It looks like we finally know what's holding up Marshawn Lynch's potential deal with the Raiders, and surprise, surprise, it's the thing that holds up most deals in the NFL: money.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Beast Mode and the Raiders haven't agreed to terms on a contract because they can't agree on how much Lynch should be paid in 2017.
Once Lynch officially comes out of retirement, he'll be scheduled to make $9 million in base salary for the upcoming season. Apparently, Beast Mode doesn't expect to make that full amount, but he does expect the Raiders to pay him at least half of that ($4.5 million).
The problem for Lynch is that the Raiders don't want to pay him a dime more than $3 million, according to the Chronicle. Basically, the teams are at a $1.5 million impasse, and they have less than a week to figure things out.
The reason the two sides have less than a week to figure things out is because Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said on Friday that if the team was going to get a deal done with Lynch that he'd like to get it done before the NFL Draft, which kicks off on April 27.
"At some point, you would like to know," McKenzie said. "Prior to the draft is that point."
According to MMQB.com, the Raiders are "willing to walk away from a potential deal" if something doesn't get done soon.
The draft deadline makes sense, because, you know, if Lynch isn't on the team, the Raiders might want to potentially spend a pick or two on the running back position.
To get Lynch on the roster, not only do the Raiders have to get him to agree to terms on a contract, but they have to work out a deal with the Seahawks, who currently own Beast Mode's NFL rights. Working out a deal with the Seahawks won't be a huge obstacle, but again, the Raiders are up against the clock if they want to get a deal done before the draft.
The good news for Raiders fans is that it seems that both sides want to get this deal done.
According to the Chronicle, neither side is giving up just because they're $1.5 million apart. The deal is expected to include a lot of incentives, meaning it's possible Lynch would be willing to take less than $4.5 million in base pay if he's able to make that up in bonus money for hitting certain rushing numbers during the season.
By the way, if you're wondering why the Raiders might be balking at paying Lynch $4.5 million, it's likely because running backs at his age just aren't very productive. Beast Mode turned 31 on April 22 (Happy birthday, Marshawn! Please send Marshawn Skittles), which isn't a great age for NFL running backs.
Over the past 25 years, only 10 running backs age 31 or older have hit the 1,000-yard mark in a season, and those 10 running backs combined to do it a total of 12 times. Two of those seasons came from Frank Gore, who hit the 1,000-yard mark in both 2014 and 2016. Before that, no player 31 or older had hit the mark since 2009.
