Gruden counting on Lynch to be 'big part' of Raiders

Jon Gruden is looking forward to working with Marshawn Lynch.

Upon being reinstalled as head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Gruden was noncommittal about Lynch's future with the team. At the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday, however, Gruden changed his tune.

"One of the reasons I was excited to join the Raiders was to join forces with Lynch," Gruden said.

Lynch, an Oakland native, is a fan favorite and was the team's leading rusher in 2017. He carried the ball for 891 yards and seven touchdowns and churned out 4.3 yards per carry.

He's signed on with the Raiders for one more year, and Gruden is excited about getting a glimpse of Beast Mode.

"He's still a beast that's hard to bring down," Gruden said. "I'm counting on him to be a big part of our football team."