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Marshawn Lynch Heaps Praise On Divisional Rival Jets

Jun 25, 2010, 4:10 PM UTC

Prior to last offseason, Marshawn Lynch was poised to be the long-term feature back for the Buffalo Bills. He eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in each of his first two seasons in the league after being taken in the first round by the team in 2007. But after receiving a three-game suspension at the beginning of last season because of a misdemeanor gun charge, Lynch never was able to regain the full-time starting role from the more dynamic back Fred Jackson.â†µâ†µThen the Bills took Clemson rusher C.J. Spiller in the first round of this year’s draft. While Marshawn might still be the best known of the three backs, he’s now at the bottom of the depth chart looking up, and that doesn’t figure to change by the beginning of the upcoming season. While Lynch has produced for the most part when given the chance, he has no one to blame for himself for his current plight, considering his many off-the-field exploits.â†µ

â†µâ†µWith the quick descent from star to subordinate, it’s understandable, if not entirely admirable, for Lynch to be surveying the rest of the league to see situations more preferable than his. Of course, when you announce out loud that you’re looking with envy at a division rival, people are going to take notice.â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥“I’m probably not supposed to say that, but I’m excited to see what the Jets are going to do,” Lynch told [ESPN’s Tim Graham] after Thursday’s minicamp practices. “I’m real excited. â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥“Now that’s a team that I’m going to pick and play with on Madden. That’s real talk.”â†µâ‡¥
â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥“Ooooo, see? They made so many moves it’s hard to just pinpoint one [that impressed me most],” Lynch said. “I am a running back, and LT ... Man, one of the best that ever did it. I’m going to be excited to see him twice a year. Santonio and [Darrelle] Revis and Cromartie over there, that’s going to be interesting.” â†µâ‡¥

â†µâ†µ â†µâ†µLynch stopped short of saying he wished he were on the Jets, though he was certainly more fulsome in his praise of them than he was regarding his own team. Not that Marshawn would find himself in a more advantageous position were he somehow dealt there, anyway. He’d just be stuck behind Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson instead of Spiller and Jackson. â†µ

â†µâ†µBut at least he’s have a front row seat for the rest of the excitement.â†µ

â†µâ†µ(H/T tp ProFootballTalk)â†µ

â†µ

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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