Dirk Koetter Says Doug Martin “Looked Great,” Not In Rehab
March 1st, 2017
Visiting the boss
There’s a fresh update in the saga of Doug Martin, who was benched in the Buccaneers’ critical Christmas Eve game and then suspended by the NFL for four games.
Martin had a drug problem, per Martin and NFL urine specialists, and Martin revealed in a December statement that he would seek rehabilitation.
Since then, it’s been crickets on Martin (even for Mike Evans) until today at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Dirk Koetter sat around a table with Joe and media and answered questions; Martin’s rehab was among the queries.
Reporter: Bring us up to date on Doug Martin as best you can. Is he still in rehab?
Dirk Koetter: No. Doug was in town. Doug was in Tampa last week, he came by the office, looked great. He looked good. He sounded good. I’m proud of Doug for taking steps necessary to get his health back. Now, we just, Doug’s under contract. He’s going to head back out to California to train until the players come back in April and then we’ll see where it goes from there.
Reporter: So he completed his personal rehab situation, the one that he decided to go through?
Koetter: Again, I’m not totally at liberty to say all the details because I don’t know all the details. Doug took some steps that he and people close to him felt were needed. I’m proud of anybody who understands that there is issues in their life that they need to take care of and they take steps toward getting better.
The Bucs report back for the 2017 season on Monday, April 17. So they have time to decide what to do with Martin — and see how clean his urine is.
Martin is suspended for the first three games of 2017, and the Bucs conceivably could hold on to him until then before breaking his fat contract without penalty.
But would they do that? Joe highly doubts it.
Joe will guess the Bucs keep Martin until after the draft and then move on. He’s no longer the future — or the present.
March 1st, 2017 at 12:47 pm
Move on, go younger.
March 1st, 2017 at 12:55 pm
Looks like dougs staying! I’m ok with that, sound like the coaches are behind him.
March 1st, 2017 at 12:57 pm
If we freakin depend on this guy anothee year and gift wrap him a starting spot again im gonna blow a gasket. Muscle gerbil 2 outta 5 years hasnt not sucked. Wtf? When do you move on geezus man
March 1st, 2017 at 12:57 pm
keep him through training camp, see how he moves and how he behaves
on the morning of the 53-man cutdown or sometime before opening day, when everyone’s rosters and salary caps are set and we know we’ve got nice RB depth, lean on him take a $4 million or so paycut. he’ll have a hard time pulling something better that late in the preseason
March 1st, 2017 at 12:59 pm
How could you even trust the guy after he couldn’t stay clean when he literally had multiple millions of dollars as motivation to do so? Not trying to down the guy but he couldn’t put his team first and the BS aside when they gave him the money he was after, so who in their right mind could expect him to do so for less money? Just saying. Hope you stay clean Doug, for your own well being; but I wouldn’t want my team to rely on you anymore. Hope you get another chance somewhere else where you can start and hopefully maintain a “clean” slate.
GO BUCS!!!
March 1st, 2017 at 1:04 pm
oh, and if doug refuses the paycut, just Mankins the dude and ship him to san fran, cleveland, or jacksonville for a late round pick
March 1st, 2017 at 1:05 pm
I can confirm this, true story. Doug and his girl (hot) or side chick sat next to me at the AMC movies watching John Wick. He looked normal and I was able to chat little to him, first time running into an nfl player in public. This was about 3 weeks ago.
March 1st, 2017 at 1:07 pm
Nope… Next no need to waste a spot on a unreliable part time player bucs have too many look no further than the fragile 3 at DT
March 1st, 2017 at 1:30 pm
Good for Dougie! Stay clean my man!
March 1st, 2017 at 1:30 pm
Would make absolutely no sense to make any public statements about the future of dm prior to the draft. It does make sense to speak about him optimistically considering he may not be in your future equation and what kind of message would you be sending to looming free agents you are planning to aquire by saying anything otherwise.
March 1st, 2017 at 1:31 pm
rehab for adoral lol our reporters are garbage!
March 1st, 2017 at 1:32 pm
Yeah he “looked great” sitting on the sidelines when the team was making a playoff push.
March 1st, 2017 at 1:32 pm
I’ve said all along Martin will stay a Buc. And He will come back with a vengence next season. Ans you will all forget..you wanted to throw him out with the..dishwater! Bucs will trade down and pick up a receiver and a DE.
March 1st, 2017 at 1:50 pm
I’m glad for him personally. He was a great player 2 of his 4 years. I would see how he does in training camp and go from there. A reduced 1 year deal might be mutually beneficial. He’s still young without a lot of mileage. If not he’s going to get picked up someone I would think once his suspension is up.
