The Raiders have already moved on from Latavius Murray, which only exacerbates the need to add a running back (or two) this offseason for the Raiders. So far, they’ve also shown interest in veteran free agent Adrian Peterson, but the Lynch rumors have taken over in Oakland. If Lynch is set free by the Seahawks, who still retain his rights, it certainly looks like Lynch is McKenzie’s man.
While it’s easy to point to the injury, the age, the declining production and the time away, there are reasons for Raiders execs and fans to hope that he could still be productive. The offensive lines that Lynch ran behind in Seattle were average at best (and that’s being rather kind). The fact that Seattle has performed so well over the years is a testament to just how good their skill players really are, because the offensive front has been downright pitiful at times.
Compare the Seahawks’ front line to what Lynch would enjoy in Oakland and the difference is substantial. Rodney Hudson, Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson would make running inside a real possibility for a bruising back like Lynch. If he can return to form, it’s not hard to imagine defensive lines being gassed in the fourth quarter after having to answer for Lynch all game long.
It’s also likely that Lynch wouldn’t be the sort of workhorse he’s been in the past, and a very deep draft class could give the Raiders a more agile, speedy option to pair with Lynch in the backfield. Taken together, Raiders fans know that anything else—even just a small thing—that forces defenses to take any attention away from what Derek Carr is doing is a win for the offense.
The thing about the Lynch signing is that, on the field, there’s simply no way of knowing how much there is to celebrate until the regular season kicks off. It could end up being much ado about nothing if Lynch can’t beat the odds stacked against veteran running backs these days. However, the risk is worth the potential reward, because it would excite an already passionate fan base months before the season begins and give fans a reason to celebrate Oakland before the city itself is just a memory for the National Football League.