Doug Martin May Get Starting Nod
May 25th, 2012
Joe has made no secret of how appalled he was by the slander of LeGarrette Blount by the former Bucs coaching staff, throwing him under the bus and blaming him for virtually everything short of syphilis and Iran building a nuclear reactor in an effort to save their own hides.
So the Bucs go out and draft Muscle Hamster, Doug Martin in the first round, a savvy move by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.
Not only has the addition of Martin lighted a fire under Blount, which is not a bad thing, there already is debate who may start come September, Blount or Hamster.
It seems Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune has an idea and offered his keen insight into this in a TBO Bucs Q&A.
Q: Who do you think will start Day One at running back? I think it should be LeGarrette Blount, he has shown flashes of being great and fits Schiano’s physical mentality. Don’t get me wrong, Doug Martin will get a lot of touches as well. At this point in time LeGarrette is just the better back.
Andrew Athans, Arnold, Md.
A: I don’t disagree with what you say about Blount, but I think Martin will be the starter. He’s more versatile than Blount and doesn’t have the problems holding on to the ball that Blount does. Martin can break tackles, too, and he has the speed to break free for a home run. He’ll likely get the chance to be the starter out of the chute but it’s nice to have a starting-caliber player like Blount in reserve, who can finish games and punish tired defenses.
— Woody Cummings
There is no winner or loser in this situation. Joe could see Martin starting for no other reason than the investment the Bucs will have in him, but let’s remember, Martin has yet to carry a football in a game, much less practice, where defenders are wearing pads.
Blount or Martin, Joe can’t see the Bucs going wrong either way.
May 25th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
I in all honestly don’t care who gets the starting rb nod. Im fine with having martin start in the first half with a little bit of blunt sprinkled in along the way. Then in the 4th quarter ride the hot hand or let blunt go to work on a tired defence. There both gonna be needed and relied on heavily this season to turn this team around and hopefully get us where we need to be.
May 25th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
If Martin is healthy – there is no doubt that he will be the starter. Period.
Blount will be his backup, and I agree that I feel good having Blount as the backup. Blount is a good backup RB – he is competent as a ball carrier, dangerous and affordable.
Blount will never be a capable #1 – too many deficiencies – which is why we traded up and into the first round to draft a starter. The consensus with the educated and experienced football minds is that the Bucs did not have a starting RB until Martin.
Feel good fans, we have one now.
May 25th, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Some of you are still being held hostage to the remnants of the previous failed regime.
Except for Free (who has his issues also) everything else has yet to materialize – the only developed players are: DJ, Penn, Ronde, Zuttah, arguably Talib, Nicks, V Jax, Wright – who are either Gru holdovers or brand new free agents.
Every other rah/dom player has yet to pan out (a shocking failure) so let go of the last horrible 3 years and embrace the new Schiano Order.
May 25th, 2012 at 1:02 pm
I don’t see this as an issue. All “starter” means is that he’s on the field for the first offensive play. I see Blount and Martin pretty much getting the same amount of touches. I’m looking to see them feed off of each other. I hope it happens.
May 25th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
Thomas 2.blow – Yes , you hate Raheem. You despise Dominick, we get it. You are always right and we are just sheep. There does your ego feel better now?
May 25th, 2012 at 1:27 pm
I am a big blount fan, but Doug Martin has a much better pace to start the game with his quickness …. Blount’s yardage gets better into Quarter 2, 3 and 4.
I expect 35+ carries per game with a 20/15 ratio give or take between the 2 backs.
May 25th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
They will both receive lots of playing time I would think. I agree with jvato24, altough if we have a lead and just running late in the 4th I’m not sure it would just be 1 or the other at this point. If were down in the 4th think Martin will be in there more as he is supposedly more versatile.
May 25th, 2012 at 1:37 pm
As long as there is production and victories, who cares how they split the carries. On a side note, Raheem would have declared a 2-2-1 approach by now.
May 25th, 2012 at 1:37 pm
What you get out of Thomas is the same crap repeated over and over and over again. Nothing new to say, no fresh ideas. Just the same old negative vibe of garbage he continues to spew across the comment boards.
May 25th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
See i like the opposite approach. Let Blount get in early and pound the rock on the defense a bit. Get them tired and bruised up. Then let Martin Come in and burn the tired defense to close out the game.
