Throughout the entire 2017 NFL offseason, the Oakland Raiders were linked to the possibility of obtaining retired running back Marshawn Lynch. During the initial rumor frenzy, more and more pieces added to the solidarity of an eventual deal, with it gaining steam the day Lynch visited the Raiders’ facility.
General manager Reggie McKenzie set the 2017 NFL Draft as a sort of deadline for a deal, in order to ponder some possible picks in a draft with running back depth. As the April 27 deadline approached, it seemed the only matter remaining was getting both sides to agree on a salary figure for the 2017 season.
Media and the entire sports world took off with the first rumor was finalized, to which Lynch emphatically responded. His business is his business, as the Super Bowl Champion wanted to assure a proper market value for his physical style of play. However, the Oakland native was also excited about a chance to play with his hometown team, with his mom in attendance cheering him on.
After weeks of negotiations, it seems like Oakland and Raiders fans can now rejoice, with ‘Beast Mode’ officially ironing out an agreement with the Raiders and Seahawks, via Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com:
Lynch’s representatives and the Raiders have agreed to terms on a contract, and the team has hashed out the details of a trade for Lynch’s rights with the Seahawks, multiple sources informed of the negotiations on both sides of the deal said.
The deal is expected to be finalized at some point on Wednesday, once Lynch passes his physical with the Raiders. Both the Seahawks and Raiders have thought ahead in relation to the 2017 NFL Draft, balking at the chance of having some crazy mishap in relations to their draft plans.
The Raiders and Seahawks have agreed to exchange fifth and six round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft, respectively. As a part of this deal, Lynch’s contract will now be reworked towards an annual salary of $3 million, with incentives that could carry his payday out towards $8 million.
Rapoport stated that Lynch is slated to receive approximately a $2 million bonus is he exceeds 1,000 rushing yards on the season. Lynch will take his physical test once he arrives in Oakland, returning from a philanthropic trip to Haiti.
One recent signing that affected his positioning with the Raiders was Adrian Peterson’s two-year, $7 million deal with the New Orleans Saints. Both of these legendary running backs have settled for roughly the same salary, entering seasons in a bounce back manner.
