Jon Gruden’s $100 million decision was the easy one. Soon will come the more difficult decisions – like who to keep among the coaches and players.
Most (not quite all) of the coaching staff is about to punch a ticket out of town, but what about players like Marshawn Lynch?
Lynch was one of the most productive offensive players on the Raiders roster, but came with the caveat of bizarre behavior, an occasional suspension, and a little sitting during the national anthem.
If Jack Del Rio had returned, Lynch would have been gone – the two were not best of buds.
But with Gruden taking over, is there a chance Lynch may stick around?
Marshawn clearly can still play and was by far the Raiders most productive running back this season.
If it’s exclusively a football decision, Marshawn will surely be back.
But it won’t be that simple.
There are some who believe a different coach would have had the ability to communicate more effectively with Lynch and limit some of his antics.
Gruden isn’t one for distractions, but his presence in Oakland might actually elevate Lynch’s chances of coming back – assuming that’s something Marshawn wants to do in the first place.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Not going to happen.
Let’s move on draft a good RB and do that coupled with a corner and mlb
WR to replace Crabtree and get younger free up cap space to sign Mack
No doubt we need to dtaft a RB. But Marshawn can STILL tote the rock. We passed on Henry last year like a bunch of dummys! Reggie fault! But Marshawn fits PERFECTLY into Grudens system! Think back to Gruden last stint with the Raiders! A power RB(Tyrone Wheatly/Lynch) a change of pace RB (Kaufman/ Richard, Washinton). And a MASSIVE POWER BLOCKING OLINE! A possession receiver who’s FEARLESS over the middle(Tim Brown/Crabtree) Jerry Rice/ Cooper over the top. A fast good route running tight end. Its all there! Why do you think he’s coming back! He’s thinking Superbowl! And of course the 100 mil didn’t hurt!😄
In mature football player is a royal joke! Stay retired LEAST-MODE, you are not that good to be doing stupid crap that you do! I can do without you.
Not that good huh? What’s it gonna take to make you see what most others already do? He was CLEARLY THE BEST PLAYER ON THE TEAM THIS YEAR! You haters act like you have a personal beef with him. If the Raiders listened to you guys, we would be in trouble for a long time! Fortunately they dont!
Lynch is good when he’s used correctly. He needs to be running north and south, not east and west. Lynch is not quick and fast, he’s powerful. Powerful backs cannot run in zone blocking offenses. He needs to be going forward whenever he has the ball, never sideways.
no he won’t be back
him and gruden would be a disaster together.
gruden would suspend/bench lynch by game 3
Lynch has his own agenda and its not being a teammate. Evidence of running on the field to protect marcus peters. Screw fat lynch
I agree – we need to focus on team players and not players who are all about themselves.
It’s funny how Lynch has to meet higher standards than ANY OTHER PLAYER ON THE TEAM FOR YOU HATERS! You know, some people might look at Lynch trying to defuse a bad situation as a plus. A sign of maturity. And basically gaining 800 yds while hardly getting the ball as a plus! But all you see is someone you don’t like. to bad. if you had been a Raider fan more than a year you would know the RAIDERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BAND OF MISFITS!!! It’s in our DNA! Let the man do his job. Running over people and scoring touchdowns! Lynch runs on the field 1 time not only to protect his homeboy but his teamates! Kelechi and Penn were ready to KILL Marcus Peterson. And then to walk Talib through the Raiders bench, not to protect HIM! But to protect his teamates from getting ejected! SMH!
ML is a major distraction and adversely affects the teams chemistry. This prima donna should not be resigned
Jon Gruden to Lynch: Bye Felicia
No, no and no. Move to Mexico. Better yet, join the service and be a real hero.
Clown mode needs to go screw up another team. He’s cancer to a locker room and I’m pretty sure Gruden wants a young back that will have DC’s back not someone that’s going to divide the locker
Me first attitude is the norm these days ! Let him go!
Bad for the locker room, bad for morale and a bad roll model for kids. I say better off without him.
Bad role model for kids? I was going to ignore the ignorance on this site, but this was the most asinine comment I came across. Do you know what Lynch does for the community? Do you care? I’ll bet the answer to those questions is no. Lynch is a good RB, and a good coach will know how to work with his personality. Lynch has a “colorful” personality, and he is a good guy. He is not selfish because selfish does not give back to the community.
Lynch needs to retire. I didnt want to see him in the silver and black in the first place. I havent like him since he dogged castlemont…
Lynch won’t win a pissing contest with Gruden which he would have to in order to stay . Gruden will not allow the video crews following Lynch around , the suspensions and the rest of his antics . Del Rio allowed this stuff so I have a hard time believing he wouldn’t have been on the team if Jack were still the coach .
We can get a nice young RB in the 2nd or maybe 3rd round if we want to and keep it moving.
All I know is the Raiders shoulda kept Latavius and Muscgrave. Norton needed das boot. Prolly woulda made the playoffs this season.
Gruden and Reggie will make the best football decision. Why draft a back when we have Eli Hood on the practice squad. Let’s see what the kid has to offer.
Play football, that’s it! I don’t wanna know your political stance, just shut up and play! Chris, you sound like you have some sort of infatuation with ML. Easy brotha, this is about the Raiders not the Niners, You need to go back to SF.
He’ll be back, Gruden will utilize him like Tyrone Wheatly back in the day. Plus, with all this money Mark Davis is spending, you have to have the sellouts and merchandise sales.
my guess is Lynch retires again. He got his 10k yards, to play for his boyhood team in his hometown, and has probably been whispered to by all his friends that Gruden is a hard *** and won’t tolerate the sideshow you bring with you. So Lynch will say f**k that and retire.
No doubt we need to dtaft a RB. But Marshawn can STILL tote the rock. We passed on Henry last year like a bunch of dummys! Reggie fault! But Marshawn fits PERFECTLY into Grudens system! Think back to Gruden last stint with the Raiders! A power RB(Tyrone Wheatly/Lynch) a change of pace RB (Kaufman/ Richard, Washinton). And a MASSIVE POWER BLOCKING OLINE! A possession receiver who’s FEARLESS over the middle(Tim Brown/Crabtree) Jerry Rice/ Cooper over the top. A fast good route running tight end. Its all there! Why do you think he’s coming back! He’s thinking Superbowl! And of course the 100 mil didn’t hurt!😄