The Oakland Raiders agreed to terms on a one-year contract with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin on Thursday. This led many, including us here, to wonder if this meant Marshawn Lynch could be on his way out.
According to Mike Silver of NFL Network, the answer to that question is a definitive no.
Yes, Doug Martin is coming to Oakland… but the Raiders have no plans to part ways with Marshawn Lynch. Carry on.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 15, 2018
There have been reports that Lynch could be released, along with Michael Crabtree, if the Raiders cannot get them to take pay cuts this offseason. However, Jon Gruden has made comments since becoming the team’s head coach that indicate he very much wants Beast Mode to be part of his offense.
If Martin can get back to the form we saw in 2015, and if the Raiders do keep Lynch, then these two veterans would be a tremendous 1-2 punch for Oakland on the ground.