This is how the NY Giants did it. B. Jacobs for the most part always opened the games. Hurting the D, While Bradshaw and Ward were able to tear em up after they got weak.
I see the same style coming from Tampa. Even tho i know everyone is praying hard for Martin to get the start. I still Feel it’s Blounts to loose.
Still a good problem to have
May 25th, 2012 at 1:55 pm
good points 941, lets see how the 2 do in training camp and the pre-season that will be somewhat telling how the season will start anyway. I hope both are effective and we could have a really good offense.
May 25th, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Can someone tell me how it is known that Martin is less fumble prone than Blount? Dude has yet to play a single down, but we already know he doesn’t have ball control issues.
Blount lost 1 fumble in his entire college career, in the Rose Bowl in his final game.
Meanwhile, from Doug Martin’s pre-draft analysis:
• Too many fumbles and must protect ball better
Can we all just let these two get to camp and battle it out? And stop making up crap we when we have no idea what we are talking about. Can we let Doug Martin play a down or two before we declare him the best thing since Warrick Dunn?
May 25th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
What is most obvious about this article is that ‘Arnold Athans’ is actualy Joe. Or is Joe Arnold Athans, regardless it’s Scandalous!
May 25th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
@ hfxbucs
Lol I was thinking the same thing while reading the article
May 25th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Again, can you, masters of football knowledge, name the RB’s drafted in Blounts class of 2010, that have more rushing yards than Blount since entering the NFL.? I didn’t think so, cuz there aren’t ANY. Not 1st round pick Ryan Mathews, or 2nd rd’r Jahvid Best or ANYONE. Blount leads ALL RB’s drafted or FA since 2010 in rushing yards, WITHOUT a TC with Bucs yet.
Like Joe I’m baffled at the hate towards Blount by the media. This is a very young RB who’s arguably been the most productive player on the team, both offense and defense, over the past 2 years. This includes ALL drafted players.
Blount had 5 fumbles last year and lost 3. By comparison, Preston Parker had 8 fumbles in the same year and lost 3.
May 25th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
Thomas – We don’t care about your fantasy football league. We don’t consider them “Educated and experienced NFL minds”, just like we don’t consider you educated or an experienced NFL mind.
bucyea – I’m right there with ya. He’s done everything right and still gets dogged. I don’t get it. I’m pulling for a tandem of Blount AND Martin this year, not “starter and backup”. Both should see plenty of touches, both will probably make a few catches, and hopefully both will score more than a handful of TDs.
May 25th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
I’d laugh my ass off if we did the first play of the season opener with a two back set and have ’em both be starters.
But in seriousness I’m with Jvato on a 20/15 or so split with more carries dependent on what defense we are facing. Starting at running back doesn’t really meanhave the same implications that it did 10 years ago.
May 25th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Amazing how my post disappeared.
May 25th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
Would you guys please leave Thomas alone. He doesn’t post to talk about football. Football is merely his venue for jerking your chains. Thomas knows very little about the things he says, but he does know he can get a rise out of fans by bashing the Buc players, coaches and organization.
When you see his name, you already know it’s going to be more nonsense to annoy anyone still reading him, so why bother? The game he is really interested in is the one he’s playing with you.
May 25th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Pete, copy and past might help, if your post doesn’t go through, just paste it again.
May 25th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
Snook I almost always agree with what you say you normally steal what I want to say.Thank you for being a true buc fan.
Once again who cares who starts we have 2 badazz RB,we havent had that since dunn and alstott yes yes yes yes.
Tampaaaaaaa Baaaaaaaay!!!!
May 25th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
I love how when I compliment a Buc player, like Martin, but also say that he is the clear starter over a flawed player, but good backup in Blount – it is considered negative or hate.
Think about that for a second: I am praising a Buc, but because it’s not the favored son it is considered negative.
The experts are Schiano and Dom – they would not have traded up into the first round to draft blount’s backup with so many needs – not even Dom is that clueless.
One of Schiano’s first public statements was to blast Blount, Art Valero (former RB coach) it is generally accepted that Blount is a one dimensional complementary back – I am just agreeing.
Martin should be very good, not accepting that bc of some weird lust over Blount is what is negative
May 25th, 2012 at 7:13 pm
@knucknbuc,
“I in all honestly don’t care who gets the starting rb nod……..There both gonna be needed and relied on heavily this season to turn this team around and hopefully get us where we need to be.”
