Whining, Running Backs & Lovie Smith
December 22nd, 2015
Lovie Smith opens up on the Muscle Hamster
Doug Martin’s agent might want to pay attention.
Lovie Smith was sharing insider love last night for his bell cow running back, the guy whose contract is about too expire, the guy who is nine yards off the NFL rushing lead in 2015.
“I’ve been around a lot of running backs in my career. And a lot of the running backs I’ve been around, they don’t want you to touch them — in practice,” Lovie told the Buccaneers Radio Network. “If you accidentally hit them, there’s an issue. And sometimes that isn’t a good thing. And then you get some running backs, you know, those running backs like Doug Martin.
“Doug Martin has never come to me in my two years I’ve been here. Or even looked at me like, ‘Lovie, one of the defensive guys hit me.’ Or talking to the defensive guys, ‘Hey, don’t.’ He doesn’t complain about anything.
“It seems like he enjoys it. So when you have a tough running back with that type of mentality, when it’s a tough football game like that, that’s what he expects going into every game. Again, a lot of our success we’ve had offensively is kind of based on you know you can give it to him.”
Martin deserves all the love hurled his way. What a comeback year for him.
And Martin is a tough guy. Anyone paying attention can see Martin is clawing and fighting for every inch, as well as seeking contact on plenty of occasions.
December 22nd, 2015 at 9:47 am
They better pay him especially since they had no problem backing up the Glazer money trucks for the likes of Trash McCown, Anthony Collins and Michael Johnson. I wish people would stop divining excuses for why we should not pay the most productive player on this football team. If only some of his toughness would rub off on Mike Clayton Evans we might have picked up a few more wins this year.
Pay Martin now or pay for it in spades later when you no longer have a serious rushing attack for defenses to contend with. It’s called math and I seriously incompetent Lovie Smith and his lapdog GM are getting some tutoring.
December 22nd, 2015 at 9:51 am
Because big money running back contracts rarely actually worked out. Marshawn Lynch is pretty much it, and that was 4 years and $31 million. I suspect Doug gets more than that from someone on the market.
Running backs simply do not have enough value. If they did the Steerlers season would have been over when Le’Veon Bell went down. Instead their offense is even better now. Save the money for more important positions of need. RB simply isn’t important.
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:01 am
If Doug wants more money, buy into Mussel Hamster. It would be a marketing gold mine. Since when do you get to pick your own nickname?
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:04 am
Save the money?……BS……we have plenty of money an too few really good players…and Martin is a really good player…..he plays hard on every snap and fights for every inch….and, I think he is of great character….
Pay Martin…..keep Mankins, re-structure Vjax and we still have plenty of money to pick up other players.
Paying Martin sends a message to other Bucs….you play well for us and we will pay you well and keep you.
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:09 am
doug will be well paid and will remain a buccaneer. for the next 2 seasons at least. i’m predicting a 5 year deal with the first 2 effectively guaranteed and the last 3 being pretty easy for the team to walk away from
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:10 am
I get the argument about RB’s being devalued now, but can anyone say in full sobriety that Charles Sims is a capable every down RB replacenent for Doug? I personally think a 4 year deal with 1 or 2 years of guaranteed money for a 26-27 year old RB who has shown when healthy he can carry the bell cow workload isn’t a bad use of cap space.
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:12 am
Are you high on bath salts or meth? How could you seriously say that RB position isn’t important. It’s the 3rd most important position behind the QB and linemen. Without a strong running game, you become predictable and one-dimensional. Name one team going on to post-season play that doesn’t at least have 1,200 yards of combined rushing right now. The colder the weather gets, the more teams will depend on their running game too. Plus, I’m a lil sick and tired of jettisoning great, good or aspiring players for has-beens and never-been/never-will be ballers. Let’s home grow our team like Seattle, Arizona, Kansas, Carolina, Denver, Pittsburgh and New England and just maybe we will become perennial winners as well 🙂 Draft well, get the right free-agents that fit our schemes and wanna play here and let’s ball out!!! IJS!!!!!!!!
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:15 am
Doug has to want to stay too, considering they already slighted him by not even picking up the 5th year option. If he can get equal or more money elsewhere, I suspect he leaves. Franchising him actually is probably the best option. Keep him one more year and then let him go. But it’s also clear from not picking up the option they want Sims being the #1 guy. Which makes sense, wasting a 3rd round pick on a 3rd down/change of pace back is a spectacular waste for a team with many other significant issues to be fixes.
And the cap space argument is meaningless. I hope they aren’t going to just spend money for the sake of spending money. That’s what awful teams to do remain awful (see Dolphins, Miami).
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:18 am
Heard from reliable source Doug would welcome franchise tag he thinks he deserves a top 5 RB contract and his agent is sure he will get it in the open market. But they are open to franchise tag because of the big annual pay.
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:23 am
Re sign him or Lovie’s tenure will be defined by losing and letting good players go for no compensation
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:28 am
I’d welcome the franchise tag too – especially when you consider the bucs would have gotten the same (doug has to play for them in 2016) at half the pay by exercising his rookie option, it’s a windfall for doug. moreover, as a CB, QB, or WR, a long term contract may give you 4 or 5 years of pretty safe money and is worth holding out for. These days, only the 2 or 3 top RB contracts are notably better than year-to-year gigs, so if you’re not in the tier of those guys who did it for years in a row (AP, lynch, mccoy) to earn the stronger contracts, why not take the Franchise money and go about your business?
