Assessing the Marshawn Lynch trade

by Steve

It has been 30 some odd hours since Lynch was shipped to Seattle for a 4th round pick and conditional 2012 6th round pick so it has sunk in. Now, as I understand it, basically, the Buffalo Bills used 2 top 12 draft picks for Cliff Spiller and a 4th round pick in 2011? Great job guys.

This has to be the most bumbling idiotic front office in sports the last five years. Marv Levy was easily a worse GM than Tom Donahoe. I have to honestly question whether Marv was even trying to make the team better. On paper it appears he was trying to make the team worse on purpose.

Anyone that says I would have complained either way is wrong. Who cares if Lynch was on the team after the trade deadline. They were awful with Lynch they'll be awful without Lynch. All this really does is force Spiller to touch the ball more and increase his likelihood of a catastrophic injury. Yeah, he'll be able to get more live action experience following blockers and learning to play in the National Football League. But he is a running back for christ sake. It isn't rocket science, run the ball.

If he was such an immense talent Lynch and Fred Jackson wouldn't be able to get on the field. That reminds me, why is everyone so convinced Jackson is far superior and clearly a better running back than Lynch? Lynch has more than double the touchdowns 700 more rushing yards and only 200 less receiving yards (remember Jackson is such a phenomenal receiving threat). They have played roughly the same amount of games and each have been in the league 4 seasons. Also Lynch is five years younger.

What could we possible get out of a fourth and sixth round pick? Another Ko Simpson and Xavier Omon? Ugh. I was never a huge fan of Lynch. Here is my immediate reaction when he was drafted " "Reach of the century. How do you trade Mcgahee to pick up this clown holy shittt" And after a day to think about it "As previously expressed taking a running back that isn't going to be dynamite in the first 20 picks of the draft is foolish. Lynch is going to be an average back in this league, and trading away an average back (Willis Mcgahee) and getting yet another average back is puzzling. Running backs are either elite or average 1,200 yard backs. Whether you get that in the 2nd or 3rd[round] or 12th over all doesn't matter." Words that could not be more prescient.

Let me reiterate, drafting a running back in the first round or at least in the top 15-20 picks is never a good idea. There are maybe a few examples of that being incorrect but that just proves the rule.

So great, we're stuck with a 29 year old mediocrity and a Reggie Bush esque tweener and an extra pick day three in April. How is this team better off?