The Decline Of Doug Martin
November 12th, 2014
The decline of Bucs RB Doug Martin is surprising.
Sometimes, for reasons not quite clear, running backs just lose it. Often it is the wear and tear of the position, which can be brutal physically.
Take Bucs running back Doug Martin. After a strong rookie season, Martin has steadily declined to a point where he may be the No. 3 running back for the Bucs.
What happened to Martin isn’t clear. Some, like Joe, think he lost his vision. He doesn’t look for openings (that are there) to take it to the third level. He just puts his head down and tries to bowl over linemen and linebackers.
Others, such as NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell, believe Martin has lost his elusiveness to a point where he doesn’t even try to shake defenders.
However you may want to add it up for Martin, the “Custodian of Canton,” eye-RAH! Kaufman has a hunch Martin may be in his final weeks as a Bucs go-to running back.
Bucs RB Doug Martin (ankle) didn’t practice. It’s looking like his days in Tampa are numbered, two years removed from a great rookie season
— Ira Kaufman (@IKaufmanTBO) November 12, 2014
It is sad to see how Martin has slipped. He still has the heart and soul to be a stud NFL running back, but physically for whatever reason, it isn’t there.
This just goes to show why Joe would never, ever draft a running back with a first-round pick. Their shelf life is just too short for that investment. Besides, there are loads of running backs that can be had in later rounds, or pulled off the street.
November 12th, 2014 at 6:05 pm
see, this is what really pi$$es me off. not joe, but to see a guy like martin, who seems like a lunchpail type of guy, a guy with all the tools, to get thrown under the bus by an organization that has made hero’s into zero’s.
I won’t argue Martin is not the same he was UNDER THIS COACHING STAFF AND O LINE.
it saddens me that guys like this have their careers ruined because of a head coach collecting retirement money. its a damn shame. please trade him, and MG to Miami.
November 12th, 2014 at 6:09 pm
I really feel for Martin. Hope he can get it back, here or some where else.
November 12th, 2014 at 6:12 pm
Lovie is doing an outstanding job. We are truly blessed to have him leading our team. Now if the players and more importantly the fans can get there $hit together maybe we can start winning.
November 12th, 2014 at 6:31 pm
He went to the pro bowl. It wasn’t just one game against Oakland. He got injured but not in his knees. This is a sad sad moment. Shame on the Bucs and this “new” offensive line. I remember how proud L&L were by fixing this line but like everything they made it worse. Hopefully this is a wake up for Team Glazer.
November 12th, 2014 at 6:35 pm
Welcome to the new NFL. Most running backs do not make it beyond 5 years. Running backs are probably the least valuable players in the league, even below punters and kickers. Way too much supply, and thanks to the rule changes, way less demand. Sorry to see Doug go but in 3-4 years we’ll likely be doing the same with Charles Sims (if he even gets that far).
November 12th, 2014 at 6:36 pm
Funny thing put him on a good team he is a 1500 yard back
November 12th, 2014 at 6:39 pm
I’m still blaming the offensive line, and perhaps Love’s running back coach isn’t very good, Who coaches the running backs? Doug Martin had an injured shoulder, Not a bad knee!
If you think Doug has forgotten how to run, Go watch some his film from a few years ago at Boise State!
I’m almost certain Doug’s problems can be fixed with better coach, and a Real offensive line!
November 12th, 2014 at 6:40 pm
Let him get well and put him behind a good OL and watch he go, he will be the same as all the others they jettison, good elsewhere
November 12th, 2014 at 6:48 pm
Another thing that irks me, Lovie knew in training camp, and pre-season that the offensive line was a problem, If he were really paying attention way back then he would have known the offense was going to be a problem if nobody blocks!
Does Love think it’s a coincidence that none of the running backs on this team are looking good this year?
Even if Telford was here, The offense would look terrible, Because this offensive line is garbage… That falls on Coach Smith!
November 12th, 2014 at 6:51 pm
I know many of you remember me saying this a year ago.
Whatever it is. He’s lost it.
I love Doug Martin. Thought he was a great player.
But this happens. I’ve seen it happen to other Running Backs.
He’s lost his instinct in the hole.
I wish it was the line. I wish he could go somewhere else, and get his mojo back
But he won’t. He’s done. Whatever magic great backs have had left him
It’s a damn shame. It isn’t far.
But I promise you like I did a year ago- Doug Martin is done.
November 12th, 2014 at 7:00 pm
It would be nice to know exactly how he’s lost his mojo. It’s a mystery.
