Marshawn Lynch

Poll: Which Recent Veteran RB Addition Will Make Biggest Impact?

May 6th, 2017 at 7:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos giving Jamaal Charles an opportunity represented a key step for the high-profile free agent running backs. After a complicated offseason for just about every big-name back in search of a new home, the 30-plus contingent of this group found new homes in quick succession.

LeGarrette Blount still needs a new employer, but after the Charles/Adrian Peterson/Marshawn Lynch troika agreed to terms, the 30-year-old’s price range will presumably narrow. With Peterson, Lynch and Charles each being attached to accords worth around $3MM AAV for 2017, with various incentives looming as critical deal points, the 30-year-old Blount may follow suit soon now that the market has essentially been set.

But it’s certainly going to be a change of pace for each of the trio that’s already signed. Each will transition from being his team’s clear-cut No. 1 running back to a cog in backfields that aren’t as certain to be geared around these players.

The Vikings, Seahawks and Chiefs received top-of-the-line production from these three dynamos during the first half of this decade, but the Saints, Raiders and Broncos, respectively, will expect less of them in 2017. How much less is the key question.

Lynch appears to have the clearest road to a steady role, with Oakland prioritizing the 31-year-old recently unretired back instead of diverting resources to a younger ball-carrier in a loaded draft. He’s also going to have a chance to run behind a high-end Raiders offensive front. But Beast Mode has not played a full season since 2014 and will be more than 18 months removed from his last NFL game by the time he suits up in Week 1.

Oakland also has multiple change-of-pace backs in DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard that boasted per-carry averages well north of 5.0 as rookies. Lynch steamrolled his way to four Pro Bowls in Seattle and averaged 4.7 yards per tote in 2014 but struggled a year later to a 3.8-per-handoff average. While the Seahawks’ embattled offensive line can be singled out as a key reason for this production dip for Lynch, Thomas Rawls (5.6 ypc in ’15) looked better by comparison in the pair’s lone season together. The Raiders will deploy a much better array of blockers than did the ’15 Seahawks, but by eschewing younger investments at this young man’s position this offseason, they’re still gambling Lynch can operate at close to his Seahawks form. The Raiders are pleased by Lynch’s condition thus far, at least.

Peterson figures to team with Mark Ingram in New Orleans, but with Ingram being used frequently in the Saints’ passing game the past two seasons, the former Vikings All-Pro’s role will be interesting to observe. Peterson has functioned best as a pure runner since returning from his ACL tear in 2012. While the 32-year-old UFA addition might still be a better ground operator than Ingram when healthy, he struggled behind a porous Vikes offensive line in 2016. Averaging a ghastly 1.9 yards per carry during a season that saw Peterson tear his meniscus, the future Hall of Famer will have to prove he can make another comeback but do so at an age where most running backs are out of the game.

That said, Peterson offered maybe the greatest comeback season for a skill-position player in memory in compiling that 2,097-yard slate five years ago. He then won the 2015 rushing title after the near-season-long 2014 suspension. Drew Brees‘ explosive offense, which ranked No. 1 last season, will help divert defenses from concentrating on stopping Peterson the way Minnesota opponents could for years. Alvin Kamara‘s potential place in this backfield could be a big factor as well, but the Tennessee rookie may carve into the team’s extensive passing-down work instead of exclusively cutting into Peterson’s handoff count.

Charles may bring the highest variance of the acclaimed trio. The Chiefs’ all-time rushing leader will easily be the most accomplished running back on the Broncos’ roster, but he’s obviously missed extensive time the past two years due to knee injuries and is a threat to not make it back at all. Mike Klis of 9News reported Charles was “90 percent” healthy on his signing day. As a result, the NFL’s all-time yards-per-carry king received the smallest financial commitment, at $1MM base value, comparatively. However, at 30 — and with nearly 1,000 fewer career carries (1,332) than Peterson (2,418) and Lynch (2,144) — Charles is the youngest of the three and has a skill set his Bronco mates don’t.

