Kameron (@Kam_Chancellor) April 26, 2013

You got the whole state of WV behind you nobody else matters! #WVU #GenoSmith—
Bruce Irvin (@BIrvin_WVU11) April 26, 2013

Still say we had the best first round pick of the draft……—
Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) April 26, 2013

Don't worry draft-able dudes, I wasn't drafted and I'm sitting in a suite at the Mariners game with @JonRyan9 . Everything will be ok.—
Carson Wiggs (@Wiggy_Bank) April 26, 2013

NFL Network to begin unveiling Top 100 players for 2013

When we get to the end of the three-day NFL Draft on Saturday and you still haven’t had enough football, the NFL Network will be there.

The network will begin unveiling its Top 100 players of 2013, beginning Saturday at 5 p.m. PT with those ranked 91-100. At least one Seahawk will be included in the opening look at the Top 100, but the network isn’t saying who.

But the Seahawks have several players worthy of consideration at some point during the 11-week countdown: the All-Pro quartet of running back Marshawn Lynch, center Max Unger, cornerback Richard Sherman and free safety Earl Thomas; left guard Russell Okung and quarterback Russell Wilson, who joined Lynch, Unger and Thomas at the Pro Bowl; and perhaps even strong safety Kam Chancellor, nose tackle Brandon Mebane and recently acquired receiver/runner/returner Percy Harvin.

Additional information is available here.

What’s the best single day in Seahawks draft history?

In past years, we’ve asked you to weigh-in on the best selections by round in the NFL Draft for the Seahawks, and also to vote on the best draft choice in franchise history.

But which was the single best day in the draft for the Seahawks?

The idea for this poll was planted during a hallway conversation at Virginia Mason Athletic Center with one of the team’s scouts, as we discussed what the team was able to accomplish on the second day of the 2012 draft.

That’s when Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson were selected in the second and third rounds. If you’re not familiar with their contributions to the team going 11-5 during the regular season and winning the franchise’s first road playoff game since 1983, well, you probably have no business voting in this poll.

But as a not-so-subtle reminder: Wagner led the Seahawks’ No. 4-ranked defense in tackles and finished second in balloting for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year; while Wilson tied the NFL rookie record by throwing 26 touchdown passes and finished third in voting for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

But was that the best single-day draft performance in club history? Here are three others to consider:

1990: The Seahawks began the day by trading up to the No. 3 spot in the first round with the Patriots to select defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, who became the most-decorated defensive player in franchise history and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last summer. But before that first day was over, the Seahawks also had added linebacker Terry Wooden and strong safety Robert Blackmon (second round) and eventual Pro Bowl running back Chris Warren (fourth round).

2010: In the first draft under GM John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll, in the first draft where it was expanded to three days and the first round only was conducted on the first day, the Seahawks selected Pro Bowl left tackle Russell Okung with the sixth pick overall and then added All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas with the 14^th pick.

1997: The Seahawks also had two first-round picks this year, and used them to selected Pro Bowl cornerback Shawn Springs (third pick overall) and All-Pro left tackle Walter Jones (sixth pick). While Springs was a solid starter for seven seasons, Jones was voted to more Pro Bowls (nine) than any player in franchise history and already has had his No. 71 retired. The 1-2 punch of Springs and Jones also trumps the other two years when the team had two picks in the first round – 2000 (Shaun Alexander and Chris McIntosh) and 2001 (Koren Robinson and Steve Hutchinson).

But which one day was the best day? You make the call …

The “spine of the Seahawks” built in three drafts under John Schneider & Pete Carroll

NFL.com Around the League editor Gregg Rosenthal recently ranked what he considers to be the five NFL teams that are the best when it comes to finding talent in the NFL Draft.

Rosenthal stresses that his list is in no particular order, but the Seahawks, under the direction of general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll, are conveniently  Rosenthal’s first mention.

The defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, NFC West rival San Fracisco 49ers, New England Patriots, and New York Giants round out Rosenthal’s top five.

On the Seahawks, Rosenthal writes:

“GM John Schneider and Pete Carroll have only been together three years, but their track record is outstanding. They see players differently than other teams. Last year’s three-pack of Bruce Irvin,

Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson were all controversial picks that didn’t fit the traditional mold. They were all outstanding.

