Thursday night, rumors started slipping out that Seattle Seahawks rusher Marshawn Lynch was considering coming out of retirement. After missing most of last season, and only rushing for 417 yards and three touchdowns, Lynch announced his retirement. Now, with his retirement status reportedly up in the air, people are wondering if and where he’ll play next. Since Lynch was born in raised in Oakland, California, one fan-base in particular hopes he’ll come home.
The Oakland Raiders Don’t Need Marshawn Lynch
Born and raised in Oakland, it only makes sense that Lynch would finish his career with the Oakland Raiders. While the Seahawks still own his rights, the Raiders could conceivably trade for Lynch and start him this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. It’s not like the Raiders have a dominant rushing attack in place, they finished 28th in rushing last year. Here’s why despite that, the Oakland Raiders don’t need Marshawn Lynch.
Latavius Murray
The Raiders don’t need to trade for another running back because they already have an adequate rusher in place. Murray was sixth in the NFL last year, rushing for 1,066 yards, six touchdowns, and averaging exactly four yards per carry. Why should the Raiders trade for Lynch when Murray is younger, faster, and had a better 2015?
Murray certainly has his critics, and the Raider Nation have been very vocal about their demand for a more dominant rusher. However the Raiders have already addressed those demands in this year’s draft. That’s where DeAndre Washington comes into play.
DeAndre Washington
The Raiders selected running back Washington out of Texas Tech in the fifth round this year, and he already has people talking. Washington is a bowling ball of a rusher and reminds many experts of a young Maurice Jones-Drew. After a very impressive preseason, if Latavius Murray does struggle, it won’t be surprising if Washington becomes the starter.
So if Washington is the best running back on the team now, and he’s stuck behind Latavius Murray on the depth chart, how would he ever get carries? If Murray became the change of pace back for Lynch, Washington would be buried. He would have to fight for carries, and ultimately wouldn’t be able to make a difference. In the long run, one year of what fans believe they’d be getting out of Lynch could hamper the growth of the Raider rushing attack.
Over The Hill
The biggest reason that the Raiders shouldn’t trade for Marshawn Lynch is that he’s starting to get up there in age. Historically, running backs experience a serious drop-off after they turn 30. In fact, studies show that rushers begin to experience a decline in play after they turn 26.
Lynch is already 30 years old. He took his fair share of punishment over the years. While Lynch has typically been the one delivering the bruising hits, the human body can only take so much. Lynch has already taken well over 2,000 carries, and as we saw last year, it has begun to take its toll.
After averaging at least four yards per carry over the last four years, Lynch only averaged 3.8 yards per carry last season. Many people called his heart into question. Lynch is six years removed from his “Beast-Mode” run against the Saints. At this point he can’t seriously be considered an upgrade at the position.
A future Hall of Fame running back coming home to play one last season for the team he grew up rooting for? It’s a story worthy of Hollywood. But honestly, it’s just a fantasy. What could be a good story should remain fiction.
Considering how much general manager Reggie McKenzie has done with his drafts over the last three seasons, trading a pick for an old player just doesn’t make sense. McKenzie has proven that he can find talented players in the mid to later rounds. It seems foolish to sacrifice a potential starter for one year of Marshawn Lynch.
