The Seattle Seahawks were eliminated from the 2016 NFL Playoffs by the Carolina Panthers this past weekend, and it was almost an embarrassing exit. They just couldn’t do enough to keep their season going, and it has led to their time coming to an end this season. Not only did they see the end of this season happen, but honestly, it may have been the last time that Marshawn Lynch is seen in a Seahawks uniform and next season, he could be in a Dallas Cowboys uniform.
Lynch will turn 30 years old in April, and his injuries have been piling up, especially this year. The fact that he will count for $11.5 million against the 2016 cap is also a big-time situation that the Seahawks need to look at and think about.
Thomas Rawls really showed his worth in his rookie season before getting injured as he racked up 830 yards and four touchdowns. He really proved to be an every-down back and could easily be the feature back for the Seahawks.
The return of Christine Michael means they have a very good back-up, and both come at a bargain price compared to what Lynch is owed. As for Lynch’s status, ESPN reported that Seahawks’ coach Pete Carroll isn’t even sure what his status is for next year.
“I don’t know how that’s going to go. I don’t know how any of these guys are going to go right now. I don’t know.”
In 2015, injuries limited Lynch to just seven games which saw him rush for just 417 yards and three touchdowns. The Seahawks may truly end up trying to trade Lynch away or maybe just releasing him and counting their losses as it seems like his time in Seattle is done.
Now, the question is, where could he land?
Seeing as how he is about to turn 30, and that’s almost a cut-off age for NFL running backs, some teams will still see value in him. That is especially true for running back-hungry teams such as the Dallas Cowboys.
In 2015, the Cowboys could never find a running back to really get going and went through a whole offense of them. Darren McFadden finally started to come about in the second half of the season, and he finished with 1,089 yards and three touchdowns.
Throughout the rest of the year though, the Cowboys tried to go with:
- Joseph Randle
- Robert Turbin
- Christine Michael
- Lance Dunbar
Injuries, inconsistency, and off-field troubles really hurt the Cowboys’ running game and it made it hard to allow them to get anything going. By the time Randle’s issues were no longer on the team and McFadden got established, it was already too late.
Cheat Sheet thinks that the Cowboys are just one team that could benefit from the arrival of “Beast Mode” in their backfield. With a healthy Tony Romo and Dez Bryant back on the field, the adding of Marshawn Lynch could make the Cowboys into a top ten offense.
The Oakland Raiders could also use a good veteran running back as the young team continues to improve. Another possibility is the New England Patriots who really need a solid back. They also went through a number of them in 2015 and LeGarrett Blount was their leading rusher with 703 yards.
The Dallas Cowboys know that staying healthy is going to be a big part of turning 2016 around and making it nothing like the 2015 regular season. Another change will be making some moves and acquisitions that better the team. Snatching Marshawn Lynch away from the Seattle Seahawks may be something that they want to look at for a long time because it could be in their best interest.
[Image by Jamie Squire/Getty Images]