Wait, Marshawn Lynch, Really? 

You can take this for whatever it’s worth: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Oakland Raiders are “strongly considering” making a run at Marshawn Lynch, who retired after the 2015 season.

I’ll party-poop this one first. I can’t see it being a good idea to land a running back who’ll be 31 years old, who hasn’t played in a year, and the last time he did play he battled injuries and ran for just 3.8 yards per carry. Especially not if the Raiders have to give up a pick.

And then I’ll turn around and try to talk myself into it, because Marshawn Lynch is awesome and the NFL was better with him in it. The Raiders’ offensive line is miles better than what Lynch was running behind in Seattle, and Derek Carr leads a more vertical passing game that benefits running backs. So maybe it could work, especially if Lynch is part of a committee that limits his wear-and-tear?

There’s a ways to go. The Seahawks still control Lynch’s rights, so the Raiders would have to swing a trade if they can’t convince Seattle to release him. (Though Schefter notes that their respective GMs worked together in Green Bay and have a good relationship.) And then there’s the question of whether Lynch would want to come out of retirement, even for his hometown team. Lynch has made noncommittal noises before, so it’s plausible.

It comes down to opportunity cost. After losing Latavius Murray to free agency, the Raiders aren’t likely to leave things to DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard. But is Marshawn Lynch a wiser bet than a LeGarrette Blount, a Jamaal Charles, an Adrian Peterson? Probably not. Do I want it to happen anyway? Oh my yes.