I talked with Seattle Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin last week and for this story. Baldwin is one of the few healthy players not rehabbing an injury still working out at the team’s facility.

Baldwin said he’s putting in the work now in order to build on the success he had in his first year, and that he wants to be known as a complete receiver – not just a guy who can get open out of the slot.

Baldwin also came to the defense of his quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who’s been criticized for his play at the end of 2011 this offseason.

Baldwin: “Tarvaris can’t do it all by himself,” Baldwin said. “He’s sitting back there and he’s taking the pressure. He takes a lot of heat from fans and a lot of criticism from whoever, but Tarvaris is one of those guys that if he’s given an opportunity, he’s going to make the best of it.

“With the capability that he has, it’s up to the receivers, the running backs and the offensive line to give him that opportunity. Late in games I think we’re putting a lot on his shoulders, and a lot of guys, including myself, weren’t coming through for him in key situations when he needed us to.”

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With a little over two months remaining until the NFL draft in April, I thought today we’d take a look around some of the national sites to see who they have the Seahawks selecting.

Chad Reuter and Bucky Brooks of NFL.com have Seattle selecting North Carolina outside linebacker Zach Brown, an athletic specimen that would improve Seattle’s speed at that position. But don’t forget Seattle still has Malcolm Smith and Jameson Konz in the fold.

Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com still has Seattle selecting Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still in his latest mock draft, which would upgrade an already stout run defense inside.

Russ Lande of the Sporting News has the Seahawks selecting Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill in his latest mock draft, probably the best signal caller available if Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are likely gone.

Walter Football has Seattle selecting South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram – although he’s one of the best edge rushers in the draft, Ingram is somewhat similar to players already on Seattle’s roster like Dexter Davis and Pierre Allen.

Wes Bunting of the National Football Post has Seattle selecting North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples. I’d be surprised if he’s available at 11 or 12.

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Former NFL scout and currentt analyst for the NFL Network Bucky Brook argues that the best player in this year’s draft could be Alabama running back Trent Richardson.

But with the running back position being devalued because of the short life span of runners in the league, and the availability of good runners later in the draft, Brooks believes Richardson could slip outside the top 10, and a team like Seattle could wind up with an elite player.

And Brooks believes Seattle could be interested if they were to lose Marshawn Lynch in free agency.

Brooks: Pete Carroll has built the Seahawks’ offense around the talents of Marshawn Lynch, but the hard-charging runner could depart via free agency in the spring. Richardson possesses a comparable skill set as a runner/receiver and would give the Seahawks a younger, more explosive back to feature as the main attraction in the backfield. Given the team’s shaky quarterback situation, Richardson’s presence could keep the team competitive in the NFC West.

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Dave Boling of The News Tribune believes the reward outweighs the risk, and the Seattle Seahawks should go after quarterback Peyton Manning if the Indianapolis Colts release him and he becomes a free agent in March.

Boling: Other teams will be after him, too, but Seattle seems well positioned.

And it wouldn’t mean that you still couldn’t draft a young prospect in the lower rounds and allow him to learn the game from Manning. By not drafting a quarterback in the first round, the Seahawks save the pick (11th or 12th) for another prime need.

Everybody in the locker room would be positively influenced by Manning’s professionalism and game preparation.

Risks? Sure, they’re numerous and obvious. But if there weren’t risks, he would never hit the market.

And if he turns out to be even close to the Peyton Manning who was an 11-time Pro Bowl selection, it’s likely that no other single move could put the Seahawks in contention quicker than landing him.

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In an open letter to his former teammate, Brock Huard of ESPN 710 Seattle provides a convincing argument for Peyton Manning landing in Seattle once the Indianapolis Colts ultimately decided to part ways with the aging quarterback in March.

Huard cuts the 32 teams down to seven, and ultimately argues the best landing spot for Manning is Seattle because of Pete Carroll and his commitment to winning, Tom Cable and the continuation of the improvement along the offensive line, a young and talented roster filled with emerging, Pro Bowl-type players, a strong home-field advantage and owner Paul Allen’s commitment to putting forth the necessary financial resources to winning a championship.

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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning answered critics who had any doubt of his status as an elite quarterback in the NFL with his performance in the Giants 21-17 win in Super Bowl XLII.

Playing in his brother Peyton Manning’s house at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Manning finished 30 of 40 for 296 yards and a touchdown, earning his second Super Bowl ring, and second MVP trophy in the big game.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports writes that Eli doesn’t have to play second fiddle at the family dinner table because of one statistic now – Eli 2 Super Bowls, Peyton 1.

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ESPN’s Mike Sando presented former Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy’s case for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the selection committee on Saturday.

Sando said all he had to do was stick to the facts, which pointed to Kennedy being one of the most dominant defensive tackles ever to play the game.

Sando: Kennedy played 16 games nine times, 15 games once and eight games in his only injury-shortened season. He matched Reggie White and Bruce Smith as the only defensive linemen with eight Pro Bowls during the 1990s. He went to as many Pro Bowls during the 1990s as Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Bruce Smith and Derrick Thomas.

Kennedy was also the Associated Press’ defensive player of the year on that 2-14 team, which featured one of the worst offenses in NFL history (Seattle was the only NFL team to field a top-10 defense in 1990, 1991 and 1992). Only White and Lawrence Taylor won the award previously while playing for losing teams.

According to the Seahawks, Kennedy played more than 90 percent of the defensive snaps for at least his first six seasons, including 97.2 percent in 1994.

Since sacks became an official stat in 1982, Kennedy and Hall of Famer Randy White are the only defensive tackles with at least 150 starts, 50 sacks and eight Pro Bowls.”

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ESPN’s Mike Sando talked with Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald about the state of the NFC West, and one of the NFL’s best receivers had very nice things to say about Seattle’s new and improved secondary.

Sando: How do you think the Seattle Seahawks have changed the most under Pete Carroll?

Fitzgerald: They are much more physical, much more physical. At the Pro Bowl last week, they had three guys from their secondary, Brandon Browner and Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. When you look at Chancellor, Chancellor is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds and a phenomenal athlete with good ball skills, good range. Earl Thomas is like a young Troy Polamalu, flying around and making plays. And Brandon Browner is the biggest cornerback I’ve ever seen in my life. He can play, too. He can cover.

I really like the young rookie they have, (Richard) Sherman from Stanford. He is going to be a good player. Obviously, when they get Marcus Trufantback, that will only make them deeper. They challenge you at the point of attack. They want to pressure you and make things uncomfortable for you at the line of scrimmage, and their whole philosophy has changed. It’s fun to play against them.

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