A lot has been written and spoken on a national level suggesting that Marshawn Lynch's

absence from the Buffalo Bills' organized team activities is throwing the team into turmoil.

"Distraction" is the word that repeatedly surfaces, the suggestion being that the Bills are

unable to progress unless their one-time 1,000-yard rusher joins his teammates on the practice

field and lets go of whatever it is that has him malcontent this time around.

There's a major flaw with this theory. In order to qualify as a distraction a player must

first be perceived as significantly relevant to the team's success, someone with abilities

that if withheld can't be adequately replaced. The holdout of Jason Peters could have

qualified as a distraction because it left a gaping hole at left tackle and raised serious

questions about who could fill the void.

Lynch is a lesser matter. The Bills have tired of his juvenile act. The first-round

selection of Clemson running back C.J. Spiller is recast as a pick made on need if the

organization has decided that Lynch has worn out his welcome, which is likely the case.

General Manager Buddy Nix won't say as much because he can't say as much since voicing

disappointment and worse is the surest way to undermine a player's trade value. But let's be

realistic. Lynch hasn't matured despite run-ins with the law and a league suspension. How long

are the Bills supposed to wait for him to become team-minded and civil?

This latest maneuver, the dodging of OTAs, is the freshest example of Lynch's ego run amok.

He hasn't spoken to the matter, but presumably Lynch is in a funk over the drafting of

Spiller, an acquisition that pushes the former feature back farther down the depth chart.

Presumably Lynch wants a trade, which is understandable and would serve the best interests of

both parties. The Bills don't need him, and they most certainly are tired of carrying his

baggage and wondering, "What's next?"

Lynch fails to recognize that he bears responsibility to help facilitate a deal. If he

shows up to OTAs, if he at least feigns the part of a good soldier, it would be a salve on his

sullied reputation and better situate the Bills to make a fair deal. Instead, by holding out,

Lynch has further distanced himself from an organization from which he seeks the favor of a

new start and heightened the wariness of potential suitors.

The Bills have angled for a second- or third-round pick in return for their former first-

round pick, while a fifth-rounder's looking more like market price. The blame for his meager

value falls predominantly on Lynch, a free spirit who's one more off-field transgression from

a suspension of eight games or longer. However, the Bills can't shuck all responsibility.

There were warning signs at Cal, which upon investigation the Bills dismissed as incidental, a

gross misjudgment considering Lynch's pattern of questionable behavior persists. Misreads are

nothing new to the Bills, who also failed to get adequately inside the heads of Mike Williams,

Erik Flowers and, it appears, John McCargo.

Jackson and Spiller support Lynch's decision to skip the OTAs, with Jackson noting that the

workouts are voluntary.

"He doesn't have to be here," Jackson said. "I've talked to him every other day and he's

working, too. He's trying to get in the playbook as much as possible, get as many mental reps

as he can. We all know that this is about what we can do and what we're doing here so that's

what we're focusing on and I'm sure when he comes back he'll be ready to go."

Lynch stopped in for a workout at Ralph Wilson Stadium recently. And then he left without

making contact with new head coach Chan Gailey. While it might be argued that Gailey could

just as easily reached out to Lynch, the plain truth is that the onus is on the troublesome

running back to approach his boss out of common courtesy. Lynch is the one who's proven of

questionable character. By keeping his distance he did nothing to refute common perception.

Spiller was asked about the impact of Lynch's absence during a national radio interview

Thursday. His response?

"We don't go into our meeting rooms having five- or 10-minute sessions about the guys that

are here or not here. We got to focus on that guys that are here and try to correct the

mistakes that we're making."

Lynch hardly qualifies as a distraction. Teammates would like to see him around because he

brings a competitive fire. They'd like to see him around in the name of the unity they're

seeking to cultivate. But if he's not around ... oh, well.

"There's great things about Marshawn being here," Jackson said. "We like to compete with

each other. He definitely pushes me. There's always something about him being here that's

definitely a positive thing. As far as the distraction, it's not going to distract me or

anybody on this team. Distraction is definitely not the right word. We have to be focused on

what we're supposed to do when we're in the game. And I think that's what everybody here is

focusing on, getting their jobs down and what they have to do. Somebody not being here isn't

going to affect that."

If Lynch wants a trade to soothe his ego then joining his teammates should be his next

course of action. And if he continues to ride solo, it diminishes his trade value. The Bills

have to be careful here. Peters got his way but, unlike Lynch, he had leverage. It's not in

the best interests of the organization to give in again. Unless Lynch chooses to cooperate, it

could well suit the Bills to keep writing him checks while his career wastes away.