Every week, plenty of players are listed as questionable for their next game, which means there’s a 50-50 chance the player will play. Then comes Sunday morning, when the Twitter version of the Cannonball Run lets everyone know who will be playing and who won’t be playing, despite being 50-50.
Sure, it’s an imperfect process (e.g., T.Y. Hiltonlast week, who per multiple national reports would play but did). It’s nevertheless become one of the Sunday morning rituals as to all players who, as of Friday, were 50-50 to play.
This week, the most important player on the 50-50 list is Seahawks running backMarshawn Lynch. Via multiple entries in the Twitterball Run, Lynch remains 50-50 to play.
Lynch, who last played two weeks ago, was added to the injury report on Friday with an abdominal problem. It would be surprising if he doesn’t play in a key prime-time game against the Cardinals. If he doesn’t play, and if Thomas Rawls comes in and does well on the big stage, it becomes even more likely that, come next year, the Seahawks won’t tiptoe on eggshells to persuade Lynch to return for another season.
In 2016, Lynch is due to earn $9 million, with a cap number of $11.5 million. Rawls, in contrast, has a $525,000 salary — with a cap number of $530,000.
Before paying Lynch 18 times more than Rawls, the Seahawks have to ask themselves whether Lynch is 18 times better than Rawls.
So far this year, Lynch has 375 yards rushing in six games, with an average of 3.6 yards per carry. Rawls, who has played in every game and started three, has 376 yards — and an average of 5.4 yards per attempt.
Already, Rawls is more productive. If Rawls is both more productive and more available than Lynch, whether to keep the guy who’ll make 5.8 percent of what Lynch is due to make in 2016 becomes a no-brainer.
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