The Seahawks shouldn't pay Marshawn Lynch

Seattle Seahawks' running back Marshawn Lynch recently said that he's considering retirement if the Seahawks don't give him a raise in pay. I understand where Lynch is coming from; Seattle wouldn't have won the Super Bowl without him. He's what makes their offense go. When Seattle acquired the man nicknamed "Beast Mode" in 2010, they got him on the cheap, giving up just two draft picks (a fourth- and fifth-rounder) to the Buffalo Bills. Since joining the Seahawks in Week 5 of the 2010 regular season, Lynch has rushed for 4,624 yards and 41 touchdowns, as well as 862 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He's been voted to each of the last three Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro in 2012. But, this isn't about past accolades, it's all about business.

The Seahawks have a lot of talent on their roster, and a lot of that talent is made up of guys who were late round draft picks or didn't even get drafted, which means they're yet to sign a big money contract. Quarterback Russell Wilson -- still playing under his rookie contract, which is worth a total just south of $3 million -- is certain to break the bank when the 'Hawks sign him to a contract extension. The Seahawks' front office is certainly thinking about the younger, more promising players that will be due some hefty pay raises in the coming years, which would be made difficult if they were to give in to Lynch's demands, so to speak.

The other aspect to understand is the way the running back position is valued in today's NFL. This is a pass-first league, where quarterbacks throwing for more than four thousand yards is the norm. With offenses taking the running back by committee approach, the days of the bell cow backs like Lynch and Adrian Peterson are becoming a thing of the past. The Seahawks have two young and talented running backs -- third-year man Robert Turbin and second-year back Christine Michael -- waiting in the wings, so why overpay for a 28-year-old running back? Granted, he's a phenomenal 28-year-old running back, but he's still a bit too old to be considered worthy of top-dollar.

The Seahawks would be wise not to pay their disgruntled veteran, unless they could do so in a way that wouldn't hurt their cap situation. This is something to keep an eye on, especially once the regular season nears, because that's when situations like this can turn into distractions.


*Statistical information and accolades courtesy of Pro Football Reference
*Player contract information courtesy of spotrac
*Depth chart information courtesy of Ourlads
*Trade details courtesy of  ESPN