Marshawn Lynch - Pro Football Rumors

Marshawn Lynch Begins Reinstatement Process

April 13th, 2017 at 8:50am CST by Zachary Links

Marshawn Lynch has begun the process of reinstatement, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. The Seahawks running back is hoping to play for Raiders, of course, but Werder suggests that he could be interested in teaming with Richard Sherman elsewhere if the star Seahawks cornerback is traded.

Lynch would carry a $9MM cap hit for Seattle if reinstated and the team simply cannot afford him at that rate. The Seahawks also don’t really need Lynch from a football perspective after signing Eddie Lacy in free agency this offseason. Once Lynch formally returns to football, the team will be forced to trade or release him, which could pave the way for his long-expected union with the Raiders.

For a long time, it was Raiders-or-bust for Beast Mode, but he’s at least considering other options if he cannot work things out with Oakland. Lynch has interest in joining up with the Patriots and he’s now reportedly daydreaming about following Sherman out of Seattle. The Raiders are still the odds-on favorites to land Lynch, but it’s certainly a situation worth monitoring.

Extra Points: Cutler, Lynch, 49ers, Eagles

April 12th, 2017 at 9:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent quarterback Jay Cutler continues to mull retirement, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. The Jets have been the only team to show real interest in the 34-year-old since the Bears released him in March, and Gang Green went on to sign a different veteran, one of Cutler’s former backups in Josh McCown. It seems the Jets would have added Cutler had he been willing to sign with them, as Caplan writes that he wasn’t gung-ho on joining a rebuilding club. As a playoff-caliber team without an obvious answer under center, the Texans and Cutler could theoretically be a match, but they’re uninterested in signing him. Cutler has started in all 139 of his appearances, so it would be understandable if he’d rather walk away from football than continue as a backup.

Marshawn Lynch Interested In Patriots

April 10th, 2017 at 1:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Marshawn Lynch has privately expressed interest in playing for Patriots if talks break off with the Raiders, Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald tweets. He remains focused on returning to the NFL as a Raider, but he is at least viewing the Pats as a Plan B.

Lynch met with the Raiders last week and the belief, to this point, has been that he would only return to football with Oakland. The Seahawks still hold Lynch’s rights, so any union with the Patriots or Raiders would require him to be released or traded.

The Patriots do not have a clear need at running back after signing Rex Burkhead this offseason and re-signing Branden Bolden last week. Dion Lewis, James White, and D.J. Foster are also on the roster and a reunion with free agent LeGarrette Blount remains a possibility. There’s also the (outside) chance of the team circling back to Adrian Peterson after last week’s workout.

Lynch was held back by injuries in 2015 due to nagging injuries, 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.

West Rumors: Lynch, Raiders, Chiefs, Kizer

April 5th, 2017 at 3:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the AFC and NFC West:

Consistent with what we’ve heard before, Marshawn Lynch would only return for the Raiders and no one else, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, the Raiders still need to figure out some things on their end, including how Lynch would mesh with their young locker room. Lynch met with Oakland brass on Wednesday afternoon and approval from coach Jack Del Rio was said to be the “final hurdle” to getting all of the Raiders decision makers on board with acquiring the running back.
The Chiefs recently had Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer in for a visit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In Dallas Robinson’s mock draft, the QB comes off the board with the final pick in the first round.
Ohio State defensive back Marshon Lattimore is in San Francisco to meet with the 49ers today (Wednesday), a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll visit all of the top five teams, Rapoport adds. His visits with Tennessee and Chicago were previously reported, but we now know that he’ll also huddle up with the Jaguars and Browns. As buzz continues to build around Lattimore, it seems increasingly likely that he won’t make it out of the top five.