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:55 am
Keep him. Other wise your just going to spend big money on a fa, if thete are even any available at Dougs level. Or your going to waste a draft pick on a rb. And Sims is good, made me eat my words when I called him a bust in September, but I dont beleive he has it in him to be that every down back that wears down defenses.
Oh, this spring, no more free agents on defense! Bring back guys like Conte and Moore. But we have a strong core on offense so it makes sense to add fa talent to put our offense over the top. But we really dont have a strong core on defense. Other than Kwon, there is no one on defense that I would be opposed to trade for draft picks. Lets build a stable foundation on defense like we did on offense via the draft.
December 22nd, 2015 at 11:06 am
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on, our troubles will be miles away
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
So hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
So hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
The Pretenders version 1987!
December 22nd, 2015 at 11:10 am
LifeLongBuc Says:
December 22nd, 2015 at 10:12 am
Are you high on bath salts or meth? How could you seriously say that RB position isn’t important. It’s the 3rd most important position behind the QB and linemen. Without a strong running game, you become predictable and one-dimensional.
_______________________________________________________________
Uhhh?? Really? More imporant than WRs or TEs? So you’re saying with Doug Martin, but without Evans and VJax, we’d be ok on offense? Eeeasy on the delusions tiger. Anyways, last 15 starting RBs of Super Bowl Winners
2015: Blount/Vereen
2014: Lynch (the exception as we can see)
2013: Ray Rice (lol)
2012: Bradshaw/Jacobs
2011: Starks
2010: P. Thomas
2009: W. Parker
2008: Jacobs
2007: Addai/Rhodes
2006: W. Parker
So yeah, where’s the value there? I mostly see low paid guys, guys off the street, or late round draft picks. As mentioned, you do not see the best teams throwing money at RBs. Because they know better. Franchising Doug and letting him go is the best play if they want him back.
Oh yeah, another point? The Bucs lead the league in run defense. So? Teams throw the ball way more than ever too. Running game is nowhere near as important as it once was. Frankly I have no doubt RBs are the least valuable players in the league. Even kickers and punters are more valuable.
December 22nd, 2015 at 11:11 am
Resigning him is the competent thing to do. Wont be surprised though if Lovie decides he can win without Martin…
December 22nd, 2015 at 11:13 am
When I’m worried and I can’t sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
So if you’re worried and you can’t sleep
Count your blessings instead of sheep
And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings
Bing Crosby version 1954!!!
December 22nd, 2015 at 11:13 am
Sorry that should be last 10. But my point stands. Hell we won a Super Bowl with freaking Mike Pittman at RB. Having AP has basically meant nothing to the Vikings. Running backs simply don’t matter to winning in this league.
December 22nd, 2015 at 11:18 am
Lmao Realist
December 22nd, 2015 at 11:19 am
PAY THE MAN!
December 22nd, 2015 at 11:31 am
REALIZE THE IMPORTANT TRUTH…
Our offense greatly depends on an effective RB. And Doug Martin is the perfect RB for our system. All the jibberish about “running backs are a dime a dozen” is just dumb. Doug Martins in this league are RARE. Yes, he had 2 off years with injuries. But other than Adrian Peterson Doug is probably the most feared RB in the league right now. And he’s a Buc! He needs to stay a Buc!
I don’t care about saving a couple of million a year on a less effective RB!
It’s NOT worth the savings. We still have a very affordable Sims as a great #2. Pay him what he’s worth, throw in all the bonuses for yardage, Pro Bowl, etc to keep him motivated (which I don’t think he needs.)
Factor in his relationship and chemistry with the offense, Koetter, and Jamis and he’s near impossible to replace. Plus His unusual beast like approach to his game and his AWESOME ability to make people miss…you keep any player like that. You dream of finding players like that for your team. And he’s already here and thriving!
With only 2 games left in the season only 3 players have broken 1,000 yards and Martin is one of them. It’s very possible he’ll break 1,500 yards! Only 2 backs have a real shot at doing that this year, Peterson and Martin.
That’s a difference maker. You keep difference makers on your team. Most teams are lucky to have more than 1 or 2 on 53 man roster. And we need as many as we can get!
Plus, everyone loves him! It’s simple…RESIGN DOUG MARTIN! He makes our team better…a lot better!
December 22nd, 2015 at 12:12 pm
FearTheFlag… nicely said. I still think Doug is the team MVP this year.
December 22nd, 2015 at 12:35 pm
Maybe if we ran a Josh Mcdaniel type offense, with lots of short routes and dual te sets, and Tom Brady, we could survive without a good rb. But with a soon to be sophmore qb, and Koetters four vertical base, we need a good rb. And we got one. Bring him back. Martin complimented by Sims is effective and at times, dangerous.
December 22nd, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Yup, fear the flag!
This is an issue that shouldn’t be overthought. I just have a feeling Lovie is going to force him out. You see his lack of allegiance anytime Martin makes a mistake, and the whole offense has to suffer for 1-2 quarters as he’s placed in “time-out”.
Sign him.
December 22nd, 2015 at 2:36 pm
we have to resign doug….he is 1 of a handful of players that has heart, mentally strong and smart and is an impact player…not resigning doug would be the dumbest thing the bucs did since breaking up the super bowl team…GO BUCS!!!
December 23rd, 2015 at 8:35 am
How many of you remember who painful it was to lose Warrick Dunn???
I do………I don’t want that to happen again!