Fans were treated to a look at their teams as players hit the field for their first week of NFL preseason football. After revamping their rosters in the offseason, teams will soon have the opportunity to make some noise during the 2017 NFL season.
A team of major interest heading into the year is the Oakland Raiders as they have a healthy Derek Carr and an improved offense. One of the team’s flashiest additions was running back Marshawn Lynch as he will be the Raiders’ starter in the backfield and according to Will Hernandez of USA Today the veteran seems mentally ready for the upcoming season:
To be honest, it’s just getting my mentality back, waking up early and having to go and do something physical to get my body back towards playing ability,” Lynch said during media availability on Thursday. “(That) Was probably the hardest thing for me because I’m not a morning person. But after that was over, it was straight.”
There are plenty of questions about whether or not Lynch can still produce as a starting running back in the league today. At 31 years old, Lynch’s durability and workload will be issues for Oakland to monitor throughout the season. However, reports out of training camp have been positive and all early signs indicate that Lynch is ready to resume his role as a wrecking ball on the field.
While Lynch’s overwhelming running style is perhaps nowhere near where it once was, he will still be an important part of the offense as he will be responsible for setting up the Raiders’ run game. After a one-year absence from the NFL, Beast Mode is back and it will be interesting to see how he looks in silver and black.
