Getty Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch
The Oakland Raiders were dealt the news that Marshawn Lynch had opted to retire from the NFL earlier this offseason. The bruising running back who goes by “Beast Mode” was set to become a free agent, and the Raiders proceeded to add Isaiah Crowell in recent months. They also drafted former Alabama running back Josh Jacobs in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, who’s expected to be the focal point of the ground game.
But following the news on Wednesday that Crowell suffered a torn Achilles during a workout, it appears Lynch is willing to return to the Silver and Black. NFL Network’s Steve Wyche was the first to report the news.
Source: If the Raiders want him, RB Marshawn Lynch would return.
Following this news coming to light, it appears the potential for Lynch’s return is on the table, but there’s one sticking point which stands out.
Impact of Possible Marshawn Lynch Return on Josh Jacobs
When the Raiders drafted Jacobs with the No. 24 pick in round one, it pointed to a strong likelihood that he’d be the team’s featured running back this season. As Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News reported, that is expected to be the case, or at the very least, Jacobs will have every chance to win the job.
And for Lynch to return, it would have to come at a modest price and he would need to be on board with the team’s outlook involving Jacobs.
Nothing official on RB Doug Martin returning to Raiders, but it’s expected to happen. Regarding Marshawn Lynch, he’d be welcomed back at a price, but have to be OK with seeing Josh Jacobs — a big part of their plans — getting every opportunity to be the feature back.
This outlook makes sense, as Jacobs flashed the upside to be a featured back while with the Crimson Tide, although Lynch had a strong 2017 campaign with the Raiders. He played in just six games during 2018 due to an injury.
During year one with Oakland, Lynch totaled 891 yards on 207 attempts (4.3 yards per carry) with seven touchdowns. He was on pace for a slightly better outlook in 2018, posting 376 rushing yards on 90 carries (4.2 yards per carry) with three scores in the six-game span.
Josh Jacobs’ Impressive Upside With Raiders
Jacobs was essentially the consensus top running back in the 2019 NFL Draft, and a large part stemmed from the massive upside he flashed during his time at Alabama. The junior running back totaled 640 rushing yards and 247 receiving yards in 2018 along with 14 total touchdowns.
Over his three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Jacobs averaged 5.9 yards per carry and scored 21 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns while adding one punt return score. He had just one season with more than 85 rushing attempts, so the mileage on his body is low, potentially setting up a big workload early in his NFL career.
Even if the Raiders add Lynch, the idea of the two sharing the backfield (along with possibly Doug Martin, who re-signed) could be a lot of fun to watch. The duo would create a strong one-two punch for Jon Gruden and company.
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