Donald Penn Suggests Marshawn Lynch Is Working Harder This Year

Statistically, Marshawn Lynch’s first year with the Raiders was a good one. He ran for 891 yards and averaged 4.3 yards per carry despite the fact that he didn’t have the reputation of being the hardest worker in the building.

But this year, Lynch seems to be changing his approach.

Speaking on the I AM RAPAPORT podcast, Donald Penn said ‘Beast Mode’ is approaching the team a little differently this year under Jon Gruden.

“I love Beast Mode. I love his mentality,” Penn told Michael Rapaport. “You know sometimes his mentality gets a little too much, he got to chill, but that’s him and he ain’t going to change for nobody and that’s one thing I love about him… He’s been there every day this offseason program. He’s been working his butt off, he’s been working harder than I thought…”

“I was even messing with him, I call him my son. I was like ‘D— son, you’ve been here like every day. Daddy proud of ya.’ I was in the lunch room Thursday leaving and he was sitting down with his new full back watching film going through, telling him what he likes to read and I was like “D—, you never did that last year… my son growing up.”

Penn also believes the addition of offensive line Tom Cable with benefit Lynch and the offense.

“One of the big hires that guys are really sleeping on is our O-line coach Tom Cable because he is a great O-line coach… when he was with Marshawn, they were running the ball f—— crazy in Seattle and for him to come back and bring that run scheme here, I know Marshawn’s f—— excited and happy to have him back…”

Maybe don’t read into Penn’s words too much, but it’s worth noting that Cable featured a lot of zone runs for Lynch in Seattle.

The outside zone runs might not be going away altogether.

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