Marshawn Lynch to ... the Patriots? Report says he might be interested if Raiders fall through

Marshawn Lynch returning to the NFL always made too much sense. But simply coming back and playing with his hometown Oakland Raiders was just too easy, right?

Days after reports that Lynch-to-Oakland might start to happen, assuming the Seattle Seahawks — who still hold Lynch’s rights — are willing to allow it, comes this fairly stunning report:

Yeah, the internet might really explode if that happens. Our mind is already gone considering the possibilities.

One of the best backs of his generation, Lynch sat out last season after “retiring” from the NFL. Although many believed he was not truly done and could come back at any point, and there has been a slew of reports suggesting that the wanted to come back to play with the Raiders, who were emerging as a Super Bowl-caliber contender last season before Derek Carr’s injury and who need a back after letting Latavius Murray sign with the Minnesota Vikings.

Lynch remains under control of the Seahawks, who would have to release him after Lynch “unretired” or trade him to Oakland. He reportedly even has visited the Raiders’ facility, so it was viewed as a coup d’etat.

But might that fall through and the Patriots rise up? Their offseason, mere weeks after winning the Super Bowl, has been remarkably productive, the standoff with cornerback Malcolm Butler notwithstanding. They need a running back still, and with no draft pick currently until the 72nd selection overall, the Patriots have looked at other avenues to fill the position, including bringing in Adrian Peterson for a visit.

However, this Lynch report is most fascinating because it supposedly comes from the Lynch camp. This is not the Patriots leaking the news, we assume, because the team — not many other people on the planet — certainly might not have a great idea of what might be going through Lynch’s head at this point. Of course, the Patriots’ pitch could be pretty enticing. They’ve now had a patterned history of bringing in choice veterans and helping them win rings, so we’d have to think Lynch would be all about that action, boss.

Still, as Howe warns, it’s not considered a likelihood at all.

But can you imagine? Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Brandin Cooks AND Lynch on the same offense? Not to mention a pretty darned strong supporting cast outside those standout players. Of course, the elephant in the room: Bill Belichick and Lynch in the same locker room. Yeah, we’d have to discuss that. One thing we’ll say, personalities aside, is that Lynch is an extremely instinctive and smart football player, not to mention his terrific skill, assuming that has not eroded during his hiatus from the game.

The most likely scenario is that LeGarrette Blount returns to the team on a modest deal, or perhaps Peterson is in play at some point. So we’re not exactly holding our breath over this going down. But it’s insanely fun to consider it. And wouldn’t that just be so Marshawn?

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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