Oakland Raiders: Expectations May Be Marshawn Lynch’s Toughest Opponent

The Oakland Raiders have finally officially added Marshawn Lynch to their roster, setting the Internet on fire – but can he really live up to the lofty expectations of an energized fan base?

Just in case you were visiting relatives on Mars, the Oakland Raiders have officially signed now un-retired, ex-Seattle Seahawk running back Marshawn Lynch. And the reaction almost broke the Internet. Players from around the league, pundits, and fans in many corners of the Raider Nation celebrated the signing – well – raucously.

But the question remains – will Lynch be able to come anywhere close to living up to the Everest-high expectations being put upon him?

Immediately after the deal was complete – and the hype video of Lynch getting his gear in Raiders HQ hit the Internet – the signing heard ’round the world, people everywhere started to call the Oakland offense, the league’s best. Some qualified it by saying, “on paper,” but the sentiment remains largely, the same.

There is no doubt that the Raiders had one of the league’s most potent offenses last season. But does adding Lynch elevate them to the league’s best? New Orleans might have something to say about that. So too, might the Cowboys, Falcons, and Patriots – all of whom had offenses ranked higher than Oakland, and none of whom just heralded the addition of a 31-year old running back.

There’s no doubt that signing Lynch has sent an electric jolt through the Raider Nation – most of it, anyway. Beast Mode returning to his roots, to play for his hometown team – it’s a great story and a PR gold mine. No question about it. But will that energy and excitement be able to translate to production on the field?

The fact of the matter is that Lynch, for all of his past glories, is a 31-year old running back coming out of retirement after a year away from the game, that was preceded by a season (2015), that was – substandard – to say the least. 417 yards, three touchdowns, and a less than pedestrian average of 3.8 yards per carry duringin an injury riddled campaign that saw him limited to just seven games.

Given that recent history, whether or not he actually has any tread left on those tires is a valid question that should be asked. Even more so, given his bruising, dishing out the punishment (as well as taking it) style of running. Lynch may have even less tread on his tires than other 31-year old running backs simply because he was so completely physical and bruising.

What will help Lynch enormously is that he doesn’t have to be the focal point of this offense. And he won’t be. The Raiders’ electric passing game – 57 percent of their offensive snaps last season – is the team’s bread and butter.

The running game augments the passing game rather than the other way around. Also, having two talented change of pace backs in DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard to help him carry the load is only going to help Lynch in the long run.

All of that to say that Lynch will get some touches, but he’s not going to have to carry the burden of the offense’s success on his shoulders alone. And let’s face it, the mere threat of Lynch going full Beast Mode is going to keep opposing defenses honest and open up the passing game even more.

But the possibility that Lynch looks more like the 2015 version of himself that struggled with injury and productivity is real. Very real. And it would behoove the Raiders to account for that by picking up another big bodied back in the Draft.

Next: Ranking The Team's Biggest Needs Ahead Of The Draft

If Lynch goes down with injury or struggles to be productive the way he did in 2015, they will need somebody who can step in and fill that void in the backfield. Neither Richard nor Washington are able to be the every down, between the tackles back this offense needs to flourish fully.

Although they have Lynch in the fold, the Raiders really should take a running back in the mid-to-late rounds this year. If Lynch is vintage Beast Mode, the rookie can sit back and learn from a back who was one of the league’s best for a lot of years. If Lynch is more like the 2015 version, the rookie is going to get some on the job training. Either way, it’s a good idea and one that McKenzie should have already considered.

The best case scenario here is that with some help from Washington and Richard, as well as not having the burden of being the focus of the offense, Lynch will be a bit fresher and will still have something left in those legs. It’s possible that he is closer to vintage Beast Mode than he is the 2015 version.

But at this point, it’s just as possible that he will struggle. That he won’t look anything like the Beast Mode that dominated the league for years. And that if the Raiders don’t address that possibility ahead of time, the offense will find itself stuck in the mud without a productive running game.

The news of Lynch officially signing with Oakland set the world on fire. But it also put a world of expectations on his shoulders – expectations that, despite how great he was, he could struggle to live up to. Expectations that will undoubtedly be the toughest opponent he’s ever faced.