Lynch Returns to Seahawks on New Deal

Note to members of the Seattle media: no need to buy new batteries for your recorders, because Marshawn Lynch is coming back for another tight-lipped season.

Lynch has agreed to return to the Seahawks after agreeing to a two-year extension on Friday. The new contract increases his 2015 pay by $5 million (from $7 million to $12 million) and provides an additional $24 million for the 2016 and 2017 seasons should Lynch choose to play that long.

Lynch, 28, is the driving force behind the Seahawks’ offense, having run for at least 1,200 yards in each of his four full seasons in Seattle. He was more potent than ever in 2014, setting new career-highs in rushing touchdowns (13) and receiving touchdowns (four).

Lynch was one of the keys to Seattle’s Super Bowl run in the 2013 season, scoring four touchdowns in three playoff games. He was equally clutch last postseason, including going for more than 100 yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl, but was never given the chance to finish off Seattle’s quest for a second consecutive title. The Seahawks opted instead to pass the ball on second-and-goal from the 1-yard line and the rest is history.

“To be honest with you, I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I was expecting the ball,” Lynch said in an interview with a Turkish sports network. “Yes, I was expecting the ball. But in life, these things happen. Like I told a reporter after the game, it’s a team sport.”

The Seahawks are determined to get back to the Big Game this season and make amends for the most heartbreaking loss in Super Bowl history. GM John Schneider quickly realized that re-signing Lynch was the best way to make that happen and so he willingly overpaid for a running back who has become as well known for his curt replies as his “Beast Mode” running style.

So bust out the Skittles, because the reigning NFC Champions promise to be as colorful as ever.

Chargers Seek Championship DNA

Lynch isn’t the only former Super Bowl hero in the headlines this weekend. Jacoby Jones, who helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII with a 108-yard kickoff return and a 56-yard touchdown reception, agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million deal with the Chargers on Friday.

Jones was one of just two players to finish in the top-10 in kickoff returns and punt returns last season. He will handle all return duties for a Chargers team that has been without a dynamic return man since Darren Sproles left town as a free agent after the 2010 season.

Jones, one of the fastest players in the league, will also provide a vertical threat to San Diego’s offense.

Said Jones: “I talked to Phil [Rivers] and he told me, ‘I need a burner on the outside, someone who can get me an extra 10 yards.’ I told him, ‘I can do that for you.’”

Jones will add some championship experience to a Chargers locker room full of players eager to believe they can compete with the best teams in the league. And, according to our sources, San Diego may not be done adding players who have shined on the biggest stage of them all.

We have been informed the Chargers are the early favorites to sign Seattle LB Malcolm Smith, who was the MVP of Super Bowl XLVIII. Smith is Seattle’s top reserve linebacker, capable of filling it at every position. He played primarily at outside linebacker in Seattle’s 4-3 scheme, but he projects as an inside linebacker in San Diego’s 3-4 defense.

Smith has played in 45 games over the last three seasons, starting 16 of them. His career numbers include 130 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and four forced fumbles. He is best known for his performance in Seattle’s Super Bowl win over the Broncos, when he recovered a fumble and picked off a Peyton Manning pass that he returned 69 yards for a touchdown.

Pairing Smith with Jones, who helped knock Denver out of the playoffs in 2012 with a 70-yard touchdown reception in the final minute of regulation, would only intensify the Broncos-Chargers rivalry.

Oher Signs Two-Year Deal with the Panthers

Michael Oher, who played with Jones on Baltimore’s Super Bowl winning team, has found a new team as well. He has signed a two-year contract with Carolina, where he will replace LT Byron Bell.

Oher spent last season in Tennessee, where he started 11 games at right tackle before landing on injured-reserve with a toe injury. He spent the previous five seasons in Baltimore, where he started every game, including all 16 games in 2010 at left tackle.

The subject of the 2009 movie “The Blind Side,” Oher is s powerful run blocker who should help generate more movement in the running game. He also figures to be an upgrade in pass protection over Bell, who allowed 9.25 sacks last season.

“We look forward to having Michael be a part of what we are building here,” coach Ron Rivera said. “He’s a pro who understands what it takes to win. A big part of why we pursued Michael was his relationship with offensive line coach John Matsko and the opportunity to have him work with Ray Brown. We are excited to have him.”

Matsko was Oher’s offensive line coach during his first two seasons in Baltimore, including the 2010 season in which he protected Joe Flacco’s blindside.

The Panthers will still consider drafting a tackle with the No. 25 overall pick in this year’s draft, but now that Oher is fully recovered from his toe injury, he is confident he is ready to hold off any challenger.

“I’m great now, back doing everything full speed,” Oher told the Panthers official website. “It was something that had bothered me every year in the NFL. While lining up in my stance, sometimes I would feel it. It was something I had needed to get taken care of. I finally got it done and I can see the results from it already.”

Want to talk more about these and other headlines? Join Michael Lombardo for his weekly NFL Chat on Friday on 2pm EST. But you don’t have to wait until then … you can ask your question now!