Should the Raiders be interested in Marshawn Lynch?
The Oakland Raiders are reportedly interest in acquiring retired running back Marshawn Lynch, who last played for the Seattle Seahawks in 2015. Lynch, who is now 30, said he was done with the game of football a year after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl. However, reports from Adam Schefter suggest the team is heavily interested in the five-time Pro-Bowl back.
What makes the situation interesting is that Lynch is still technically a part of the Seahawks organization, meaning that Lynch and the Seahawks would have to agree to his release or the Seahawks could technically trade Lynch, which is the route they’ll likely take to receive some sort of compensation for the back. Oakland is prohibited from discussing the fine details with Lynch, as that would be considered tampering.
The real question is, should the Raiders even pursue Lynch? Surely, there has to be better options available for running backs that are still actively playing in the NFL, such as Adrian Peterson. While it is true, the Raiders could certainly use some help in the running back department, do they really want a back who will be 31 by the time the season starts, two-years removed from arguably his worst season as a professional with career lows in both yards and attempts(417 and 111, respectively)?
Then again, would Lynch even want all that again? Sure, the rush and excitement of playing on Sundays is probably one of the most addicting feelings any athlete can have, but the man retired as a millionaire, healthy, and as a Super Bowl champion. What more could you want?
Due to Lynch’s age, we will likely not be the back that we were accustomed to seeing a few years ago. Running backs age out very quickly due to the constant pounding their bodies receive. Gone are the days of Beast Mode and dragging four Saints defenders with him into the end zone.
At best, we will see a back who is no longer the focal point of the offense handling the ball 10-15 times a game. The Raiders finished 12-4 last year and had Super Bowl aspirations before the injury to star quarterback Brandon Carr ended their chances late in the season. All the Raiders would need is a young back in the draft to compliment Carr’s aerial assault on the league, not a washed up back whose glory days are five years behind him.