On another note, it’s sad how bad the NFL is for the running game. Short shelf-life on receivers only makes that more pronounced. Who’s striving to be a stud RB nowadays?
November 12th, 2014 at 7:06 pm
Does this mean he’ll lose his radio show?
November 12th, 2014 at 7:07 pm
He wants off this crazy merry go round……the kid has been bust’n runs since he was in Pee Wee football….he has not lost any thing other than faith in this franchise….
November 12th, 2014 at 7:08 pm
Doug is lowering his shoulders into the defense n into the backs of our linemen. He just isn’t using his eyes n quickness to make smart cuts anymore. Rainey came in off the street hungry for a paycheck so he has a mentality to be the best he can. Maybe Martin has given up on this franchise in hopes to land a 1 year show n prove on a better team. The patriots seem to like schiano players.
November 12th, 2014 at 7:13 pm
Heinous
Is that you 87? The bucs are nothing more than a farm system for the patriots. Which means mankins really pissed somebody off in NE.
November 12th, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Like most former Buccaneers that were on the team last year and have been jettisoned by Lovie and Licht I believe Martin will be fine once he gets on a better team. I used to get p!ssed that fans wanted to dump Glennon, Martin, Barron, and VJax, but now I just simply wish these guys the best (which unfortunately will be another team with Lovie at the helm.). Things are 2011 frustrating for Bucs fans…worse actually since we all pretty much knew Rah was going to get shown the door after that crap…we get at least another year of Lovieball
November 12th, 2014 at 7:22 pm
“Some, like Joe, think he lost his vision. He doesn’t look for openings (that are there) to take it to the third level. He just puts his head down and tries to bowl over linemen and linebackers.”
This gave me an epiphany!! And I remembered this article:
https://www.joebucsfan.com/?p=77120
Dougie said, “I was told to ‘Keep your head up’ and if you keep your head up, the body will follow and I did that and I was on the third level [of the defense].”
I’ve solved it. The person that told him to keep hid head up isn’t here anymore.
November 12th, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Another high draft pick at the end of his contract finding his way out of Tampa Bay. It’s become comical how certain members of the media like to make these great revelations and predictions. They will badger the organization relentlessly until they bend to their desire only so down the road they can gloat and say I told you so. Just like Joe when he took credit and gloated over how Smith saw the light and listened to him about sitting Michael johnson.
Way to many ego’s in the local media that think they know whats best. I’ve gotta ideal, let’s get the Glazers to fire Lovie and we’ll hire certain factions of the local media to manage the Bucs, and make personnel decisions. So somebody tell me, when we release all these players that Joe and Kaufman and other nimrods suggest, where do we find their replacements? Free agency?
November 12th, 2014 at 7:47 pm
Damn we have some of the slowest most ignorant fans in the NFL. So let me get this Ira Kaufman says Doug martins days are over and even Joe is eating it up, no one is doing anything as a runner you think this team is talented enough to get rid of a runner like him? This is his first year with lovie and not even he is that dumb to give up on a first round pick before showing up the offensive line play
November 12th, 2014 at 8:04 pm
Remember this is opinion not fact that he is gone , but his play is getting worse one reason is he has no vision. Know he ducks his head once he gets to the line where before he would have his head up looking for hole or cutback. Rainy runs with head up and has time to see the crease.
November 12th, 2014 at 8:05 pm
Wow, I remember back in 2012 how all us Buc fans were so happy to steal Martin away from the Giants by leapfrogging ahead of them to snare him at the end of the first round. They ended up with David Wilson who is now out of the NFL and training for the 2016 Olympics in the triple jump…. Look if the OL was decent then Martin, as well as Rainey, Mike James, and Sims would all look a helluva lot better. If that late 1st rounder/early 2nd rounder was used on a top G/C or one of the top 6 or 8 OT in the 2012 draft then its pretty obvious the OL would be improved but hindsight is 20/20 and as is shown with GMC on the other side of the ball; one good lineman can not makeup for 4 crappy ones he has to lineup with….. A lot of teams are now just getting a rb via free agency or in the 3rd day of the draft (Denver comes to mind) and using the picks in the first 2 days to address other concerns which the Bucs have a lot of!!!
November 12th, 2014 at 8:07 pm
Martin does not want to run reckless anymore, his heart just isn’t into it for some reason. I wouldn’t trade him until we see him with some better o-line help.
