The Seattle Seahawks and Marshawn Lynch may part ways through a trade or release this offseason and in 2015 the running back could be targeted by the Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals or San Francisco 49ers if he is let go, as many consider him to be one of the best RBs in the entire NFL.
The Seahawks know that Lynch is a huge part of their offense and that he is one reason why they are the number one seed in the playoffs, but the NFL is also a business. According to ESPN.com, Lynch is a likely cap casualty in the offseason for Pete Carroll and John Schneider, as they have a number of players they still need to lock up, including quarterback Russell Wilson. Lynch is set to cost over $6 million next season and with him getting towards the age of 30, it could be time for the Seahawks to move on.
Lynch has been one of the most productive players in the league during his run with the Seahawks and no matter what happens, he will not be easy to replace. According to ESPN.com, Chris Mortensen wrote earlier in the season that the Seahawks have grown "tired" of Lynch and that it's likely he could be cut or moved in the offseason. The article puts out a number of issues, including his holdout from before the season, his problems with the media as well as his reported displeasure during the time when Percy Harvin was traded.
Lynch has had other issues as well, including when he remained on the field at halftime during the game against the Chiefs. Carroll later downplayed that issues, but Fox Sports reported that Lynch stayed out of the locker room at halftime and did not go inside and after that he also avoided the media. Lynch had over 1300 yards this season and has rushed for at least 1200 in his four years with the Seahawks.
The cap hit is $8,500,000 for the 2015 season and that is one of the main reasons why he is on the chopping block heading into the offseason. Peter King wrote about Lynch's contract and his holdout and the agreement that the two sides came to, in his opinion, means the writing is on the wall for the Seahawks and Lynch. The running back held out before the season and the two sides later agreed to a "bump" in his 2014 salary, giving him an extra $1 million in base salary and an extra $500,000 from 2015.
King wrote that Lynch realized at that point that a move could be likely in the future, so he took the money up front rather than trying to work out a longer deal after the season. Of course the Seahawks could change their minds and keep Lynch, but right now it looks like he will be on his way out. Teams like the Raider, Vikings, Browns, 49ers and Patriots all could be interested in Lynch if he is let go, as he is still one of the toughest runners in the league. The Seahawks have Christine Michael and Robert Turbin also on the roster.