Marshawn Lynch, Michael Crabtree to Stay with Raiders Jon Gruden, GM Say

Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Reggie McKenzie told reporters Wednesday at the scouting combine that veterans Marshawn Lynch and Michael Crabtree are expected to remain with the team in 2018.

McKenzie categorized Crabtree as being "in our plans," while Gruden said the team is "counting on [Lynch] being a big part of our football team.”

Both veterans were considered potential cut candidates because of their shaky 2017 performances and high base salaries for next season.

Crabtree, 30, carries a $7.7 million cap hit in 2018, per Spotrac. He finished with 58 receptions for 618 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games last season, arguably the worst numbers of his career over a full campaign. The Raiders targeted Crabtree just five times over their final two games of the season.

"If I react, then I'm a bad guy, you know what I'm saying?" he told reporters of getting fewer targets down the stretch. "I done played 60 minutes every time we play. Game-winners after game-winners, like I do everything they asked of me. These last two games, I probably had three targets, but nobody's saying nothing about that."

McKenzie admitted Crabtree did not perform up to par in the latter half of the season but said few on the team were at their peak performance levels.

"Mike didn't finish, but neither did we as a team," McKenzie said. "We did not finish well. Things did not go well. We can point fingers in a lot of those types of situations, but we're not going to dwell on what happened last year. We're going to press forward and get the most out of the guys we've got and get it working."

Lynch, who turns 32 next month, rushed for 891 yards and seven touchdowns in 2017. His numbers were, however, particularly strong in the second half of the season. He rushed for 625 yards and five touchdowns in Oakland's last eight games with a 4.6 yards-per-carry average, compared to 266 yards and two touchdowns and a 3.7 average in its first eight contests.

"He's still a beast that's hard to bring down," Gruden told reporters of Lynch. "And one of the reasons I'm excited to be with the Raiders is to join forces with Lynch. But we'll see what happens. Obviously, we have to take a look at the entire roster. But I'm counting on him. I'm counting on him being a big part of our football team."

Lynch is due a $1 million bonus if he is on the roster March 18, and he carries a $4 million base salary, per Spotrac. 

Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the team is "uncomfortable" with duo's salary figures. While Gruden and McKenzie have been publicly positive, the situations are considered "in flux."

It's possible the team looks to restructure both Lynch's and Crabtree's contracts to give the Raiders more immediate cap room. However, that strategy would result in potential dead cap space in 2019 if neither improves their performance. 

Agent Doug Hendrickson represents both players.