Marshawn Lynch, Raiders Nearing Deal
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
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.
Raiders Notes: Awuzie, Foster
- The Raiders stand a “good chance” of bypassing one of their biggest needs — linebacker — in favor of defensive back help on Day 1, per Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. Both the Raiders and Titans have visited with Colorado cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, reports Pauline, and both clubs could seriously consider Awuzie in the first round (at picks No. 24 and No. 18, respectively). Oakland could use another player in the secondary next to Sean Smith and David Amerson, while Tennessee released veteran corner Jason McCourty today and are fielding one of the league’s worst corner depth charts. Dallas has also met with Awuzie, who posted one interception and four sacks last year.
- The Raiders had scheduled a meeting with Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster, but he won’t be able to attend due to a scheduling conflict, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Still, the proposed visit indicates a level of interest from Oakland, which clearly needs assistance at linebacker. If Foster falls to No. 24, the Raiders would likely run to turn in their card.
Raiders Re-Sign Gabe Holmes
- TE Gabe Holmes (Raiders)
Raiders Working On Short-Term Deal For Lynch
- The Raiders are working on short-term deal with heavy incentives for Marshawn Lynch in advance of his reinstatement, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. After that, the Seahawks will either trade him to Oakland or release him to facilitate a deal.
Seahawks Expected To Trade Marshawn Lynch To Raiders
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.
Marshawn Lynch Begins Reinstatement Process
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. 
[RELATED: Marshawn Lynch Interested In Patriots]
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.
Report: Raiders Among Teams Most Interested In Joe Mixon
- Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon is “absolutely in play” for the Vikings in Round 2 (No. 48 overall), Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller told Matt Vensel, Andrew Krammer and Michael Rand of the Star Tribune. Along with Minnesota, the Saints, Bengals and Raiders have shown the most interest in Mixon, per Miller. The Raiders seem like a curious fit, though, given Mixon’s past and owner Mark Davis’ zero tolerance policy regarding domestic violence.
Raiders Work Out Ego Ferguson
Free agent defensive tackle Ego Ferguson worked out for the Raiders on Wednesday, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
Ferguson is looking for his second new team of the offseason, having previously joined the Packers via waivers after the Bears cut him March 31. Ferguson failed a physical with the Packers, however, leading to his release less than a week after Chicago jettisoned him.
The 25-year-old Ferguson still has youth on his side, and he was a second-round pick in 2014, but his pro career has been a disappointment thus far. The ex-LSU standout didn’t start in any of his 16 appearances as a rookie, nor did he make a huge impact statistically (24 tackles, two sacks), and has since missed 28 of 32 regular-season on account of injuries and a suspension. Ferguson sat out all of last year with a shoulder malady.
The Raiders currently have four D-tackles on their roster in Jihad Ward, Dan Williams, Justin Ellis and Darius Latham.
Draft Rumors: Jets, Mahomes, Foster
It’s not a guarantee that the Jets will select a quarterback at No. 6 overall, but they’re certainly doing their homework in that area. Today, the Jets are meeting yet again with Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes II, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
Earlier this month, Mahomes did a private workout with Gang Green and he apparently did well enough to warrant further consideration. After the college season, Mahomes looked to be a second or third-round type of player. Now, all signs are pointing towards him going in the first round. It’s even possible that he could be the second QB off the board.
Here’s more NFL Draft news:
- The Saints are still evaluating linebackers and expected to have Reuben Foster in for a pre-draft visit on Wednesday, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Foster has already met with a number of clubs and has a busy schedule still ahead of him between now and the draft. He won’t be on the board for long and Dallas Robinson’s mock draft 1.0 has him going inside of the top ten.
- 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback coach Rich Scangarello flew to Chapel Hill, North Carolina last Thursday to work out Mitch Trubisky, a league source tells Schefter (on Twitter). If the latest rumors are to be believed, Trubisky might not be available when SF picks at No. 2.
- Cal quarterback Davis Webb is visiting the Seahawks today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Many believe he’s a first-round QB, Rapoport adds.
- The Jaguars are still doing their quarterback homework and they have scheduled a private workout next week with Pitt QB Nathan Peterman, a source tells Rapoport (on Twitter).
- The Raiders have scheduled cornerback Kevin King for a visit today (Wednesday). King is an Oakland-area native.