He of a 70-catch season in 2013, the two-time first-team All-Pro has a clear avenue toward the Broncos’ passing-down responsibilities — with the obvious health caveat representing the only barrier. C.J. Anderson is also coming off a severe knee injury. The fifth-year player remains expected to start, but the between-the-tackles grinder hasn’t shown himself to be the type of back Charles has when healthy. The Broncos don’t have an upper-echelon offensive line, but Charles hasn’t been afforded that luxury much in his career and has never finished a season averaging fewer than 5.0 yards per rush. While he surmounted a 2011 ACL tear to re-emerge with dominant 2012 and ’13 campaigns, the veteran now has to do that at an older age and with a more extensive medical history.

There are a lot of moving parts to these stalwarts’ situations, but each certainly has upside. Who do you think will make the biggest impact for his new team this season? Will Charles’ open-field skills make him a bigger weapon than his run-centric peers? Or will Lynch’s comeback tour succeed behind an offensive line featuring three Pro Bowlers? Will Peterson capitalize on Brees and Co.’s setup and prove everyone wrong again? Take PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section about what should be an interesting year for the running back position.

AFC Notes: Bengals, Raiders, Lynch, Patriots

May 2nd, 2017 at 9:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bengals selected Washington wide receiver John Ross with the ninth overall pick last Thursday, but some clubs didn’t view Ross as a worthwhile long-term investment, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. “We looked at him as a one-contract player,” one front office told La Canfora. “Our doctors had serious reservations about his longevity at this level.” Ross tore his ACL and missed the 2015 collegiate campaign, and also underwent labrum surgery after the combine. If healthy, Ross and his 4.22-second speed should add a new dynamic to Cincinnati’s offense.

Here’s more from the AFC:

The Raiders‘ deal with running back Marshawn Lynch is worth $9MM over two years, reports Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). In 2017, Lynch will earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.35MM plus a $1MM roster bonus due May 3 (which makes it effectively guaranteed). Lynch can also bring in $500K in per-game roster bonuses and $150K via a workout bonus. In 2018, Lynch’s cap number will be $6MM — including a $4MM base salary — but because none of that money is guaranteed (and because Oakland didn’t use a signing bonus), the Raiders can cut Lynch after 2017 with no dead money accelerating onto their cap.
Even if new Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley is handed felony charges after an alleged sexual assault, he can’t be suspended by the NFL, league spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Because the incident and accusations occurred prior to Conley entering the league, the NFL cannot discipline him, although the episode come into play down the line. If Conley were to violate the NFL’s conduct policy going forward, he could be treated as a “repeat offender,” according to Florio.
Mike Gillislee‘s two-year pact with the Patriots was front-loaded in order to convince the Bills not to match, as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. Gillislee will earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.5MM in 2017, and will also rake $2MM via a roster bonus and $500K in per-game roster bonuses. In 2018, he’ll see a non-guaranteed base salary of $1.9MM with another $500K available in per-gamers. No signing bonus was used in the deal.

Raiders Acquire Marshawn Lynch

April 26th, 2017 at 12:59pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s officially official: Marshawn Lynch is a member of the Raiders. Lynch’s representatives and the team have agreed to terms on a two-year deal.

Early Wednesday morning, the Raiders and Seahawks hammered out the framework of a trade that sending the the Raiders’ 2018 fifth-round pick to the Seahawks in exchange for Lynch and the Seahawks’ 2018 sixth-round pick. The only box to check was a passed physical, and Lynch has satisfied that requirement on Wednesday afternoon.

Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie said the draft was his deadline for a potential Lynch deal. Now, he has his starting running back in place and can satisfy other areas of need in the draft. Without Lynch, a running back would have been in consideration as early as the No. 24 overall pick.

Lynch’s deal with the Raiders will pay him a $3MM base for the 2017 season with a chance to earn $2MM more if he gains 1,000 yards. The base value of the contract is $9MM and the max is $16.5MM, giving him similar upside to Adrian Peterson‘s deal with the Saints.

