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Seattle Seahawks: Will Marshawn Lynch begin to decline in 2015?

By Nick Ziegler

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The Seattle Seahawks have had the luxury of having a great running game for a number of seasons now, as since acquiring Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks have become a great team in the NFL.

In the 2007 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills selected Lynch with the 12th overall pick from the University of California. In 2007, Lynch burst onto the scene with a great rookie season, as he totaled 1,115 yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and a solid 4.0 yards per carry.

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Lynch would follow up his great rookie season with a solid sophomore year, as he made his first and only Pro Bowl with the Bills. In 2008, Lynch totaled 1,036 yards with eight rushing touchdowns, as he was making his name as one of the best power-backs in the NFL.

After the great first two seasons in Buffalo, things would turn south for Lynch. In 2009, Lynch only ran the ball 120 times, and his rushing yards that season suffered. In his 13 games in 2009, Lynch only totaled 450 rushing yards with two rushing touchdowns, as it was a disappointing season. In 2010, Lynch would only play four games before being traded to the Seahawks for a fourth and fifth round draft picks.

Since joining the Seahawks, Lynch has become one of the best running backs in the NFL, as behind a strong offensive line, Lynch has been a regular in the Pro Bowl for the Seahawks. In his four full seasons with the Seahawks, Lynch has been over 1,000 rushing yards in each year. Lynch has also become a great threat at the goal-line with double-digit rushing touchdowns in each season.

In 2012, Lynch had his best season in the NFL, as he totaled 1,590 yards rushing with 11 rushing touchdowns, and a fantastic 5.0 yards per carry. In the receiving game, Lynch has also been much more of an impact player since joining the Seahawks, as he has eight receiving touchdowns compared to just one in his time with the Bills.

Lynch has been with the Seahawks for five seasons now, and since be traded from the Bills, Lynch has been a main reason for the Seahawks making the playoffs in four of those five seasons. In the 2010, Lynch had one of the greatest runs in NFL history, as the Seahawks pulled off one of the bigger upsets in NFL history against the New Orleans Saints.

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) celebrates a first down during the third quarter against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout this offseason there was a lot of speculation that Lynch could hang up his cleats, as his bruising running style has had to have taken a total on his body. Despite the talk about retirement, Lynch signed a two-year to remain with the Seahawks, as they try to rebound from the difficult Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots.

With the Seahawks’ success has come the inevitable loss of players to free agency, and that has taken its toll on the offensive line the past few seasons. In just this offseason, the Seahawks have lost left guard James Carpenter to the New York Jets in free agency, and then they traded Pro Bowl center Max Unger as part of the deal to acquire Jimmy Graham. While Graham will greatly help Russell Wilson and the passing offense, he will not provide the Seahawks as a good run-blocking tight end.

Lynch will be heading into his 10th season in the NFL, which is getting old in running back years, and with changes to the offensive line could see his production begin to decline in the 2015 season.

Next: What were Russell Wilson's 5 best games of 2014?

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