Marshawn Lynch Meets With Raiders

April 5th, 2017 at 1:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Here we go. Running back Marshawn Lynch is at the Raiders’ practice facility today chatting with team officials, a source tells former NFL punter Pat McAfee, who is now with Barstool Sports. The news has been confirmed by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

The Seahawks still hold Lynch’s rights, but they OK’d his meeting with the Raiders (Twitter link). One source who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) believes that Lynch will ultimately wind up in Oakland. Today’s meeting with Jack Del Rio represents the final hurdle for Lynch to make his way to the Raiders, Rapoport tweets. If JDR says yes, the dominoes should start to fall, leading Beast Mode to Oakland.

During their meeting, Lynch told the Raiders he intends to un-retire and play again, Rapoport tweets. However, Rapoport cautions that a “long process” must play out before Lynch can actually join the Raiders.

The Raiders and Lynch have been connected to each other for some time now. Returning to play for the Raiders would give Lynch the opportunity to hook on with a contender and finish out his career in his hometown. The Raiders, meanwhile, would add a seasoned power back to help offset the loss of Latavius Murray. The Seahawks frankly don’t have room for Lynch at this juncture with Eddie Lacy, Thomas Rawls, and C.J. Prosise on the roster.

Lynch spoke with Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll last month, but he reportedly did not ask to remove him from team’s reserve/retired list during that chat. Talk of a Lynch return has been swirling for a long time and agent Doug Hendrickson does not deny that the itch to play is still there for his client.

Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

NFC West Rumors: Cards, Seahawks, Rams

March 29th, 2017 at 9:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians feels only one 2017 quarterback prospect is ready to play immediately, but he wouldn’t divulge the identity of said player, according to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. Arizona may be amenable to finding Carson Palmer‘s long-term successor this year, especially after the veteran quarterback flirted with retirement before announcing his intention to return. “It would be one of the best situations for a young quarterback to walk into,” said Arians, noting a youthful signal-caller could sit behind Palmer for a year or two, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

After spending the first four seasons of his career as a running back, Andre Ellington will play receiver for the Cardinals next year, Arians confirmed today (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic reported earlier this month Ellington would likely play more receiver than running back in 2017. With Ellington moving to the WR room, the Cardinals may need to another back, as Kerwynn Williams is the only runner on the roster behind David Johnson.
Running back Marshawn Lynch did not ask Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll to remove him from the reserve/retired list when the pair talked 10 days ago, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Lynch, of course, is reportedly considering a comeback but wants to play for the Raiders, not Seattle. Before any such move can take place, the Seahawks need to process Lynch off the retired list.
Kicker Steven Hauschka “capped out three times higher” than what the Seahawks were willing to pay, Carroll told reporters, including Condotta (Twitter link). The Bills signed Hauschka to a three-year, $8.85MM deal that includes $4MM in full guarantees, while Seattle went with a far cheaper option. Blair Walsh is the Seahawks’ new kicker after inking a one-year pact worth just north of $1MM.
Although general manager Les Snead will make the final call on draft day, new Rams head coach Sean McVay and his staff will play a large role in setting the team’s board, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter links). Los Angeles has needs all over the roster, but won’t make a selection until Round Two after trading the farm for Jared Goff in 2016. Under McVay and new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the Rams will be running new schemes on both sides of the ball, meaning communication between the field staff and the front office will be crucial as the draft approaches.
Evan Boehm will enter camp as the Cardinals‘ starting right guard, Arians told reporters, including Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link). Now entering his second NFL season, Boehm started only one game last year and played in just 10.6% of Arizona’s offensive snaps. The Cards are seeking to replace Evan Mathis and Earl Watford, who departed via retirement and free agency, respectively.

Latest On Marshawn Lynch

March 21st, 2017 at 12:14pm CST by Zachary Links

As speculation swirls around Marshawn Lynch potentially coming out of retirement to join the Raiders, his agent claims that he has not spoken with his client about a return (via KNBR). At the same time, Doug Hendrickson does not deny that the itch to play football is still there.