In Lynch, the Raiders acquire one of the NFL’s best running backs in recent memory, though he does not come without question marks. Lynch is a 30-year-old with over 2,100 carries on his odometer and he wasn’t particularly effective in his most recent action. The last time we saw Lynch, he averaged 3.8 yards per attempt on 111 carries during an injury-shortened, seven-game 2015 campaign. They’re hoping to see Lynch in his 2014 form, a season in which he averaged 4.7 yards per carry and had a career-high 13 touchdowns on the ground.

Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram. Details provided by Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter), and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link).

Latest On Marshawn Lynch, Raiders

April 21st, 2017 at 5:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Marshawn Lynch is still tied to a Seahawks-constructed deal that would pay him $9MM in 2017, and that’s causing some issues between the Raiders and their prospective high-profile running back.

The Raiders want Lynch to play for approximately a third of that this season, while Lynch is currently balking at taking less than half of that amount, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. This is expected to be an incentive-heavy deal for the unretiring runner, according to Tafur, who notes (on Twitter) both sides could move a bit from their current stances.

Lynch, per Tafur, also wanted to get this deal done by his 31st birthday, which is Saturday.

The Raiders have more than $34MM in cap space but are currently negotiating with Derek Carr on what will surely be the biggest contract in franchise history. Possible extensions for Khalil Mack and Gabe Jackson reside on the Raiders’ itinerary after Carr, making money tighter than it has been in many years for this franchise.

Lynch has not played for less than $3MM in base salary since 2011. His bases from 2012-15 were $4MM, $7MM, $6MM and $4.5MM. However, the 2012 and ’15 seasons featured Lynch receiving $6MM and $7.5MM signing bonuses, respectively. The Raiders have also not paid a back $3MM in a season since Darren McFadden in 2014. The 2015 signing of Roy Helu netted the Silver and Black next to nothing, and the Raiders went with rookie-deal players last season in Latavius Murray, DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard.

Earlier today, GM Reggie McKenzie said the draft stands as the deadline for the Raiders to add Lynch. The Raiders currently house Washington, Richard and running back-turned-cornerback-turned-running back Taiwan Jones as incumbent backs. Jamize Olawale profiles as the short-yardage back as of now, but another ball-carrier is expected to be added — either in Lynch or a rookie — to help with traditional between-the-tackles work.

Tafur adds at that a trade with the Seahawks is expected to be a formality once the Raiders and Lynch work out a contract. The Bay Area native visited the Raiders more than two weeks ago.

“I think every indication I got is he was excited to play for the Oakland Raiders,” Jack Del Rio said today, via Tafur.

Raiders Want Marshawn Lynch Resolution Before Draft

April 21st, 2017 at 1:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie says he wants to know if Marshawn Lynch will be a member of the Raiders before the draft gets underway (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal).

“At some point, you’d like to know. Prior to the draft is that point,” McKenzie told reporters on Friday.

This jibes with a report from earlier this week indicating that Oakland might put a draft day deadline on a potential deal. If Lynch is not wrapped up by the time the Raiders are on the clock at No. 24, they may jump at a running back they like. If they make that kind of investment in the position, then they’re probably going to steer away from Lynch.

A trade has been expected between the Seahawks and Raiders, but before a deal can be consummated, Lynch and Oakland must agree on a reworked deal. Lynch’s current contract calls for a $9MM salary and the Raiders are unwilling to shell out that much for the veteran running back. Mutual interest has been brewing for some time between the Raiders and Lynch, but the Raiders will have plenty of younger and cheaper running backs to choose from in this year’s star-studded class.

Lynch turns 31 on Saturday.

Draft Deadline For Marshawn Lynch, Raiders Deal?

April 18th, 2017 at 2:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders haven’t yet hammered out a reworked contract with running back Marshawn Lynch, and he won’t be traded from Seattle to Oakland until a new deal is in place. The draft may present a deadline for a Lynch trade, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who notes the Raiders’ draft plans could alter their need for Lynch.