November 12th, 2014 at 8:15 pm
BTW: wasn’t Alfred Morris taken in the 6th round of the same draft where Martin and Wilson went in the 1st round??? Not that Dan Snyder’s Skins are a brain trust when it comes to drafting (unless you consider giving a boatload of picks to the Lambs for RG3 a homerun move…) but they sure as hell look to have the better RB 2+ seasons later…..
November 12th, 2014 at 8:33 pm
Some fans just don’t get it! Some think that Martin was ray rice or adrian peterson or marshawn lynch, etc. Bobby Rainey and James played awesome last year but does that mean that they will be probowlers on another team? Rainey was cut by the Ravens before coming to Tampa and I don’t know where James came from. If Barron or James have a good game on another team some will say it was because of better coaching and when they don’t they’ll say that Lovie messed them up. These players have reached their ceiling
November 12th, 2014 at 8:39 pm
I read on here sometimes comment that say tim wright is becomeing a stud because when in fact Brady is getting him the ball and attention is taken away from him because of Gronk. On the Bucs he is a starter but on the Patriots he’s a second stringer. The Bucs have SUCKED because they have had marginal players and some with bad attitudes. Don’t call it bad coaching but call it bad drafting and bad luck.
November 12th, 2014 at 8:59 pm
NewBucsFan!!!
Mike James was a 6th round pick by the Bucs in 2013. The kid is a Cane and put up around 160 yards as a starter against Seattle after Martin got injured but got knocked out against Miami the next week and was replaced by Rainey and Brian Leonard. Just a good illustration that on any given Sunday behind decent blocking, any rb can gouge a defense for beaucoup yards even a free agent or a late draft pick. If you do not have the players in the trenches than it really does not matter who your skill players are……
November 12th, 2014 at 9:04 pm
Cadillac Williams
November 12th, 2014 at 9:08 pm
One unit (the offensive line) has to do their job before the skill players can do theirs. It’s simple. Our offensive line is not good enough. I have no problem with starting Rainey or Simms or whoever else is supposed to be the savior of the day, but none of them are going to be breakout stars or even productive backs unless the offensive line does a better job. There are very few (if any) Barry Sanders type RBs in the game today that can truly turn nothing into something.
November 12th, 2014 at 9:11 pm
Not related to RBs, but please see Mark Sanchez as an example of what a good coach, a good system, and a complement of skill players can do for you. I don’t know why so many people want to talk about players as if they exist in a bubble. It’s a team game.
November 12th, 2014 at 9:13 pm
You guys do realize that a huge chunk of Doug martins amazing rookie season came in one game, Also since he has come into the league , he has the most drops by a running back, and he missed most of last season and a chunk of this season. Doug Martin was overrated from the jump. His measurables are almost identical to the undrafted Bobby Rainey’s. We never should have traded away Legarrette Blount. We saw last season with the patriots, just how much of a game changer he can be.Outside of GMC and Lavonte David.The Bucs scouting and talent evaluation has resembled that of the South Central Louisiana Mud Dawgs. (Aside from Bobby Boucher)
November 12th, 2014 at 9:44 pm
More proof that you should never ask for a rookie’s jersey for Christmas.
1 Doug Martin jersey for sale size: L price : $10.00 OBO
Bueller, Bueller anyone…
November 12th, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Baker Ryan…Blount is now on his 4th team. So what’s your point again?
November 12th, 2014 at 9:54 pm
87
Where you been bro haven’t seen you in days.
November 12th, 2014 at 10:04 pm
@DB55…I’m around. Been working on the Jameis Revolution petition and mission. Lot’s of work for this crazy assed Bucs fan to do.
This team is depressing to even talk about these days….so it will take a pretty decent story to drag me out to the comments. Either that or a really boring day.
If they give me what I want in the first round. Then I won’t ever shut up. I hope everyone realizes this too. If they somehow do right by me for once and give me what I want. I’ll be on this site left and right talking him up. So be prepared naysayers and dissenters if that name gets called on draft day. If you think your sick of me now, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
I liked Mike Evans a lot. Talked about him every day before the draft a lot. April (or is May again?) can’t get here fast enough for me.
November 12th, 2014 at 11:11 pm
It’s the playcalling. U can’t continue to run him up the gut he’s 5’9 on a tall day. Get them out on the edges and in space but you can’t do that with coach Boone’s (remember the titans) playbook. If we going keep doing mike James is the back they need to use
November 12th, 2014 at 11:15 pm
Its not just running backs… Remember Michael Clayton?
One year wonders are common in the NFL… .
