Marshawn Lynch is holding out of training camp in hopes of restructuring his contract. Lynch, who has two years remaining on his current contract, is looking for some sort of new deal.
We don't know what exactly Lynch's demands are, but I don't think anyone is suggesting we give him a Shaun Alexander-type deal. It would appear Lynch simply wants more money and not necessarily more years on his contract. Quite frankly, he's earned a bonus.
The overwhelming majority of fans see this as a selfish move on Lynch's part, citing that by holding out of training camp, he's not a team player. Even Pete Carroll suggested that Lynch should 'honor his contract'.Did we 'honor' Sidney Rice's contract last season?
Did we 'honor' Shaun Alexander's contract?
Was Walter Jones not a 'team player' for all of his hold outs?
Carroll and Schneider have been nothing short of brilliant in their design and implementation of the roster since their arrival with few exceptions. We have every reason to trust them to keep this roster full of potential talent, but lets not get too drunk off of the Super Bowl and Carroll's buzz phrases that we lose sight of the fact that Marshawn Lynch is a one of a kind player. Without Lynch's incredible, unique talent and remarkable durability, I can't imagine we'd have made it to the Super Bowl without him.
Keep in mind-- we've lost two starters from our Super Bowl offensive line. We've also lost one of our biggest playmakers in Golden Tate. We've seen a small sample of Robert Turbin and almost nothing from Christine Michael. To assume that the 'next man up' will effortlessly take over Lynch's workload and production is dangerously foolish. If we suffer any sort of injuries on offense, be it linemen or receivers, that's going to create tremendous pressure for Russell Wilson.
We need Marshawn Lynch for this season if we hope to defend our world title. In reality, he'll likely get cut in the final year of his deal anyway-- will the same fans who think he's not being a team player voice their concern for the team not honoring his contract?
But we must remember this is a business, but also that for fans, the only thing that matters is winning. If the team wins a Super Bowl, who gives a shit if the team's payroll is $10 million or $10 billion? I can assure you that there will be no loyalty rebate check in your mailbox next season. So what do you care if the Seahawks give a little extra money to its best offensive player?