Oakland had hoped to have finished negotiations with Lynch (and the Seahawks) before the start of the club’s offseason program on Monday, per Rapoport. That didn’t happen, so the Raiders may be presented with a quandary when the draft begins next Thursday. If a running back the team likes is still on the board at No. 24, Oakland may simply “take the leap,” says Rapoport, and such a decision would likely end the Raiders’ pursuit of Lynch. For what it’s worth, I sent Florida State’s Dalvin Cook to the Raiders in PFR’s 2017 mock draft.

At present, the Raiders have only four backs on their roster: Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington, Jamize Olawale, and Taiwan Jones, the latter of whom is essentially only a special teams player. Oakland could certainly use another runner on its depth chart after allowing Latavius Murray to walk in free agency, and for a time, Lynch’s arrival looked like a fait accompli.

Lynch has officially begun the process of reinstatement, although he won’t technically need to be reinstated in order to be dealt.

Marshawn Lynch Updates: Friday

April 14th, 2017 at 5:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Marshawn Lynch has dominated headlines today, with the longtime Seahawks running back close to coming out of retirement to play for the Raiders. Despite a deal being reported earlier today, it doesn’t look to be finalized yet. And Seattle still holds the soon-to-be 31-year-old back’s rights.

Here’s the latest coming out of the Lynch-to-Oakland saga.

A deal has yet to commence, with the report of such finality being “100 percent false,” per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Gehlken adds that the contract length for the Raiders and Lynch is expected to carry over to the team’s Las Vegas years. The Raiders’ stay in Oakland could be limited to one year, based on how their lame-duck arrangement goes this season, but the team is not scheduled to venture to Vegas until at least the 2019 season. Lynch coming back and playing for at least three more seasons may take a bit of a leap of faith considering his recent retirement. He will turn 31 next weekend.
Lynch himself, in a way few can, candidly dismissed notion a deal was done (Twitter link). Lynch’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, texted an Oakland-area radio show (per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, via Twitter) to say no agreement is yet in place. Florio adds (on Twitter) the deal is “not even close” to being done.
The Raiders, though, are reportedly impressed with the kind of shape the retired back was in during his visit to team headquarters, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets. Breer adds the talks between the Raiders and Lynch on a deal remain “ongoing and positive.” Lynch played only seven games in 2015 for the Seahawks and saw a streak of four straight 1,000-yard seasons end.
Lynch is not currently at the Raiders’ facility, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter), who does not expect an accord to arrive today. Tafur tweets there isn’t much urgency on the Raiders’ part for this, but he believes the sides will agree and Lynch will be playing for his hometown team in 2017. Lynch would be in line to head up a backfield that also features promising complements DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard.
Tafur expects Reggie McKenzie to land Lynch for cheaper than the Vikings paid previous Oakland starter Latavius Murray (Twitter link). Murray, whom the Raiders were open to re-signing before he latched on with the Vikes, signed with Minnesota on a three-year, $15MM deal. Although, that deal could void after one season. So, Tafur expects Lynch to sign with the Raiders for less than $5MM. The last time Lynch made less than $5MM in a season was 2011.

Marshawn Lynch, Raiders Nearing Deal

April 14th, 2017 at 4:11pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Beast Mode is back: Running back Marshawn Lynch has officially ended his retirement, agreeing to a contract with the Raiders, reports Michael Silver of NFL.com (Twitter link). Terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but it figures to be worth far less than the $9MM Lynch would have made on his previous pact.

Not so fast, report several outlets — including Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Pelissero tweets that Lynch and the Raiders don’t quite have a deal yet. Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets the deal isn’t quite done but is expected to be completed soon.

Lynch is still under Seahawks control, meaning he can’t become a Raider until the two sides work out a trade. However, reaching a new contract was seemingly the only major obstacle blocking Lynch’s return. With that out of the way, Seahawks general manager John Schneider and Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie should be able to work quickly toward a trade, though talks haven’t yet occurred, tweets Silver. Schneider and McKenzie are friends stemming from their time together in Green Bay’s front office, which makes a painless swap all the more likely.