November 12th, 2014 at 11:23 pm
“but you can’t do that with coach Boone’s (remember the titans) playbook.”
iamkingsu…lol thanks for the laugh. One of my top 50 favorite movies of all time.
November 13th, 2014 at 12:27 am
All this is just a bunch of crap. Just give Doug Martin a good offensive line to run behind…….Problem solved!
November 13th, 2014 at 12:46 am
HUH???
November 13th, 2014 at 12:47 am
Joe takes no pleasure in Doug Martin’s fade. Trust Joe, nothing would make him happier than if Martin ran for 2,000 yards.
November 13th, 2014 at 1:29 am
There’s nothing more annoying than reading “Doug Martin is done” on every damn Bucs website or blog there is.
Doug Martin didn’t just suddenly forgot how to run and cut through holes; 2012 was not that long ago! Is it really fair to judge him behind this disgrace of an offensive line that we have? Rainey and James aren’t exactly providing any consistency for us either so maybe that should tell that the O-line deserves most of the blame in this case.
November 13th, 2014 at 1:30 am
drafting rbs in the early rounds doesn’t make sense and that’s been known for 20 years. I consider the glazers to be intelligent, so all we are left with, is that they must be preparing to move the team, presumably London. because of things like this I don’t expect to see a winner in tampa ever again. one year firing gruden because monte left, two years later Raheem started to look good and they refused to pay his top assistants so they left….schiano wasn’t much of a coach but his running backs coach was outstanding – thats all that is wrong with martin…
November 13th, 2014 at 1:59 am
mveal2006 says :
“I consider the glazers to be intelligent, so all we are left with, is that they must be preparing to move the team, presumably London.”
Ludicrous thoughts. You people that think England will ever have an NFL team need to do a little more research into why they will NEVER have an NFL team. Yet some of you are so certain that it’s in the Glazers plans. It’s not going to happen. Not EVER!
I’ve done the research, and believe it me, it won’t ever happen.
I’d say the Bucs have a better chance of re-locating to another city in America before England will ever have an NFL team. So get those silly thoughts out of your head. In 20 years when the Bucs are still here in Tampa you might finally realize that I’m right, but I am right.
November 13th, 2014 at 2:07 am
Connor Says:
November 13th, 2014 at 1:29 am
“There’s nothing more annoying than reading “Doug Martin is done” on every damn Bucs website or blog there is.”
Really now? There is nothing more annoying than that?
I’ve got that beat. How about NEVER having a true franchise QB in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? To me that’s 10 times more annoying.
or That public service announcement that blasts over your TV at 1:00 a.m while you’re watching TV and everyone else in your house is asleep. That’s annoying as hell.
November 13th, 2014 at 2:43 am
I’ll tell you what happened to his shelf life… It was Schiano pounding the ball 30 times a game with Martin and not giving other backs a carry until Martin got hurt. When you give a small guy like that so many carries per season, he won’t last long.
November 13th, 2014 at 6:16 am
It’s funny how nobody throws the bust word or with him. I mean, we spent a first round pick to get essentially two good games two years ago and now he’s going go get cut. Doesn’t seem worth a first round pick to me. We’ve gotten more out of the undrafted guy that nobody wants to acknowledge as a good back
November 13th, 2014 at 8:25 am
He’ll leave here and go to a team with an offensive line and a coach and be an all pro. If we could get rid of this coaching staff I’m sure Doug would be just fine.
November 13th, 2014 at 10:43 am
IF he gets another opportunity in the league on a team that is balanced and even moderately effective on offense, he will be a fringe pro bowler. One Buc Place is a talent-sucking, soul-crushing vortex right now, and if you want to fulfill your potential you’d better get out. as much as gruden had a reputation for not developing young players, it was hard not to notice that the vets he brought in produced or matched their best years under Gruden, and if you left the bucs you probably weren’t going to be heard from in the league again. now it’s the opposite. former bucs are reaching levels of production & impact (and team success) way beyond their tampa years while playing for their new teams
November 13th, 2014 at 10:49 am
theres nothing more depressing than reading some pathetic blogger talk about how an nfl running back that has the potential to be a star is done!!! I wonder if people think the same thing about you when they walk past you at walmart pushing carts into the building!!!! how good would warrick dunn be running behind this offensive line? what about blount or mike alstott? think Adrian Peterson would get 100 yards a game behind this line because if you don’t then please say it so that everyone here with common sense can say you know nothing about football. theres a reason teams like dallas invest so much money into their offensive line