The Virginia Mason Athletic Center on the waters of Lake Washington was rocking with the return of Seahawk players for the first time in five weeks. Training camp’s first day was before a packed crowd of 12s and the team looks good.
The blue and green confetti is still being swept up across the Northwest after the team’s Super Bowl win in February, but the absence of running back Marshawn Lynch at camp definitely put a bit of a damper on the afterglow the players, coaches and fans have felt over the past five months.
Super Bowl Seahawks Training Camp Brings Drama
Lynch, 28, has decided to not attend training camp because he wants more money. Not surprising. He signed a four-year $30 million contract with Seattle in 2012 and has watched teammates Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman receive deals that far surpass that amount – now Beast Mode wants his. Thomas signed a five-year $44.7 million contract this spring followed by Sherman’s five-year $57.4 million payday.
Undeniably Lynch takes a beating every play, every game. His physical style has taken pressure off of quarterback Russell Wilson and led the league the past three seasons with over 1,000 carries in both regular season and playoffs for over 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns.
But does paying him more money set a precedent and reward spoiled behavior? Lynch and the Seahawks signed a deal two years ago in good faith. Lynch has already received $17 million of his money with two years left to go on his contract. But is Lynch wondering how many more beatings he can take before he has to hang up his cleats? Perhaps his attitude isn’t about making as much as his teammates and it’s more about making enough money to support him after his career ends.
Coach Pete Carroll has addressed Lynch’s holdout with apparent disappointment and stated that the contract is just that, and that they worked hard for his deal a mere two years ago. Pete’s comments caused a visceral reaction from wide-receiver, Angry Doug Baldwin, who took to Twitter to say, “I hate the ‘but you signed the contract argument. Players can’t say that s—t when organizations cut them.”
Lynch’s absence does bring an opportunity for running backs Robert Turbin who is entering his third season in the NFL and second-round draft pick, Christine Michael who is starting his sophomore year in the league. The focus will be on them until Lynch returns. If he returns.
Hopefully, it will not affect the mojo this team has. Both Carroll and team GM John Schneider have built the team on the fundamental of togetherness – if players take on “me” mentalities, the threads that held them together on their quest for their Super Bowl rings will begin to unravel.
It will be interesting to see how all of this pans out and how it will affect Seattle’s road to a repeat championship. Until then, Lynch is proven that he is indeed “about that action,” and right now his action appears to be just like it was during the team’s visit to the White House – to sit this one out.
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