Good morning, 12s.

Here's a look at what's "out there" for today - Thursday, December 21 - about your Seattle Seahawks:

Cliff Avril Spreads Holiday Cheer

Cliff Avril may have landed on injured reserve in October, but the defensive end has stayed involved around Seahawks headquarters, and this past Tuesday, Avril took a trip into the community to spread a bit of holiday cheer.

Wearing a festive green t-shirt with the word 'Naughty' crossed out and the phrase 'Nice' written underneath, Avril posed as a cashier at two local retail stores, ringing up gifts for holiday shoppers. But when it came time for each customer to pay, Avril halted them before they could swipe their credit cards, informing them he would be paying for all their gifts that evening.

"First time on the job and helped a few people out for the holidays!" Avril captioned in an Instagram post. "A blessing to be able to be a blessing! Merry Christmas to everyone!!!"

The reactions Avril receives from surprised shoppers are pretty special. He brings one shopper to tears while another — a Dallas Cowboys fan, no less — states "that is by far the coolest thing that has happened in my life." You can check out more from Avril's shopping spree in the video embedded at the top of this post.

Seahawks, Bonneville Seattle Extend Radio Broadcast Partnership

710 ESPN Seattle and KIRO Radio 97.3 FM will continue to serve as the official radio broadcast partners of the Seahawks. The two sides announced a multi-year extension this morning on the "Brock and Salk" show during an interview with Seahawks President Peter McLoughlin.

"It's not every team in the National Football League, or any league for that matter, that gets to have their broadcast aired simultaneously on an AM station and an FM station, so the reach that provides us throughout the region is huge," McLoughlin said. "We're able to reach all our fans, and it's a great partnership."

Tweet Of The Day

Today's "Tweet of the Day" comes from NFL Films, which shares a short video telling the story of a dedicated Seahawks fan named Bob Kaupang, detailing his unique connection to Seattle Hall of Fame safety Kenny Easley.

More From Around The Web

Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright cleared the concussion protocol and returned to practice on Wednesday. With Wright back in the lineup and fellow linebacker Bobby Wagner (hamstring) saying he's "feeling a lot better" this week, the Seattle defense hopes to see improvement this Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

With nearly $1 million in donations raised, the Seahawks Players Equality & Justice For All Action Fund announced Wednesday the first seven grants to be awarded to non-profit organizations.  

Bob Condotta at the Seattle Times recaps Wednesday's message from coaches Pete Carroll, Darrell Bevell, and Tom Cable as the Seahawks look to bounce back from their loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Todd Milles at the Tacoma News Tribune highlights the play of Seahawks special teams standout Neiko Thorpe. 

SeattlePI.com looks at how the Seahawks stack up in the NFC playoff picture.

And for ESPN Insider, Matt Bowen looks at the NFL's best defensive backs by category. Three Seattle players make his cut: 

Earl Thomas; Defensive back with the best range:The 2010 first-round pick is still the best at combining his 4.4 speed with a top-tier football IQ to create enormous range in the post. That's why Thomas' angles to the ball are so clean. He gets a jump through recognizing the formation -- it's all about alignment and wide receiver splits -- and breaks on the ball before it's even thrown.

Richard Sherman: Best cornerback at playing the run:Yes, we always talk about Sherman as a press corner outside. But we don't focus enough on his tackling ability. He's a complete player. And, just like he does in coverage, Sherman wins with technique when defending the run.

Kam Chancellor: Best safety at playing the run:Chancellor plays like a linebacker with that 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame. And he hits like one, too. This is downhill stuff, and Chancellor has a great feel for how to play in the box. Shoot a gap, chop down a ball carrier on the edge or erase the cutback lane. He's a beast.