The Raiders' gamble on signing running back Marshawn Lynch last season was mostly a success. After a year away from football, Lynch at times had terrific games and was a powerful, hard-to-bring-down ballcarrier.
But with a new head coach in Jon Gruden, it’s uncertain if Lynch will remain a part of the team's plans for 2018. Though Lynch showed he's still a force on the field when he's motivated and in shape, some have suggested he may not fit in with what Gruden wants.
The Raiders could release him from the second year of his two-year deal and invest in a veteran free agent or college back in the draft that is more in the mold of what Gruden desires.
Gruden and general manager Reggie McKenzie have yet to say that officially, but Gruden did tell S.L. Price of Sports Illustrated in a long interview published this week that if Lynch is to play another season with the Raiders, he needs to come into training camp in peak shape and be ready to roll on Day 1. Lynch had a far more productive second half of the 2017 season after he regained his football shape.
"I said to him: 'I need Marshawn Lynch. I don't need this part-time Lynch. I need full-time Lynch,'" Gruden told Price.
Added Gruden: "We need the real deal. If you’re going to put those letters on the back of your jersey, man, you’ve got to back it up, Marshawn — right? We don’t need another back, we need a feature back."
As Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com noted this week, Lynch was deemed to be a positive presence on the Raiders in 2017. Teammates took to his big personality and punishing style, and Lynch was a mentor to young running backs Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington. Lynch also had 625 yards rushing over the second half of the season, with five touchdowns in eight games while averaging a nice 4.6 yards per carry. For the season, Lynch also forced 50 missed tackles, sixth best in the NFL, noted Gutierrez.
Raiders
But the Raiders could release him by March 18 to terminate a $1 million roster bonus, then move on to find another featured back such as Carlos Hyde (if the 49ers let him go) or Le'Veon Bell (if the Steelers allow him to walk). The draft also features Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, a highly regarded runner who could fall to Oakland at pick No. 9 or 10.
Until he was hired by the Raiders, Gruden had never met Lynch. But, Gruden seemed open to the idea of Lynch returning. Certainly, Gruden acknowledges that when Lynch is in shape, he's a force.
"Right now, he's our leading ball carrier," Gruden said after his hire. "He's our back and we're counting on him. Hopefully we get the opportunity to work together. That's a man that has a lot of respect in this league as a player, and I certainly have respect for him also."
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