2011 was a shakier draft, but they found an All-Pro cornerback in Richard Sherman in the fifth round. That’s also the round they found Kam Chancellor in their first draft in 2010. That crop included Earl Thomas and Russell Okung. The spine of the Seahawks were built in three drafts.”

Twenty-two of Schneider and Carroll’s 28 total picks from the last three years remain on the Seahawks’ current roster. Four of their picks have been named to the Pro Bowl (Okung, Thomas, Chancellor, Wilson). Three have been named first-team All-Pro (Okung, Thomas, Sherman). And 10 of their 28 picks were listed as starters on the Seahawks’ depth chart heading into last year’s divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Below is a pick-by-pick rundown of the Seahawks’ drafts guided by Schneider and Carroll.

2010:

2011:

2012:

Secondary thoughts from Michael Bennett

In the interview for Tuesday’s story on defensive lineman Michael Bennett, the once-Seahawk and now once-again Seahawk offered another reason for wanting to re-sign with the team in free agency last month.

In a word, it’s the secondary. In 10 words or less, it’s Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Brandon Browner. Two were voted All-Pro last season – Thomas, the free safety; and Sherman, the left cornerback. Three have played in the Pro Bowl in at least one of the past two seasons – Thomas (twice); Chancellor, the strong safety; and Browner, the right cornerback.

“I’ve never played with a secondary with this caliber of talent,” Bennett said. “That’s one of the unique things about this defense and this team. I’ve played with some OK secondaries since I’ve been in the league, but this is my first time playing with a secondary like this.”

And make no mistake, the Seahawks were Bennett’s destination team even before he hit free agency last month.

“I turned down money to come here, and came here on just a one-year contract,” he said. “This is where I wanted to be. I love this place.”

On this date: Seahawks trade up to draft Cortez Kennedy

A look at some memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on April 22:

1990: The Seahawks trade up to the third spot in the first round of the NFL Draft and select defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy. He would be voted to eight Pro Bowls and named NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1992) during his career, and last year the most-decorated defensive player in franchise history was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 2006, had his No. 96 retired last season and was voted the franchise’s 35^th Anniversary team.

1995: Joey Galloway is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Galloway would lead the Seahawks in receptions for three consecutive seasons (1996-98) and catch 37 touchdown passes before being traded to the Cowboys for a pair of first-round draft choices in 2000.

2008: Shaun Alexander, the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, is released. After being named league MVP and leading the NFL in rushing with 1,880 yards in 2005, injuries limited Alexander to fewer than 1,000 rushing yards in 2006 and 2007.

2010: Russell Okung and Earl Thomas are selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Okung, a left tackle and the sixth pick overall, started 15 games in 2012 and was voted to the Pro Bowl. Thomas, a free safety and the 14^th pick overall, was voted Al-Pro last season and has played in the Pro Bowl the past two seasons.

Weighing in on the NFC West

Mike Sando, the NFC West blogger at ESPN.com, has turned Matt Williamson’s positional rankings for the division’s four teams into a series of informational and entertaining “conversations” with the website’s resident scout.

Williamson ranks the Seahawks as the second-best team in the NFC West behind the conference champion 49ers, but the Seahawks come out No. 1 at quarterback, running back, defensive line, cornerback and safety. They are No. 2 at wide receiver, offensive line, linebackers and head coach, and No. 3 at tight end.

It’s worth checking out the rankings and the dialogue on each:

Quarterback

Williamson: “If I were starting a team, (Colin) Kaepernick and (Russell) Wilson would rank among my top five picks. The upside for Kaepernick is so great. I don’t expect him to take a step back. I just don’t think he is as far along as Wilson in the fundamentals of quarterback play. Wilson coming into the league was ahead of Kaepernick in terms of being a pocket passer, reading defenses, not relying on his physical gifts so much and just in the mental side of things.”

Running back

Williamson: “Seattle has the best back in the division in Marshawn Lynch, and Robert Turbin is a heckuva backup. It’s not a knock on (Frank) Gore. I like LaMichael James and like Kendall Hunter, too. So, the 49ers have three guys to talk about instead of two for Seattle.”

Wide receivers

Williamson: “I’ll take (Percy) Harvin every day over (Michael) Crabtree and that is not a knock on Crabtree. Harvin is more dynamic, more versatile. He frightens defenses way more. You can do so much more with him. He has big-play ability and is just a better football player. When I rank the wide receivers in this division, it goes Larry (Fitzgerald), Harvin and Crabtree, but Harvin is closer to Fitz than Crabtree is to Harvin.”

