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One of the biggest questions facing Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden ahead of his first season back on the sidelines is the future of former Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch. There has been much uncertainty around the potential role that Lynch will have in Gruden's offensive game plan, and whether he'll be back at all.
According to S.L. Price of Sports Illustrated, the 54-year-old recently had a conversation with a fan at a bar that was quite revealing with respect to his thoughts and expectations for the running back next season.
But now I look over, and Gruden is telling superfan Ahmed, in an open bar, “I met Marshawn today at the facility. He and Josh Johnson [a Texans backup and Lynch’s cousin] came in.” And when Ahmed asks Gruden the question of the moment—What’s your impression?—Gruden says, “I like him.”
Ahmed, to his eternal credit, isn’t having it.
“I like him, too,” he presses, “but what do you think?”
“We’ve got to get him in, ah, better and stronger, through the season. . . .”
“He didn’t get in shape until Week 10,” Ahmed says of last year.
“We’re not going to have that,” Gruden says. “No. I said to him: ‘I need Marshawn Lynch. I don’t need this part-time Lynch. I need full-time Lynch.”
“Man, you’re motivating me right now, baby! If he ain’t getting motivated, something’s wrong.”
“We need the real deal,” Gruden says. “If you’re going to put those letters on the back of your jersey, man, you’ve got to back it up, Marshawn—right? We don’t need another back, we need a feature back.”
If what Gruden said is truly how he feels about Lynch, it makes it clear that he wants the 31-year-old to be a huge part of the offensive game plan. Lynch would be the focal point in the running game from the get-go to help provide balance to their offense.
In his first year back from retirement, Lynch was quite productive, rushing for 891 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games played. This includes recording more than 100 rushing yards twice,and more than 60 yards in each of the last seven games he took the field.
Lynch could see a heavy dosage in the running game that could far exceed the 207 carries he received in the 2017 campaign.
The further along in the offseason things it get, the clearer the picture will be as to what the Raiders are expecting out of the veteran running back. In the meantime, it is evident that Gruden has a huge role lined up for Lynch, if wants it.