In Lynch, the Raiders will acquire one of the NFL’s best running backs in recent memory, albeit one who comes with obvious question marks. Lynch is a 30-year-old with over 2,100 carries under his belt, and he wasn’t particularly effective in his most recent action. The last time we saw Lynch, he averaged 3.8 yards per attempt on 111 carries during an injury-shortened, seven-game 2015 campaign.

Prior to 2015, Lynch posted four straight seasons of at least 1,200 rushing yards, including a 1,590-yard 2012, and averaged between 4.2 and 5.0 YPC each year. He also amassed between 11 and 13 rushing touchdowns in all of those seasons. Anything resembling that production would obviously be a boon for the Raiders, who lost their previous starting running back, Latavius Murray, to the Vikings in free agency.

Along with potentially providing the Raiders’ already potent offense with another high-end weapon, Lynch could give the franchise some much-needed positive PR in the Bay Area. Signing the Oakland native might make watching the Raiders a bit more palatable for their local fans as the organization counts down to its Las Vegas relocation in 2019. Regardless, Lynch is now poised to vie for his second Super Bowl ring as a member of one of the league’s elite teams.

Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

Raiders, Marshawn Lynch In Negotiations

April 14th, 2017 at 10:09am CST by Connor J. Byrne

If the Seahawks are going to trade temporarily retired running back Marshawn Lynch to the Raiders, he’s first going to have to negotiate a new contract with Oakland. That process is underway, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder, who reports that Lynch and the Raiders are attempting to hammer out a “short-term, heavily incentivized” pact.

It would behoove Lynch, whose one-year hiatus from the NFL will soon end, to reach a new deal and avoid earning his release from the Seahawks. If Seattle cuts the 30-year-old, it would ask Lynch to pay back his $2.5MM signing bonus from last season, per Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Lynch, unsurprisingly, doesn’t want to do that. The Raiders, meanwhile, want no part of the $9MM Lynch would make on the contract he left behind when he stepped away from football last offseason.

Ultimately, it’s likely Lynch and the Raiders will work out a more palatable contract, thus leading to a trade. The Oakland native wants to play for the Raiders, and they’re in need of help at running back after losing Latavius Murray in free agency. With the Raiders’ time in Oakland winding down, the soon-to-be Las Vegas-based franchise could also use a public relations boost in the Bay Area, which Lynch would perhaps provide.

If Lynch and the Raiders do indeed find common ground, the general managers involved are unlikely to encounter much difficulty in trade talks. The Raiders’ Reggie McKenzie and the Seahawks’ John Schneider have a friendly relationship stemming from their time together in Green Bay’s front office, notes Tafur. Given his closeness with McKenzie, Schneider told 710 ESPN Radio last week that Lynch-related discussions between the teams should “go in a smooth manner.”

Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

Seahawks Expected To Trade Marshawn Lynch To Raiders

April 13th, 2017 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks and Raiders are expected to work out a trade sending Marshawn Lynch to Oakland, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The deal is contingent on first hammering out a reworked contract.

On Thursday morning, we learned that Lynch has begun the reinstatement process. According to Rapoport (on Twitter), Lynch technically does not have to file for reinstatement in order to allow for a trade. If and when a new contract is executed, however, he must request and be granted reinstatement in order to play (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Ed Werder).

Lynch was held back by injuries in 2015, but he had a strong 2014 with 4.7 yards per carry and a career-high 13 touchdowns on the ground. He’s still only 30 years old and, theoretically, would be returning to football with fresh legs.

After losing Latavius Murray to the Vikings in free agency, the Raiders are without a clear No. 1 running back for the coming year. Lynch could fill that void and be the team’s primary ball carrier ahead of Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington, and Taiwan Jones. Some analysts have been expecting the Raiders to target a running back with the No. 27 pick in the draft, but acquiring Lynch could push them in a different direction.

Lynch has reportedly mulled the possibility of joining the Patriots or following Richard Sherman to his next team (if the cornerback is dealt), but his affinity for Oakland has been the league’s worst kept secret for the past year. When asked about the idea of returning with the Raiders, Lynch issued steadfast denials, but there was clearly fire beneath the smoke.

Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

Load More Posts