Tight ends

Sando: “The Cardinals were the only NFL team without a touchdown reception from a tight end last season. Bad quarterback play had quite a bit to do with that, of course.”

Offensive line

Williamson: “Breno (Giacomini) has been serviceable. Marshawn Lynch has room to run. I think they have two good players (Max Unger and Russell Okung) and then a bunch of guys. I do think the whole is greater than sum of the parts. There is some truth to that in Seattle, which goes to coaching (by Tom Cable).”

Defensive line

Williamson: “They have a wide skill set, which I like, too. (Bruce) Irvin and (Red) Bryant are totally different players at defensive end. Irvin, (Chris) Clemons, (Cliff) Avril and Bryant give you versatility. For the Rams, (William) Hayes is an important part of that equation. He had seven sacks last year. (Robert) Quinn and (Chris) Long are questionable against the run. Hayes can be a base run defensive end. Plus, he moves inside and can be a quality rusher there.”

Linebackers

Sando: “The Seahawks found one starter in the second round (Bobby Wagner) and another in the fourth (K.J. Wright). They plan to use Cliff Avril at strong-side linebacker in some situations. But with Leroy Hill apparently having run his course in Seattle, the team figures to draft a weak-side linebacker to compete with Malcolm Smith.”

Safeties

Sando: “Seattle is really the only team in the division appearing set at safety for now. I could still see the Seahawks drafting one for insurance in case they have a hard time re-signing Kam Chancellor. In the meantime, Earl Thomas might be the best safety in the league. At least I’m assuming you’d agree in saying he’s moved past Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed, who were long considered the standards.”

Cornerbacks

Williamson: “Seattle to me has the best set of corners in the league, clearly (in Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner). And then (Antoine) Winfield might be the best slot corner in the league. It’s almost unfair.”

Head coach

Williamson: “(The Rams’ Jeff) Fisher is a heckuva coach, but he is behind two of the top five in the league (Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll) when it comes to ranking head coaches in the NFC West.”

Cornerback Antoine Winfield signs with Seahawks

The Seahawks’ young, but oh-so-talented, secondary just got a lot more experienced.

Former Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield was signed today, the team announced. Winfield, who will turn 36 in June and has been in the NFL for 13 seasons, is expected to compete for the nickel back spot in a secondary that already includes two All-Pro players – free safety Earl Thomas and cornerback Richard Sherman; and Pro Bowl-caliber players at strong safety and the other corner in Kam Chancellor and Brandon Browner.

The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Winfield was released last month by the Vikings in a salary-cap move, despite coming off a 2012 season when he had 101 tackles, three interceptions and 12 passes defensed. The passes defensed were a career high, while the tackle and interception totals were his second-highest totals.

Winfield played his first five seasons with the Bills, who selected him in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft after a senior season at Ohio State when he was named All-America and voted the Jim Thorpe Award winner as the nation’s top defensive back. He signed with the Vikings in free agency in 2004 and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

For his career, Winfield has 1,170 tackles and 27 interceptions. He also has started 16 games six times, the last coming in 2010.

Chris Maragos signs restricted free agent tender

For Chris Maragos, it wasn’t a matter of if he would sign his restricted free agent tender with the Seahawks, but when.

And when arrived today, as the backup safety and special teams standout did just that.

“Just signed my tender, inks not even dry yet, blessed to be a Seahawk and can’t wait for 2013!” Maragos tweeted earlier today.

Maragos, 26, originally signed with the Seahawks in 2011 after being released by the 49ers. He ranked second on the team with 11 coverage tackles that season and was third last season with nine. On defense, Maragos is the backup to All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas and also has played in some of the defensive sub-packages.

“Chris is ready to play anywhere, anytime, anyhow,” defensive backs coach Kris Richard said last season. “He’s always well prepared. He’s very sharp. He’s very bright.”

And now, he’s back with the Seahawks.

“We’ve got to keep this thing rolling,” Maragos said in the locker room at Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

Defensive tackle Clinton McDonald and snapper Clint Gresham, the team’s other restricted free agents, already had signed their tenders.

Just signed my tender, inks not even dry yet, blessed to be a #Seahawk and can't wait for 2013! #Seahawks #12thman—
Chris Maragos (@ChrisMaragos) April 11, 2013