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NFL Trade Rumors: Marshawn Lynch Trade To Oakland Makes Raiders AFC West Favorites? Latest Super Bowl 52 Odds

By Joseph Karbousky
Published on: 11:20 PST, Apr 14, 2017

Marshawn Lynch is back, and he will be wearing the Silver and Black! Could 2017 be the the season that Beast Mode officially returns to the gridiron? CBS Sports is reporting that Lynch, pending the official go-ahead from the Seattle Seahawks, could be back on the field this fall as a member of the Oakland Raiders.

NFL Network’s Mike Silver indicated earlier today that the former Seattle Seahawks standout has agreed to terms with the Oakland Raiders and is anxious to get back on the football field. Silver noted that technically the Seahawks and Raiders still need to complete a trade that will send Lynch to Oakland, given the fact that Lynch is still under contract with Seattle. That should just be a formality, but time will tell how this all plays out.

Lynch retired abruptly following the 2015 season and missed all of 2016, but he always has rumors and reports surrounding him about making a comeback. It only makes sense for Lynch to return to the game he loves, especially since he walked away without warning, almost like NFL fans could tell he had more in the tank.

Marshawn Lynch stiff arms William Moore of the Atlanta Falcons. [Image by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]

So what better team to return from an early retirement to than the Oakland Raiders? The Darth Vader of the NFL is a perfect fit for a guy that is going to have a huge chip on his shoulder when he returns. Add to that, Lynch grew up in Oakland, and attended college at the University of California, Berkeley, so many believe that this just seems like the right move for Lynch.

The NFL website reports that while this deal is not set in stone just yet, Lynch made it clear that he is hoping the trade gets done so he can get back to knocking over defenders as soon as possible.

“If u kno me you kno my business is my business,” Lynch tweeted, “and if u don’t kno me that’s a fun fact for ya… when (expletive) get REAL I’ll let you kno!!!!”

Lynch will join young runners in Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington.

It will be hard seeing Lynch running the ball in No. 24, if that is the number he ultimately wears in 2017, without thinking of the legendary Charles Woodson, but Lynch may be what the Raiders need to make a deep run in the AFC playoffs. Raiders fans won’t care what number Marshawn Lynch has on the back of his jersey if he can run the ball half as well as he did in Seattle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBoRNW1ctgU

After all, who can forget that run vs. the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs?

So could the signing of Lynch help boost the Oakland Raiders to their first AFC title since 2002? Last season the Raiders finished in a tie with the Kansas City Chiefs atop the AFC West division at 12-4, however, the Chiefs took home the title because they beast Oakland in both meetings during the regular season.

Adding a veteran with Super Bowl experience has odds makers already considering Oakland as the favorite to win the AFC West in 2017.

Marshawn Lynch will bring toughness to the Raiders backfield. [Image by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images]

The Raiders’ current odds to win the AFC Championship are 10/1, which is a good price considering where Oakland could have finished last season if their starting quarterback Derek Carr didn’t get injured before the playoffs began.

The Raiders gained the respect of Las Vegas odds makers heading into the upcoming season after such a successful 2016, and with Carr returning healthy, they are expected to be one of the top teams to beat in the AFC.

Below is a look at the current Super Bowl 52 and AFC West divisional odds thanks to Vegas Insider.

Super Bowl 52 Odds

  • New England Patriots 4/1
  • Dallas Cowboys 11/1
  • Atlanta Falcons 12/1
  • Green Bay Packers 12/1
  • Seattle Seahawks 12/1
  • Houston Texans 15/1
  • Denver Broncos 18/1
  • Pittsburgh Steelers 18/1
  • Oakland Raiders 20/1
  • New York Giants 20/1
  • Kansas City Chiefs 25/1
  • Indianapolis Colts 30/1
  • Carolina Panthers 30/1
  • Minnesota Vikings 30/1
  • Arizona Cardinals 35/1
  • Baltimore Ravens 40/1
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers 40/1
  • Philadelphia Eagles 50/1
  • Tennessee Titans 50/1
  • Cincinnati Bengals 55/1
  • Miami Dolphins 60/1
  • Washington Redskins 60/1
  • Detroit Lions 70/1
  • New Orleans Saints 70/1
  • Los Angeles Chargers 80/1
  • Buffalo Bills 100/1
  • Jacksonville Jaguars 100/1
  • Chicago Bears 125/1
  • New York Jets 150/1
  • Los Angeles Rams 150/1
  • San Francisco 49ers 300/1
  • Cleveland Browns 300/1

Early AFC West Odds

  • Oakland +180
  • Kansas City +200
  • Denver +240
  • San Diego +800

[Featured Image by Otto Greule, Jr./Getty Images]

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