A roundup of local and national Seattle Seahawks-related links:

Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle ranks John Schneider fourth among NFL general managers:

Has constructed Super Bowl winners and participants with steady approach and has ability to think outside of the box working in tandem with coach Pete Carroll. Draft picks include Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor, all taken in the third round or later.

Elliot Harrison of NFL.com predicts a 29-10 Seahawks victory over the Lions:

What has gotten into Matthew Stafford? Seems like a touch of Dan Orlovsky mixed with Mike McMahon and a light sprinkling of Chuck Long. Goodness gracious, this Detroit football team has been difficult to watch. Fans once consumed with the idea of challenging the Packers in the NFC North are now hoping to avoid a 6-10 finish. The thinking is, if you drop that low, why not go 3-13 and get a Leonard Williams-type talent in the draft? Alternately, can Detroit upset the Seahawks in Seattle? No. But can the Lions jump back into the playoff race? Yes. Let's go back 20 years, to when the 1995 Lions started 0-3, then hit 3-6 before finishing 10-6. They did it with Scott Mitchell getting hot. If he could do it ...

So the Seahawks are the pick here, inspired by the play of the defense last week. Kam Chancellor will be more involved this go-around. And how about Thomas Rawls? From backup R&B singer (well, sounds like one anyway) to fantasy darling in days.

Joel Corry of CBSSports.com lists 20 players who are in the final years of their contracts and have a lot to gain this season, including Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung:

Okung is an interesting case because he intends to represent himself in free agency. The 2010 sixth-overall pick probably took note of the five-year, $66 million extension with $41.25 million in guarantees that Trent Williams received from the Washington Redskins, which made Williams the NFL's highest-paid offensive lineman, during the preseason. Okung and Williams were just two picks apart in the draft. How close Okung gets to Williams' deal will largely depend on his ability to stay healthy and return to his 2012 form, when he earned the only Pro Bowl berth of his career.

Dave Boling of The Tacoma News Tribune writes about Seahawks defensive tackle Jordan Hill:

Hill said he owes a great deal to [Brandon] Mebane, a veteran from whom he has learned “just about everything there is to know about the nose guard position,” he said. “He’s one of the best in the NFL, and I think he’s way underrated.”

The best advice Mebane has offered during Hill’s understudy period? “Play what you see.”