Marshawn

Lynch

The Seahawks have reportedly had discussions with both Marshawn Lynch and Hyde all the while extending a (declined) one-year, $4 million contract to Devonta Freeman. Seattle has made it clear they would prefer a dusty veteran backing up Chris Carson while Rashaad Penny (ACL) is shelved, and it’s only a matter of time until one eventually puts pen to paper. Whoever loses out will immediately become the favorite to join the Eagles as their goal-line thumper.

“My agent has been in talks with Seattle, so like I said, we’ll see what happens,” Lynch told Scott Van Pelt on Monday night’s SportsCenter. “If it works out and I get back up there, it is what it is. And if not...I’m lookin’ good. So I ain’t really trippin’ too much.” Lynch unretired for the second time last year and recorded 30/67/4 (1.97 YPC) following a 14-month absence over Seattle’s last three games. While drastically inefficient in that stint, the 34-year-old could step in for either Chris Carson (hip) or Rashaad Penny (ACL) in a pinch since he’s familiar with the team’s playbook. Fourth-round rookie DeeJay Dallas and second-year RB Travis Homer are the other logical choices out of camp.

Lynch would be owed $9 million, a number which would take up a large chunk of Seattle’s remaining $14.7 million cap space. The Seahawks could hold Lynch in an effort to extract a draft pick from the Raiders, but doing so would limit their flexibility in the second and third waves of free agency. If Lynch does come back, Kapadia believes the Seahawks will “most likely” release him.

Lynch comeback rumors have swirled since last summer, but this idea may have legs. An Oakland native, Lynch played college ball at Cal-Berkeley. And as ESPN’s Chris Sprow noted on Twitter, Lynch is 13 months younger than Adrian Peterson and hasn’t taken a hit in over a year. The Raiders lost lead back Latavius Murray in free agency. The Seahawks still own Lynch’s rights, so he’d have to be traded or released to join the Raiders. One source told Schefter, “it could really happen.”

Schultz added that Lynch has been wearing Raiders gear around his friends. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo confirmed that Lynch was at the Seahawks’ facility on Thursday, though Garafolo called it “more of a personal visit than anything.” Garafolo went on to say that Lynch is in a “holding pattern” and is still weighing his options. Lynch is an Oakland native and the Raiders need a running back. It doesn’t look like this story is going away.

Lynch isn’t willing to play for the Seahawks or anyone other than his hometown Raiders. Additionally, Lynch un-retiring is “realer than it’s ever been,” which lines up with what MMQB’s Peter King reported on Monday. Expect this to get worked out before the draft so the Raiders know what they have. Right now, odds seem much better than 50-50 that Lynch will be a Raider.

“He also wants to do good things for his foundation in the area,” the source said. “This is a great chance to accomplish both things.” Lynch is from the Bay Area and has reportedly asked the Seahawks for his release so he can sign with his hometown Raiders. Per King, Lynch-to-Oakland is “real.”

This suggests the Raiders are only willing to sign Lynch on their terms and could help explain why the comeback has hit a snare. On the positive side, Breer reports the meeting between the two sides went well and the Raiders “were impressed with the shape [Lynch is] in.” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport suggested the draft is the deadline for something to happen, so we should know Lynch’s fate within the next week.

It is not clear what beginning the process means, but Lynch is likely to file his reinstatement papers in the near future. Once he does, his $9 million cap hit will immediately hit the Seahawks’ books, making it likely a resolution is reached in short order. Werder reports Lynch hopes to play for the Raiders but also would consider going to any team which trades for CB Richard Sherman.

RapSheet adds the trade is contingent on Lynch reworking his deal, but it all seems like a formality at this point. If it all works out, Lynch should be one of the more interesting fantasy discussion this summer. Considering Latavius Murray managed top-13 performances each of the last two seasons, Lynch’s upside in a quality offense behind a great line is undeniable. That said, he will be 31 this month, did not play football last season, and sat out most of 2015 because of injury. The upside alone has to put him in the RB2 tier, but there is a good chance Lynch is over-drafted.