Should the Raiders bring Marshawn Lynch back in 2018?

Marshawn Lynch is the epitome of Oakland and everything it stands for, but should be on the Silver and Black next season?

The 2017 season was a rocky one, there is really no other way to put it. Well, politely at least. The Oakland Raiders underachieved in 2017, or maybe they overachieved in 2016. Or maybe it is a combination of the two. Regardless, the Raiders went from being legitimate candidates to be in the Super Bowl to 6-10 without a head coach in the course of 17 weeks.

The rumors of Jon Gruden making his return to Oakland are all fine and good, but until it is a done deal, anything can happen. Regardless of what happens during the coaching search, one thing is for certain. The Raiders have some decisions to make about who to bring back and who to let go. Marshawn Lynch is at the forefront of that conversation, and for good reason.

Many people are split on the decision. Some say that he detracted from the focus of the team this year and was a proponent of their bad season. Others believe he was one of the only bright spots from an otherwise brutal season. I am somewhere in the middle.

The idea behind bringing him out of retirement was to help his hometown team bring a ring to the Bay Area before making the move to Las Vegas. While that is still possible, this season is good evidence that the team is still a few steps away. So the question remains, should Lynch return in 2018? My answer: Yes. There is a caveat however.

Lynch started off the season rather slow, but that should have been expected. After all, he did come out of retirement, it takes a little time to adjust to the game again. However, he picked it up in the second half of the season. Lynch finished the season with 891 yards, 625 of those yards came after his one-game suspension in Week 8. That was good enough for 4.63 yards per carry, which is a respectable number.

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He also finished seventh in yards after contact per attempt with 3.09 and finished fifth in missed tackles with 42. Those numbers are nothing to scoff at. In reality, Lynch was every bit of the Beast Mode running back we expected.

Unfortunately, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Lynch was somewhat of a nuisance in the locker room. He had a good relationship with quarterback Derek Carr and head coach Jack Del Rio, but that was not always a positive.

Lynch, in essence, got to do what he wanted to do. But that is nothing new, everyone knew what the Raiders were getting when they signed him. He did a great job of making things fun for the team, like dancing on the sideline in the Week 2 demolition of the New York Jets. But that may have created the wrong atmosphere. The team lacked direction and leadership, and part of that could have been a result of Lynch’s antics.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved watching Beast Mode carry the rock in a Raiders jersey. But, the Raiders did not look like themselves this year. There was no fire, no consistent effort. If I may, there was no “mojo”. On occasions, players seemed to just be running through the motions as though nothing was on the line. But not Lynch. Despite the off-field issues that may have been present, Lynch brought it all every time he stepped on the field.

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I think that alone is reason to bring him back. He loves playing for his city, and it shows. He fights for every single yard, regardless of the situation. That type of competitiveness is an invaluable trait in a player, and the Raiders could use it again next year. With some more veteran leadership, and perhaps a little more control over what Lynch does, the Raiders could do some damage with Beast Mode next season. The new coaching staff and general manager Reggie McKenzie will make the decision, if they feel they can solve some of the issues, Lynch should return.

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