If your head isn’t spinning after the last few weeks of roster rumors surrounding the Raiders, you probably haven’t been paying attention.
The most confusing information has been swirling around Marshawn Lynch and Michael Crabtree, but Bruce Irvin to some extent, as well.
On Wednesday, The Athletic reported that Crabtree had met with Jon Gruden and both sides agreed to “write off” last year and the veteran wide receiver would be back with the Raiders in 2018.
A day later, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Raiders aren’t comfortable with what they’re paying Crabtree and Lynch and are interested in bringing them back “at the right price.”
General manager Reggie McKenzie said on Wednesday that Crabtree was “in [the Raiders] plans” for 2018, but was little less convincing on Lynch, suggesting that he wanted to keep “good players” and that Lynch was, in fact, a good player.
As of now, it sounds like Crabtree is coming back. The free agent pool isn’t particularly strong at wide receiver and there is no reason for the Raiders to cut ties with Crabtree this early. There is no advantage, financially or otherwise, to making a decision now.
In fact, asking Crabtree to take a pay cut a little closer to the new season would probably be more effective (in terms of him being on board with the notion) in the first place.
As for Lynch, his situation feels like it’s trending a little in the wrong direction. Gruden wants Lynch to be fully committed to the team next year, but it’s hard to see where the Raiders are fully committed to him – particularly if they’re asking him to accept a cut in pay.
It may be a gut feeling more than anything else, but the Marshawn train seems destined to slip off the tracks at some point.
Gruden doesn’t have the patience to stand for a coin toss. How is he going to find the patience to work with ‘Beast Mode’ for six months straight?
Considering the Raiders owe Lynch $1 million if he is still on the roster on March 18, it seems reasonable to assume that if Lynch hasn’t restructured his deal by then, he’ll be released.
Why ask a player to take a pay cut just to turn around and give him a million dollars to drag out the decision?
Who knows how it will play out, but nothing about the process is indicating the team and player are committed enough to ensure it won’t ultimately end in a divorce.
twitter: @raidersbeat
