When we last left Skittles enthusiast Marshawn Lynch, he was enjoying NFL retirement in Scotland by playing chicken with buses. It’s been 13 months since Lynch said goodbye to the NFL, but now the Oakland Raiders appear interested in saying hello.
Raiders strongly considering acquiring RB Marshawn Lynch, either through trade or by his release, sources tell @JosinaAnderson and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2017
Marshawn Lynch is in shape. He's thought about playing. Raiders are interested. But would the #Seahawks actually trade him? We'll see.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2017
I’m curious as to how Rapoport knows Lynch is in shape. I’m not saying he’s not in shape, but he is doing Crossfit workouts with him on a weekly basis? Has he tested his body fat? I don’t think so. Advocating for players because the player or agent tells you a thing is always weird to me.
But yes, the Raiders seem to want to add the 30-year-old running back to replace what they lost there in free agency. The question is… why?
Why not just re-sign Latavius Murray, who averaged 4.2 yards per carry in his three years with the Raiders and scored 12 touchdowns last year, instead of allowing him to sign with the Minnesota Vikings? The Raiders had the cap room to keep him at the reasonable three-year, $15 million deal he gave the Vikings.
Plus, the Seahawks still own Lynch’s rights, so the Raiders will have to give up some sort of draft pick to sign him.
FYI – When Seahawks heard rumblings last year Lynch wanted back w/ another team, they had no intention of letting him go w/ no compensation.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 17, 2017
Lynch is just like Adrian Peterson in a lot of ways — old, coming off some injuries, hasn’t played much recently — but signing Peterson wouldn’t cost the Raiders a pick.
In Lynch’s last season, he played in only seven games because of an abdominal injury and averaged 3.8 yards per carry with three touchdowns. But it’s a thin running back market at this point. Lynch could be a safer bet than Jamaal Charles and he’s probably cheaper than LaGarrette Blount. It’s still a gamble to sign Lynch but if it’s an inexpensive one-year deal, he could be worth it as a stopgap.
