Doug Martin’s Last Year?
April 18th, 2015
Last year, the Bucs declined the dreaded fifth-year option on defensive end Adrian Clayborn, which was a blunt way to say, “Since you are from Missouri, show me and we will re-sign you after the season.”
Clayborn got hurt in September (again) and was gone for the year — and from Tampa Bay.
Could Doug Martin get the same edict?
The Bucs running back is entering his fourth season and, on May 3 (just hours after the draft ends) all NFL teams have a a deadline to exercise the fifth-year option on their 2012 first-round picks.
One person who believes the Bucs are out of their minds to invoke this option is Jason Fitzgerald, founder of OverTheCap.com, who doesn’t think Martin is in any way worth a fifth season at his salary.
Doug Martin has fallen off the face of the earth and I cant see a team picking up his $5.28 million option. Even if he had a great season he would not earn that much in free agency.
Look, the Bucs showed what they thought of Martin when they drafted Charles Sims in the third round last May. Martin has been beat up the past season seasons, which is why his numbers are staggeringly off from his Pro Bowl rookie season.
If the Bucs thought Martin was all that, no way Lovie Smith burns a third round pick on a running back, not unlike the Bucs drafting Mike Glennon with a third round pick while still having the services of leaky, sleepy Josh Freeman.
April 18th, 2015 at 2:43 pm
Like Glennon incomplete…not enough info to draw conclusion….we saw what he did running behind a REAL offensive line….
April 18th, 2015 at 2:57 pm
Let’s trade Doug Martin and a 2016 draft pick for Matt Forte
April 18th, 2015 at 3:00 pm
If we aren’t going to re-sign Martin….we need to trade him. If we can’t trade him and he plays well enough….then try to sign him as a FA….but probably not for $5m.
April 18th, 2015 at 3:22 pm
I doubt that they will exercise the fifth year option and that may be good for both parties. However, even if they do not extend the fifth year option, we shouldn’t assume that the Bucs are done with Martin. I just compare this to the Mark Ingram situation with the Saints. Ingram had a decent season and rather than enter free agency, the Saints signed him to a four year deal. I’d be glad to see it play out the same way with Martin & the Bucs & I think it can (given the opportunity).
April 18th, 2015 at 3:22 pm
One thing in Martin’s defense (beside the OL). Let’s not forget that he did his best running in a two back set and when our one and only FB went down last year he was a fish out of water. Don’t know what Koetter will do. Can’t believe we let JAX outbid us for Wiz
April 18th, 2015 at 3:27 pm
Maybe Wiz didn’t want any part of L&L…..
April 18th, 2015 at 3:32 pm
Get an OLine to open any kinda hole maybe he will do better.
April 18th, 2015 at 3:34 pm
Let Jax have him. The management is about as dumb as the people who live there, I know I unfortunately live here due to work. All that guy was looking for was a pay day, which is why he went to the team with around $40 mil in cap space. If he really wanted to play or play for a contender he would have signed with Seattle when he visited with them.
April 18th, 2015 at 4:14 pm
Clayborn played for iowa…. This is the Brett Hundley/Bryce Petty thing again!!
April 18th, 2015 at 5:19 pm
There’s no way a 5th year option for Martin will be excercised if the commitment is over $5M.
Unless he runs for 1200 yards or something in 2015 – he will not make that much in 2016 no matter what. I would let Martin play out his 4th year – and if he proves himself as a good back again this year – then make the decision on what type of 2nd contract you would like to offer him.
IMO – The only way its worth it to trade him – as opposed to hanging onto him and seeing if he can really be the great back we saw in 2012 with a good OC and better supporting cast – is if we are offered a high 4th round pick or better. Even at that, I would prefer to see Doug Martin stay a Buccaneer this year and have the opportunity to re-establish himself as a solid starting running back.
Tired of high picks not playing well enough to make it to their 2nd contract and/or being let go for little or no value if there is some. Too long a list of 1st and 2nd rounders in this category from just the past few years. (Barron, Clayborn, Bowers, Foster, Price, Benn, Freeman). This just goes straight to bad evaluation by the former GM mostly
I hope both Martin and Glennon are retained and play well for the Bucs in 2015 in whatever roles they are given.
April 18th, 2015 at 5:46 pm
Martin’s career is likely over. L&L will refuse to put respectable players on the O-line. I would’ve liked to see Barry Sanders run behind that POS line last year. Martin can run behind a decent line.
April 18th, 2015 at 5:46 pm
let him go and watch and regret it….if I was Martin, I wouldn’t want to play behind this offensive line either. Look at ALL the players the Bucs felt weren’t good enough for 2-14 that went on to start or play for all the other teams in the league. This makes me even miss Bruce Allen….
April 18th, 2015 at 6:28 pm
@]Gr8Buc
So Wiz is a bad guy because he wants to get paid top dollar for his services? I suppose you live in Tampa where you think you are far superior intellectually to the people who live here so you can get paid less? My family has lived in Tampa for 4 generations and I find that the most ignorant people and the ones who treat this place with little respect to it’s future are the resent transplants mainly from the NE.
April 18th, 2015 at 7:57 pm
@ Lurker. Why trade D.Martin and a future pick for M. Forte? The new regime envisions C.Sims as their Forte. Stat wise not yet, but even Doug had a good year before this awful line. If it was the same line I doubt Forte or any RB could do anything.
April 18th, 2015 at 8:37 pm
the top nfl running backs from any team couldn’t do anything with the pitiful 0-line the bucs currently have. that entire o-line should be removed. the 0-line coach should have been fired.
April 18th, 2015 at 10:25 pm
Ill say the same thing about your YAC article on Glennon. Our offensive line was straight OFFENSIVE.
And the only thing that drafting Sims shows me is that like every other move on this team last year, I don’t trust L+L’s evaluation of our/acquired talent and they just want their fingerprint on this team.
Get an offensive line then let’s discuss Glennon sucking and Martin falling off.
April 18th, 2015 at 10:37 pm
I do think this team has some really good talent at running back and Martin has not looked got the past two seasons…HOWEVER very few running backs would have.
Take Justin Forsett, Jeremy Hill, Ronnie Hillman other backs like them. They are good backs that benefit from being in a good offense.
I think Martin would make a great little back on a really good offense, but the fact that we have Simms, James, Rainey are all backs with the same or better talent level than Martin for less Money. No reason to extend him. I do believe this team lacks continuity and has for a long time, but you can’t keep everyone.
If we keep him great, if we don’t….we have bigger problems.
April 19th, 2015 at 1:35 am
I said it 3 years ago. Martin has lost it. Don’t know Why, but it happens to Rbs. They loose that half step, that makes all the difference. I love the guy. But he’s a half step slow to do anything.
That’s why you don’t use high draft picks on RBs.
It’s ok-we still have some great backs. It’s all good, except for Doug.
Damn shame
April 19th, 2015 at 1:57 am
Don’t kid yourself.
Barry Sanders was Magic in shoulder pads.,
Seen him live a couple times. He would have ran for 3000 yards behind that P.O.S line.
Oneil cousins would have went to Probowl, along with Josh McCown
The Guy was Like Charles Barkley- you see it- and still can’t believe
April 19th, 2015 at 6:48 pm
Doug can still continue his buc career. The team is just betting nobody else would be willing to pay him top 10 RB money in 2016. Plenty of players become free agents, shop around, and stick with the team that drafted them