Did the Seahawks Overpay for Marshawn Lynch?: A Fan’s Take

The Seattle Seahawks took care of a key position when they signed running back Marshawn Lynch to a four-year, $31 million contract. By signing this deal, the Hawks avoided having to use the franchise tag and they locked up their bruising back for the next few seasons. However, is it possible that the Seahawks paid too many Skittles for Beast Mode? Or was this the best possible deal?

Body of work

In the second half of the season, Lynch was one of the best running backs in the entire NFL. His bruising style and tenacious attitude put the Hawks in a position where they almost made the playoffs. Marshawn finished the season with over 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, as some have noted, this was a career season for Lynch. Prior to 2011, there were questions of health, effort and attitude. Was 2011 an anomaly, or a sign that Lynch has finally figured it all out?

Guaranteed and not guaranteed

In today's NFL, the free agent contract is really two different deals. People make a big deal about the $31 million, but the deal is really $18 million of guaranteed money. This is still a sizeable sum, but fans have to keep in mind that teams have tremendous power to let players go if they do not perform. It is not like Major League Baseball or the NBA where a guy can make $10 million and sit on the end of the bench.

Style

There are obviously some concerns about Marshawn's style. Lynch is not a nibbler, or a guy that always tries to run to the edge. Instead, Beast Mode is just that. Marshawn runs right up the middle and looks to find a seam. As the Seahawks offensive line matures, he may find more holes. However, this style of running could also catch up with him very quickly if he takes a lot of pounding.

Other choices?

The contract is a lot of money, but I don't know if the Hawks had many other options. If they had used the franchise tag, they would have paid him a lot in 2012 and still had to work out a long-term contract. In addition, there is the reality that Marshawn represents the most stable running back that Seattle has had in several years. Perhaps the production will not continue, but these are the decisions that teams have to make in the NFL.

Sources:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/10456/marshawn-lynch

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/marshawn_lynch_and_the_tale_of_a_knee_jerk_contract/10232716

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