There is an increasingly likely chance that Marshawn Lynch ends up playing for the Oakland Raiders in 2017. The Oakland native is reportedly close to working out a deal with the front office, and now the Raiders and Seahawks just need to figure out a trade package.

Everyone is pretty excited about the whole thing, including quarterback Derek Carr, who told Steve Wyche of the NFL Network that he thinks it would be "awesome" to have Lynch on the Raiders roster.

"I think it would be awesome just to have him around," Carr said."He's a great teammate from everyone that I've talked to from the couple of Seahawks that we've had on our team. They love him.

"In the short times that I've talked to him and texted with him, those things, just from being in the NFL and knowing him, I love the guy. I would love to play with him. But at the same time, I'm focused on the guys that we have here in this building.

"I have to go in with the mindset that this is the group that has to win the AFC (championship). This is the group that has to win the Super Bowl. So I'm focused on these guys. But as soon as we add somebody, we'll open our arms and welcome him just like we did with all our family."

Has Derek Carr ever said anything negative about anyone? He is unabashedly upbeat basically 24/7. And that's a great thing -- you need confidence and optimism to become an NFL quarterback. 

But Carr has reason to love the idea of Lynch on the Raiders. Oakland is coming off a 12-win season in which it stunned the world and made the playoffs (but fell just short of winning the division). The current running back depth chart features DeAndre Washington, Jalen Richard and Taiwan Jones.

Oakland badly needs a power back and Lynch would be the perfect fit behind a mauling offensive line that was one of the best in football during the 2017 season. 

Lynch is absolutely a question mark because there's no telling how much he's got left in the tank and no telling whether taking a year off was a plus or a minus for him as a running back. If he's anything like the guy we saw in Seattle in 2013 or 2014, the Raiders might be the prohibitive favorite to win the AFC West. 

They would also quickly cancel out some of the negative feelings created by the move to Las Vegas. Fans aren't going to be thrilled about the team leaving (and probably don't appreciate Carr saying "true" fans will still root for the Raiders).

But perhaps a dominant run game highlighted by the beloved Lynch could keep people from taking Mark Davis up on his offer to refund season tickets.