{"id":100053,"date":"2020-12-19T08:00:41","date_gmt":"2020-12-19T13:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=100053"},"modified":"2021-05-30T15:49:42","modified_gmt":"2021-05-30T19:49:42","slug":"buffalo-bills-sign-marshawn-lynch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/12\/19\/buffalo-bills-sign-marshawn-lynch\/","title":{"rendered":"The Buffalo Bills Should Sign Marshawn Lynch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Retired NFL running back <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LyncMa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marshawn Lynch<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0appeared on the Conan O\u2019Brien show and had some interesting comments in response to O\u2019Brien\u2019s unretirement question. The one-time Super Bowl champion appears willing to make an NFL return for the right team, and the Buffalo Bills could be that perfect fit for Marshawn Lynch.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Former <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Seahawks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Seahawks<\/a> legend Marshawn <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MoneyLynch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@MoneyLynch<\/a> tells Conan O&#39;Brien that a couple of teams contacted him to return to the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#NFL<\/a>, asking him if he&#39;s ready to play.<\/p>\n<p>Lynch says he&#39;s open to coming back but it would have to be a Super Bowl team.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/T1Fm1RqaV4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/T1Fm1RqaV4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFL_DovKleiman\/status\/1337064542745079810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 10, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Marshawn Lynch has proven to be one of the most dominant running backs there has been, even creating the infamous, \u201cBeast Quake\u201d, run where Lynch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QSBJxtEed1s\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">powered through numerous New Orleans Saints&#8217; defenders and scored the game-winning <\/a>touchdown. Lynch, originally drafted by the Bills in 2007, has not only won a Superbowl with the Seattle Seahawks but has shown a desire to win again.<\/p>\n<p>The obvious fit for Lynch would be with Pittsburgh as the Steelers\u2019 run game has been poor this season. The Steelers hold an 11-2 record and sit first in the AFC North before their Monday night matchup with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/nfl-teams2\/bengals\/\" target=\"_self\">Cincinnati Bengals<\/a>. However, the team that Lynch would put over the top would be the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/nfl-teams2\/bills\/\" target=\"_self\">Buffalo Bills<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Buffalo Bills, Marshawn Lynch Should Reunite<\/h2>\n<h3><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>2020-2021 Buffalo Bills<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Bills have seen a vast improvement in their offense with the maturing game of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=AlleJo02,AlleJo03,AlleJo00&amp;search=Josh+Allen&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Allen<\/a><\/strong>, and with the three-headed monster at wide receiver comprised of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BeasCo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cole Beasley<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=BrowJo02,BrowJo22,BrowJo21&amp;search=John+Brown&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John Brown<\/a><\/strong>, and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/D\/DiggSt00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stefon Diggs<\/a><\/strong>. Allen\u2019s improvement at quarterback has been a godsend for Bills Mafia, as the 24-year-old quarterback has become more poised in the pocket, leading to better decision making. Diggs has provided leadership and a true number one option at wide receiver for Allen. Since coming to the bills, <a href=\"https:\/\/fantasyfootballers.org\/wr-wide-receiver-nfl-stats\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Diggs leads the league in receptions with 100 and is second to DK Metcalf in total receiving yards<\/a>. Beasley broke the record for most touchdowns by a player 5\u20198 or shorter against the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/nfl-teams2\/49ers\/\" target=\"_self\">San Fransico 49ers<\/a> as well as being a durable option, playing all 13 games this season. Brown, aka \u201cSmoke\u201d has been fast and reliable, being able to elude defenders or outspeed them easily.<\/p>\n<p>The Bills defense, on the other hand, has regressed from their dominant 2019 form. This year the Bills the defense has dropped to 15<sup>th<\/sup> overall, with accumulating injuries and a poor run defense that only a few teams have been able to capitalize on. A healthy defense core will help solidify the pass defense, and more importantly, increase the run defense going forward into the playoffs.<\/p>\n<h3>Youth in the Backfield<\/h3>\n<p>However, when examining the Bills running back depth, a veteran presence would solidify the running game with experience to compliment the youth of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SingDe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Devin Singletary<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MossZa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zack Moss<\/a><\/strong>. Moss has been a welcome surprise this year after being selected in the third round of the 2020 draft. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MossZa00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">In 10 games, Moss has rushed for 335 yards <\/a>with 3 touchdowns, earning the trust of the team to make plays and be rewarded for them. Singletary has become a steady presence in the run game after the mentorship of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GoreFr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Frank Gore<\/a><\/strong>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SingDe00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Singletary has rushed for 576 yards this season so far<\/a>. With Moss and Singletary being in their early 20\u2019s; however, there would be a benefit from that veteran to lead the run and bestow playoff experience.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How Marshawn Lynch Fits on the Buffalo Bills<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Understandably, the Marshawn Lynch that would be signed would not be the Lynch of old. Lynch\u2019s age and injury history is a concern, but the experience and ability to give the Bills another weapon for opponents to focus on would benefit greatly in a playoff push. In two years with the Oakland Raiders, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LyncMa00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lynch rushed for 1,267 yards with 10 rushing touchdowns<\/a>. Having that added firepower would cause opposing defenses to worry about a dual-threat, than a stronger focus on just Buffalo&#8217;s passing game. Lynch would also be able to mentor the younger running backs for the remainder of the season. Also, with Zack Moss and Devin Singletary both being 23, the playing time given to Lynch would not hurt them as they are in the beginning stages of their development.<\/p>\n<p>The Buffalo Bills have a good chance to make a run in the playoffs and win their first Superbowl ever. Buffalo has their franchise quarterback and added the necessary pieces for him to thrive. There is a good balance of young and old on the Bills, with a young running group and a veteran receiving core. However, adding Marshawn Lynch would be adding that extra piece that would bring more leadership and stability to an already poised roster. Lynch showed in his time in Oakland that he still has the ability to rush the ball for respectable yardage and would be an asset to a championship contender.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"eB_727WwSuhxEMR-kUGMgg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/76696028\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'eB_727WwSuhxEMR-kUGMgg',sig:'lPSWmqPvCdjbGTmXAjVDtbDj9kEOaXQTvqP2_4FNFxs=',w:'594px',h:'397px',items:'76696028',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With a postseason run upcoming and a need at the position, the Buffalo Bills should look into bringing Marshawn Lynch out of retirement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3736,"featured_media":100075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[177,4784,61,711,2599,916,440,40,60,6103],"class_list":["post-100053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bills","tag-buffalo-bills","tag-devin-singletary","tag-football","tag-frank-gore","tag-josh-allen","tag-josh-brown","tag-marshawn-lynch","tag-nfl","tag-stefon-diggs","tag-zack-moss"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3736"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100053"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100053\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100075"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}