Oakland Raiders Rumors: Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman Available Through Trade With Seattle Seahawks

The Oakland Raiders are on the verge of making one of the biggest acquisitions of the 2017 NFL offseason, and it involves a player that wasn’t even on a roster last year. Marshawn Lynch reportedly wants to unretire and play for his hometown team, giving the Raiders an even better chance to win a Super Bowl before they leave Oakland for Las Vegas.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Lynch told several people at the Raiders’ facility Wednesday that he wants to play for Oakland next season, though he can’t simply sign with the team. The Seattle Seahawks still own the running back’s rights, and they would have to either make Lynch a free agent or trade him to the Raiders.

READ: Dallas Cowboys in position to trade for Richard Sherman

While a few hurdles remain, the Seahawks aren’t expected to demand much of anything in return for Lynch, and the running back should be wearing silver and black next season.

Lynch hasn’t played a full season since 2014, but he has a chance to return as one of the NFL’s most effective rushers. He retired after an injury-riddled 2015 season that forced him to miss more than half of Seattle’s games, and he could be rejuvenated after resting for a whole year. Lynch ran for 1,306 yards in 2014, marking his fourth consecutive season with more than 1,200 yards on the ground.

As running backs tend to see their production decrease when they hit 30 years old, a year away from the game might have been exactly what Lynch needed. Just look at Adrian Peterson, who missed nearly all of 2014 because of a suspension. He returned in 2015 to lead the league in rushing with 1,485 yards at 30 years old.

Oakland had one of the NFL’s best offenses in 2016, and they might have given the New England Patriots their toughest test in the AFC playoffs if Derek Carr didn’t suffer a season-ending injury in Week 16. Lynch would replace Latavius Murray, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, and the Radiers’ offense should be just as good as it was a year ago.

After going 12-4 with a young quarterback that continues to get better, Oakland will be among the top contenders to reach the 2018 Super Bowl, though their defense might hold them back. The Raiders will likely have to improve on that side of the ball if they hope to win a championship, considering only six teams ranked worse in total defense last season.

With Seattle also exploring the option of trading Richard Sherman, it’s only natural to wonder whether or not Oakland could pull off a deal that lands them both Lynch and the Seahawks’ star cornerback. Sherman might stay put, but Seattle general manager John Schneider has admitted that the trade rumors are legitimate.

Sherman remains one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks, having reached four straight Pro Bowls. He’s played an integral role in giving the Seahawks a top-three scoring defense in every year since 2012. Sherman could do wonders for an Oakland pass defense that ranked 24th in yards allowed through the air.

The Raiders would likely have to part with at least one early-round draft pick in order to pull off a trade. Oakland has more salary cap space than most teams, and Sherman is due to make $11.43 million in guaranteed salary next season.

Only the defending champion Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers have better Super Bowl odds than Oakland in the AFC, and their title chances have the potential to be even greater when training camp begins this summer.