The Oakland Raiders have had a busy offseason so far given they brought in head coach Jon Gruden almost immediately after the conclusion of the 2017 NFL season. With Gruden now manning the sidelines for the Raiders, it is now up to the front office to create a roster that he can effectively coach and manage ahead of the 2018 season.
Marshawn Lynch, who came out of his lone year of retirement to join Oakland, was a bit of a disappointment during the 2017 season. He was brought in largely to establish the team’s ground game but found himself struggling to create much room or separation most weeks.
There were rumors that Oakland was considering cutting Lynch in the offseason, but reports later stated that the team was committed to keeping the running back for next season. Now, according to Michael Gehlken of Las Vegas Review-Journal, Lynch has agreed to restructure his contract:
Marshawn Lynch restructured his contract Saturday, source confirms. Base salary reduced from $4M to $2.5M; became fully guaranteed. $1M roster bonus added. Expanded performance incentives (from $2M to $3.75M). He counts $500K less vs. cap in 2018.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 21, 2018
By restructuring Lynch’s contract, the Raiders front office was able to clear a bit of cap room to sign more free agents in the offseason. After finishing with a 6-10 record during the 2017 season coupled with a new head coach, several changes were expected to be made to the roster and this is another sign that management is doing everything in their power to sign quality players.
While it remains to be seen how far Gruden can take the silver and black in his first season back with the team, there is a renewed optimism among the fanbase. After falling short of expectations last year, it will be interesting to see how these new-look Raiders perform once the new season arrives.
