With a 1-5 record, Jon Gruden (and everyone else in the Raiders building) probably feels like next year can’t come soon enough. Trade rumors have swirled around every player on the roster, but one veteran player Gruden is reportedly interested in bringing back next year is Marshawn Lynch.
Lynch will be a free agent after season, but he has proven over the past two years that he can still play at 32. He could potentially return for the final two games this year, but that should probably be considered unlikely at this point.
After passing on running backs in each of the past two drafts, the Raiders are set to enter next season with no outstanding options at the position. The one young running back that Gruden does seem optimistic about, however, is Chris Warren III, who looked good in preseason but was stashed away on injured reserve with a knee injury before the season.
The one variable in any talk about Gruden keeping Lynch next year is that Gruden has hardly been truthful with personnel decisions since joining the Raiders. He’s been great at sharing injury information, but as far as personnel moves, his actions haven’t often mirrored his words. It’s also worth noting that it’s in Gruden’s best interest at this point to have Lynch believe he is wanted back next year.
As for Lynch, with his many business endeavors, it would certainly be to his benefit to remain in the public eye for as long as possible… not to mention, it still looks like he loves playing the game.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Next year will be no better in terms of wins/losses, but I guess at least there will be some players on the roster he might decide to keep—maybe those he drafts? But this year is just useless. He appears to have already decided that there are very few current players he will keep. So every game is just a painful but also futile exercise. Ever read the Myth of Sisyphus?
Only, of course, if they’re stuck playing in Oakland one final year. Period. If we get a chance to play elsewhere then goodbye Leastmode. I hope we play at Jack Murphy next year. Or Stanford. Levi’s. Just get the Hell out of that third world country **** hole Oakland.