Coming off of a very disappointing season, the Oakland Raiders have some big decisions to make in terms of cutting players to free up cap space.
What’s Next For Lynch?
The Raiders managed a 6-10 record in the 17′-18′ season, which can only be seen as a massive dip in performance from the previous year. A mediocre secondary and far inferior defense in the AFC West means a major overhaul is likely when free agency gets started. But another major question mark still ceases to have a conclusion and that is the future of Marshawn Lynch.
If the Raiders were to cut “Beast Mode,” they could free up around $5.9 million to put towards tieing up key assets or adding players in more pressing positions.
Lynch had a stop-start season for the Raiders, at times flashing his strong ability to gain yards through pure determination and never-give-up attitude. Adding to this, he managed to rank fifth in missed tackles (42) and 4th in yards after contact (3.09) for the season and ended up with 891 yards off of 207 carries, scoring seven touchdowns.
While these numbers look impressive, his off/on the field antics could have been a distraction for his teammates, most notably when he intervened in the Raiders vs Chiefs game in which he received a one-game suspension for putting hands on a referee.
There has also been confirmation it seems that Lynch has, in fact, met with new head coach Jon Gruden. Lynch has an unpredictable lifestyle and one way or another I’m sure in the not too distant future we can shed some light on his situation.
If somehow he does fit into Gruden’s plans, I still feel strongly that the Raiders will look to add an RB with a different skill set to compliment the offense.
It remains to be seen what will happen but it was a pleasure, either way, to see Lynch rep the Silver and Black.
