The Oakland Raiders are a few steps away from becoming a perennial Super Bowl contender. But they took a huge step towards reaching that goal this last week.
As you should know, the Raiders agreed to terms with Marshawn Lynch on Friday. This happened after the running back decided to come back from retirement, and when the NFL reinstated him. Lynch is under contract with the Seattle Seahawks, but both franchises should agree to a trade pretty soon. This would him one step closer to playing for his hometown team.
Now, what does Lynch’s arrival mean to the Raiders? It’s quite simple, really. With Lynch, the Raiders should have one of the best offenses in the NFL. And considering they play in the AFC, it should be Super Bowl or bust for them. Let’s break down their offensive pieces heading into the 2017 season, assuming no one leaves between now and the start of the regular season.
Everything starts with Derek Carr at quarterback. Carr enjoyed his best season to date in 2016, leading the Raiders to an AFC Wild Card berth before going down with a broken fibula in the final weeks. The signal-caller couldn’t feature in the playoffs and Oakland lost to the Houston Texans, but things should change in 2017. Carr will be completely recovered for the start of the 2017 campaign, and he should build on what was an MVP-like campaign in 2016.
A good quarterback is not enough, but the Raiders have the weapons to surround him. Lynch will become a massive upgrade over Latavius Murray, as “Beast Mode” should thrive behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Lynch will need to get back to his playing shape, but there’s no question he has enough left in the tank to remain productive. After all, he rushed for 1,306 yards on 280 carries (16 games) during his last full season back in 2014.
At receiver the Raiders have two talented weapons in Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper. Crabtree shined in 2016 with 89 receptions, 1,003 yards, and eight touchdowns. The 29-year-old also averaged 11.3 yards per catch and became a red-zone specialist for Oakland. On the other hand, Cooper had 83 catches, 1,153 yards, and five touchdowns. He established as Carr’s de-facto n°1 receiver, and should maintain that role in 2017.
Oakland should also feature Jamize Olawale, DeAndre Washington, and Jalen Richard to boost their rushing attack. And the duo of Clive Walford and Mychal Rivera should be competent enough at the tight end role. They could use an upgrade on that position, but the other pieces are good enough. And while it remains to be seen if the players get out there, there’s no question the potential is there.
The defense is not nearly as good as their offense, but Oakland still have valuable pieces on that end of the field. Khalil Mack, Bruce Irvin, and Reggie Nelson should do a good job, but there’s no question the offense will carry this franchise to a potential playoff appearance.
In 2016 Oakland returned to the postseason after a long drought. But the fans want more, and the team has what it takes to make a deep playoff run. There’s no question Lynch might be the missing piece to put the Raiders back where they belong as bonafide contenders in the AFC.