Oakland Raiders: A Few Pros and Cons To Dealing For Marshawn Lynch

CON: How Much Does He Actually Have Left in the Tank?

There is a practical concern about Lynch coming out of retirement to play again – and that’s the question of what he really has left in the tank.

It’s a legitimate question and one that needs to be asked – after all, Lynch is almost 31-years old now. Not only that, he’s coming off a year away from the game and two years removed from a season in which injury limited him to just seven games.

And truth be told, Lynch’s 2015 season – even when he was healthy – was nothing to write home about. He managed 417 yards on just 111 carries – a woeful average of 3.8 yards per carry.

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After ten seasons in the league, and the constant beating he took because of his physical style of play, it seemed that time had finally caught up with Lynch and his body began to wear down. He certainly seemed to be a mere shadow of his former self and didn’t come close to resembling the Beast Mode of old that dominated opposing defenses.

The list of running backs who have a lot of success after crossing that 30-year old barrier is small. The list of running backs who have success after crossing the 30-year old barrier and were away from the game for a year is even smaller.

There is a case that can be made that a year away from the grind and pounding of the game could have had a rejuvenating effect on Lynch. Maybe. Possibly. But there are no guarantees of anything.

And until we see Lynch on the field, see what he has to offer, those questions are going to linger.