With less than two days until the NFL draft, a deal between Marshawn Lynch and the Oakland Raiders is becoming less and less likely. The two parties are reportedly about $1.5 million dollars apart, with neither side rushing to budge. Raiders fans are tired of hearing about it, Raider writers are tired of writing about it, and it might be time for the Oakland Raiders to move on from Marshawn Lynch.
The Oakland Raiders Should Move on From Marshawn Lynch
It seemed like a dream scenario. The hometown kid, Marshawn Lynch, would finish his career as a member of his favorite team, possibly winning a Super Bowl. He would come in, replacing Latavius Murray, and giving the Oakland Raiders the muscle they’ve been missing in the backfield. It seemed too good to be true, and it looks like it was.
At first, the biggest roadblock was how Lynch, a Seattle Seahawk, would become an Oakland Raider. Would Lynch come out of retirement, forcing his cap hit on the Hawks until they released him or could the two teams broker a trade? It was the subject of debate for weeks until it was announced that Seattle would be willing to part with Lynch for a relatively inexpensive price.
It seemed like the dominos would fall easily after that, but when it came time to negotiate, the two parties stood on very different ground. Lynch reportedly balked at the idea of playing for half of what he would’ve made in Seattle ($9 million) while the Raiders are offering him only a third of that (around $3 million, with incentives).
The Raiders and Lynch have reportedly continued negotiations, with a deadline set for Thursday’s draft. If the two can’t come to an agreement, the Raiders will likely just select a back in the second or third round. Here’s why the Raiders should consider passing on the star rusher before then.
McKenzie Money
General manager Reggie McKenzie is a cap-magician. He dragged the Raiders out of cap hell when he became the general manager back in 2012 and he hasn’t looked back. He’s managed to keep Oakland’s salary cap intact by picking cheaper, reliable players over flashy high profile ones, and allowing expensive players to leave.
He refused to pay Randall Cobb big money before the 2015, instead choosing to bring in San Francisco 49er bust, Michael Crabtree. Since then, Crabtree has caught 174 passes for 1,925 yards and 17 touchdowns while Cobb has only caught 139 passes for 1,439 yards and 10 touchdowns.
So while many fans don’t see why McKenzie won’t just give up the measly $1.5 million, it’s safe to say that McKenzie knows what he’s doing. He needs every penny he can get for Derek Carr, Gabe Jackson, and Khalil Mack.
Deep Draft
This is one of the deepest running back draft classes in recent memory. Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine, Kareem Hunt, D’Onte Foreman, Marlon Mack, and Wayne Gallman are all projected to go in the first four rounds. Keep in mind that Reggie McKenzie found Jalen Richard, an undrafted running back, and got 500 yards out of him last year.
If Marshawn Lynch doesn’t want to take a pay cut to play for the Raiders, then the Raiders should just move on. Lynch is completely entitled to ask whatever he wants as an asking price, but the Raiders are just entitled to decline.
With Adrian Peterson signing with the New Orleans Saints for the same price the Raiders are asking of Lynch, the process may start moving again here, but if not, the Raiders can and should move on. Any back would be lucky to play behind that offensive line, and whether it’s Lynch or a rookie, they’ll play a big part in an exciting offense this season.
Now watch Lynch and the Raiders agree to terms immediately after this article is published.
