Does Marshawn Lynch Have A Future Left In Seattle?

At the bars, diners, and all over the streets of Seattle, Thomas Rawls has been on the lips of Seahawk Fans. Rawls, not Marshawn Lynch, has stolen the spotlight in Seattle for the running back position. Some even blame Lynch’s poor performance against Carolina as the reason the Seahawks lost their second round playoff game.

Beast Mode, as fans refer to Lynch’s running style, used to be the talk of the town, and I have seldom seen a running back with his capabilities. Few backs are as versatile as Lynch; not only does he have speed, agility, and quick cuts that leave defenders hugging air, Lynch can blast threw just about any defender he meets one on one. And that’s what got him the nickname, “The Beast.” However, few Skittles where tossed from the crowd to “feed the beast” this year. In the five games Lynch played, he had 111 attempts for 417 yards and 3 touchdowns, compared to the upstart rookie Thomas Rawls’ 830 yards on 147 attempts. Rawls beat Lynch by 1.4 yards a carry for the season, and Rawls is only a rookie with another season to improve his skills.

Seattle’s General Manager John Schneider recently stated, “I’m under the impression he [Lynch] is leaning towards retirement.” And he also stated that the Seahawks were looking to restructure Lynch’s contract if he decides to keep playing, possibly pushing him to decide to test the free agent market.

Lynch has been a consistent running back for Seattle, with an average of 4.3 yards per carry during his time as a Seahawk. And I’m sure Schneider and Coach Pete Carroll haven’t forgotten his stellar performances the two previous seasons when the Hawks went to the Super Bowl. And many Hawks fans still can’t understand Pete Carroll’s decision to pass on the one yard line against the New England Patriots, instead of feeding “The Beast.”

So the running back controversy continues (for now). But I consider another possibility, what if the Seahawks could keep both backs for a few more seasons? The two backs remind me of when Carroll coached USC, and had the speeddy Reggie Bush, and the pounding LenDale White as a running back tandem. He did win the National Championship with those two running backs and, perhaps, if both Lynch and Rawls have a healthy season, another Super Bowl win could be in the cards.