“Well in all sincerity, Marshawn’s been in Canada,” Hendrickson said. “I’m due to see him this week. So he and I have not spoken about this at all. So it was the media who took the ball and kind ran with it….He’s one of the most unique guys I’ve ever been with in my life. Marshawn, it wouldn’t shock me in three days if he says, ‘Hey, I want to play.’ It wouldn’t shock me if he says, ‘Nah, I don’t know where this came from. I don’t want to play.‘”

Under the terms of his current deal, Lynch is under contract to the Seahawks and would earn $9MM per the terms of that contract. Even if Lynch is asked to rework that salary, he’d still be in for a nice payday in 2017. The money could certainly be a motivating factor, but Hendrickson says that the running back is not hard up for cash.

“He doesn’t spend any of the money he’s made. He’s got a lot of money,” Hendrickson said. “He does miss football, no question. He loves the game of football. He’s 30. But until I meet with him this week, you know, I don’t know what his mindset is. He’s the kind of guy that can shift by the hour.”

A report on Monday indicated that Lynch would only return to the NFL if he were to suit up for the Raiders. Still, we won’t know Lynch’s intentions for certain until he or his agent are willing to speak publicly.

“Raiders Or Bust” For Marshawn Lynch?

March 20th, 2017 at 10:06am CST by Zachary Links

Rumors of a Marshawn Lynch return continue to swirl. The potential for Lynch to come out of retirement is “realer than it’s ever been,” a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). That same source indicates that if the comeback goes down, it’s “Raiders or bust.”

Lynch hasn’t spoken publicly about the latest round of Raiders rumors, but he fanned the flames this weekend on Twitter. Someone on Twitter recently noticed a 2015 Spotify playlist from Lynch which included a track titled “Oakland Raiders.” Lynch re-tweeted that tweet, giving more momentum to the Oakland talk.

It sounds like there is mutual interest between the Raiders and Lynch, but there’s still the matter of his contractual status with the Seahawks. Seattle owns Lynch’s rights and he would carry a $9MM cap hit if he returns. The Seahawks don’t have the cap room to keep Beast Mode at that rate and they already have Eddie Lacy, C.J. Prosise, and Thomas Rawls at running back. Seattle could cooperate with by trading him to the Raiders, but Oakland may only want to sacrifice something like a conditional seventh-rounder. The reality is that the Seahawks don’t have a ton of leverage in this situation, so the Raiders might prefer to wait for him to get released.

The Raiders are without a starting running back now that Latavius Murray left in free agency. The Raiders presently have Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington, and Taiwan Jones at running back. One way or another, Oakland is expected to bolster the top of the RB depth chart.

Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

AFC Notes: Revis, Garoppolo, Lynch

March 19th, 2017 at 11:06am CST by Rory Parks

Criminal charges were dropped against free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis earlier this week, which ostensibly opens the door for him to find a new employer soon. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reports that one league executive believes a Revis reunion with the Patriots is the only thing that makes sense, and while he would likely not serve as a starting corner in New England, he could be used as a strong safety or as cornerback depth. Interestingly, though, Karen Guregian of The Boston Herald tweets that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told Revis several years ago that Revis’ skill-set did not translate to the safety position. While that does not preclude a New England reunion, it does add an interesting twist to the Revis saga, as many have taken it for granted that Revis will wind up playing safety for whoever signs him in 2017.

Now for more from the AFC:

As Volin notes in the same piece cited above, the Patriots’ apparent desire to trade Malcolm Butler is reflective of the team’s usual philosophy of getting rid of a player a year too soon instead of a year too late. However, the Pats have notably departed from that philosophy with respect to Jimmy Garoppolo, whom the club has been reticent to trade despite the haul of picks they could acquire in return. Volin says the Patriots’ stance with Garoppolo is simply based on the fact that he plays quarterback, and they believe that if something were to happen to Tom Brady, they could still compete for a title with Garoppolo under center. The team took a similar approach in 2014, when they held onto Ryan Mallett throughout training camp and did not deal him until they were confident that Garoppolo could handle the backup role.
Some Patriots fans are wondering why the club is willing to trade Butler but handed Stephon Gilmore a mega-deal this offseason. As Dan Hatman of The Scouting Academy (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com) notes, Gilmore is simply bigger than Butler, and his size and length can create more flexibility for defensive coordinator Matt Patricia when matching up against some of the game’s bigger receivers. Simply put, Gilmore is a premium man corner, and those players get paid.
Despite the Morris Claiborne signing, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com still expects the Jets to select a cornerback in the first or second round of this year’s draft.
Saturday night, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, retired running back Marshawn Lynch retweeted a message in which someone noticed that a musical playlist put together by Lynch contains a track entitled “Oakland Raiders.” The playlist was created in September 2015, but Florio believes the fact that Lynch went ahead and retweeted the message further legitimizes the Lynch-to-Raiders rumors.
Meanwhile, new Raiders acquisition Cordarrelle Patterson is actively recruiting free agent running back and former Vikings teammate Adrian Peterson to join him in Oakland, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. However, the latest reports about a Peterson/Oakland match suggest that Peterson has more interest in the Raiders than the Raiders have in him at the moment.
Sean Spence agreed to a deal with the Colts earlier today, and Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com tweets that Spence’s former team, the Titans, could use newly-acquired Jonathan Cyprien, a strong safety by trade, to fill Spence’s role as nickel linebacker.

NFC Notes: Poe, Romo, Eagles, Lynch

March 18th, 2017 at 11:09am CST by Ben Levine

Dontari Poe is excited about the opportunity he has with the Falcons, but the defensive tackle understand that he needs to be in shape if he wants to be productive. Talking to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure, Poe said head coach Dan Quinn echoed that sentiment.

“He just told me he wanted me to come in and play fast and be aggressive,” Poe said, “so around 330 is where I’ll play at most of the year. I feel like that will be a comfortable weight for me, too.”

Poe acknowledged that he’s currently at 340 pounds, so he doesn’t have much more to lose to reach his goal. Meanwhile, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reports that Poe has a $500K weight bonus attached to his contract, so there’s added incentive to slim down.

If the 26-year-old isn’t overweight during the season, he should see an improvement as a pass rusher. After collecting 10.5 sacks between 2013 and 2014, Poe only compiled 2.5 sacks between 2015 and 2016.

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFC…

Following news that the Cowboys were planning on releasing quarterback Tony Romo, reports indicated that the organization would instead try to trade the veteran. Florio wonders if the change of heart could be attributed to owner Jerry Jones‘ unwillingness to let Romo go to the Texans. The two teams aren’t technically rivals, but Florio believes the Cowboys owner doesn’t want to share viewers with another Texas team. Furthermore, if the Texans establish themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL with Romo, plenty of pundits will question the Cowboys’ logic to just cut bate with the quarterback. Ultimately, Florio believes that Jones is waiting for an offer to materialize at the upcoming league meetings.
The Eagles hosted running back Leonard Fournette yesterday, but Mark Eckel of NJ.com notes that the LSU product is expected to be taken prior to Philly’s first-round pick (No.14 overall). Therefore, the writer wonders if general manager Howie Roseman may have a trade up his sleeve. There’s certainly precedent, as the Eagles surrendered five picks and three players to move up to the second-slot in last year’s draft. Eckel believes Philly could find a trade partner in the Titans, who have the fifth-overall pick.
If Marshawn Lynch decides to unretire, ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia believes the Seahawks will be forced to release the running back. Lynch would have a $9MM cap hit in 2017, which would drastically cut into their nearly $15MM in remaining cap space. The team could look to trade Lynch, but it’s uncertain whether any teams would give up anything of worth for the veteran. Plus, by opting for that route, Seattle could end up being stuck with the running back, who would join an already-crowded depth chart. The Raiders have been rumored to be eyeing the five-time Pro Bowler.