Even those who claim to know former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch don't actually know him, which made the question posed by NFL Media's Michael Robinson to Seattle corner Richard Sherman very interesting.
Will Beast Mode remain retired?
"I don't put anything past him," Sherman said at Robinson's youth football camp in Mechanicsville, Virginia, on Saturday. "He's about as predictable as a pair of dice. So I don't try to call his plays."
"But it's obviously going to be different. We got a little sample of it last year," Sherman continued. "We had to play without him for a good portion of the season. I think we're prepared for it in some aspects. But you never really want to be prepared for that. You would hope that he comes back. In the back of your mind, you hope he comes back and plays another year. But he doesn't owe us anything. He's given us everything. He's given the game everything we asked."
Lynch had an incredible work ethic during his time in the NFL, but it would be easy to see him coasting back in a spot role after training camp so he can spend more time making a difference in his hometown. Lynch had no patience for the obsessive minutiae of the NFL process, but one last ride (or one last Super Bowl) is tempting to any competitor.
The Seahawks added three running backs in the 2016 NFL Draft -- C.J. Prosise, Alex Collins and Zac Brooks -- on top of a roster that already includes Thomas Rawls and Christine Michael. At the very least, they are attempting to guard against a running back carousel like they had a year ago when Lynch was injured and missed significant time. Lynch managed just 417 rushing yards and three touchdowns. If it weren't for Rawls' emergence, the team might not have made it as deep into the playoffs. The power element is essential to their offense.
Injuries never come at a good time and the need for talented help can make people do crazy things. We wouldn't put it past Lynch to see him in Seattle again -- but we also wouldn't put anything past him.