Exactly. Wish more people understood this as well.
May 25th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
Thomas is right about Martin being the starter. A new coach who drafts a RB in the first round fully intends on him being the starter. That should be obvious. Blount is a special back when he finds a hole. He’s a straight line beast but definately has been a liability in pass coverage and short yardage situations.
May 25th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
@Thomas,
So let me get this straight, you consider the following quote “praising” someone???????:
“If Martin is healthy – there is no doubt that he will be the starter. Period.”
Did I miss something? So from that one sentence, we should consider that to mean that you are complimenting him? If that’s your definition of praising, then you really must be a joy to be around.
May 25th, 2012 at 10:46 pm
Come on Hawiaan, give the guy credit now… That is a compliment to Martin, saying he is clearly better than Blount. I dont know about the clearly part but I do think in the end, It will be Martin getting the majority of touches on game days. But we now have 2 good RBs which is the important thing. Maybe even 3 if Smith can do something for us as well… This is a very good problem to have.
If Dunsmore can figure out how to block at the pro level, he could also be in the mix at FB, everyone seems to think he will play TE.. im not so sure.
May 25th, 2012 at 11:32 pm
In the world of the NFL these days you need two good backs. The Bucs drafted martin because they needed another back in their system.It matters not who the starter is they both if healthy will get plenty of carries. Thomas 2.2 is the biggest idiot I have ever seen post why wont Joe ban him? Blount is one of the most explosive backs in the NFL at the time and has never had an off season with the team yet, but some of these morons that post here that say they are Buc fans have reason to hate him, I do not get the hate for one of our best players.
May 25th, 2012 at 11:37 pm
Just win baby!
Schiano is a smart cat, the RB’s will get their carries determined by matchups and the “hot hand”.
May 25th, 2012 at 11:41 pm
Thomas is not an idiot.
His views are extreme and bold, but they are his views.
He’s also right about a lot of stuff.
Be a lil more kind about the name calling, please. We are all adult bloggers here 🙂
May 25th, 2012 at 11:47 pm
Thomas is right about Blount. He is a one trick pony. A damn good pony though.
Martin was simply brought in to help diversify the offense so we can actually score some points and and help win some games.
Blount got 1K yards before, he can still get his even with Maeletin being the “starter”.
I like Smith to come in and hit the edges on 5-6 plays a game.
Schiano is going to play the right back in the right situation.
May 25th, 2012 at 11:50 pm
Maeletin =*Martin* (damn phone autocorrect)
May 26th, 2012 at 12:47 am
you dont need to pass block or catch the ball when you ave 5 yds a carry, just give him more than 5 carries
May 26th, 2012 at 12:48 am
Of course Martin will be a huge part of the offense, regardless of who “starts”. As for moving up into the first round to get him, just think about that…. they really didn’t give up much of anything to move up, by making the move they got Martin before the Giants could get him, AND they can sign him to a 5 year deal instead of a 4 year deal. That’s not saying they thought he was a “1st round RB”, just that there were many benefits to moving up and they gave up very little.
If Martin pans out, they pick up the 5th year option of the contract. If he busts, they let him go at 4 years with minimal loss. Not saying he’ll bust, but they’re minimizing risk here. They get a young RB at a rookie contract for 5 years. I want Martin AND Blount to succeed. Saying Martin is “clearly” better or “clearly” the starter is ridiculous. He hasn’t touched a football in an NFL game yet. Blount has, and he’s surpassed 1000 yards in a partial season. Blount hasn’t had an offseason with the team and still has proven his success. Martin hasn’t done anything yet. I hope he does, but until I see him on the field, he’s not clearly anything but a rookie.
As for Blount being a “one trick pony”, all I can say is we’ve only seen “one trick”, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have more. I do like his trick though… running through tackles, leaping defenders going low, and showing burst in the open field. Pretty good trick and that seems like ore than one anyway. He has caught passes, he just isn’t typically used that way. I’ll give him a bit of a pass on the protections and blitz pickup until he can get an offseason in. So, this is his proving year. We’ll see how he does.
May 26th, 2012 at 9:37 am
Tampa will platoon Blount and the Muscle Hamster, so who really cares who starts ?
In my mind, it is Martin who has to prove himself, not Blount.
Blount already has nearly 2000 yards in the NFL, Martin has zero.