March 1st, 2017 at 2:07 pm
@MJ- You may be right my friend. I’m with you in that it may not be such a bad thing either, especially considering the needs of this team. IMO.
March 1st, 2017 at 2:15 pm
Mike
Don’t wish to bet on that do you? First of all he can’t come back with a vengeance he has to miss the first three games!!! Do the Bucs want to risk the first three games on a guy who has only performed for 40% of his career.
He had good…not great numbers for two years when the OL was playing well…players like Bobby Rainey are not that far behind in yards per carry.
Doug is the “Muscle Turtle” getting hauled down from behind in his last good year.
Again he’s had two “good” years out of five…neither were great years. In those two years he averaged 90 yards per game in one and 87 the other…his career average is 74 yards per game…again solid but not great.
People here have beotched and beotched because NOSBOS and I want Dalvin in the first….they claim NO RB should be drafted in the 1st…ironically then turning around and saying Dalvin won’t be there when we pick…which is it? But the main claim is that there are so many really good RB’s in this draft we can get one later…I guarantee you there are plenty of RB’s in this draft as good as Doug if thats’ where we’re setting the bar.
March 1st, 2017 at 2:25 pm
Move on. The guy is unreliable. I want nothing to do with him.
March 1st, 2017 at 2:27 pm
Mike Johnson:
I agree. Nobody really knew at first. Only assumed, injuries, drugs, and suspension would equal no more Doug. But after this information I think we should put him on a 1 year deal and let him compete. Buc’s are in the drivers seat, nothing to lose. Upside is Doug will come back strong and contribute to running game. Downside we wait till 2018 for our feature back but maintain a stable of good backs in 2017.
March 1st, 2017 at 2:28 pm
@StPete – I will bet on that
March 1st, 2017 at 2:29 pm
Imagine having AP and Martin in the backfield. A split backfield with those two would be insane
March 1st, 2017 at 2:44 pm
stpete
Bro, those were two excellent years. Not good, excellent.
Your standards are too high, apparently. Also people can surely comment that they don’t want a rb in the first round but he will be gone before us. Those aren’t really correlated. Teams make irrational decisions all the time. I think they just mean they don’t want to be one but are betting that someone in front of us is.
March 1st, 2017 at 2:54 pm
id take Jamal Charles for $5 mill over Martin any day of the week, put Charles with Quizz and a 3rd rounder like Kareem Hunt, Charles is the ultimate bridge player
March 1st, 2017 at 3:01 pm
15 bet me. And how much we talkin???
March 1st, 2017 at 3:05 pm
You’ll never get a answer from any of them on the which is Pete. Same people wanna take a flyer on a DE first round. Like that position is some can’t miss thing. See the many times the Bucs have failed when it comes to that venture.
March 1st, 2017 at 3:45 pm
I think Martin is going to come back completely motivated and have a huge huge season, we already know when Martin has his head in the game he’s one of the best in the league and he’s proved that multiple times. Also we know Martin is a complete stud every other year, so this is his year. I’d make a back-up plan so someone is ready for 2018 when Martin won’t be a good player, perhaps a running back out of USF named Mack in the 3rd or 4th round, but for 2017 I think Martin will be a stud. Well assuming Dirk’s entire offense isn’t run up the middle on every first down when the other team has 14 in the box.
March 1st, 2017 at 3:55 pm
Bucs absolutely should play this all the way out until the end of September with Martin. Who knows what happens in the 1st 3 games. We had a wave of RB injuries that had us down to our 4th and 5th RBs not too far into the season last year. Keep all options open and prepare as if Martin will not be our feature back next year. But let him compete in TC and Pre-season and see what he looks like on the field – then make the decision when the time comes that you have to.
After week 3 once other team’s rosters are pretty well set, we are then in a good position to re-sign Martin to a cheap deal if we still want him on the team after his inevitable cut to absolve us of the $7M guarantee comes.
March 1st, 2017 at 4:08 pm
“Martin is suspended for the first three games of 2017, and the Bucs conceivably could hold on to him until then before breaking his fat contract without penalty.” – J0E
This I did not know!
Now that I do, I see nothing wrong with keeping him until the second week of the season. Think about it…all the teams will have their roster’s filled. The chances of him getting signed to a good contract elsewhere will be completely blown. Heck, since starters will be named on all teams, he probably will not even get a starting role.
The Bucs would be in a powerful position to force him to rework his contract and play in a #2 RB position, offering him a chance to earn incentives and a starting role.
We could still bring in another RB (Nole’s Cook or whoever). That would give even more power to the team.
Imagine for a moment…Cook starting, Martin as #2, and Quiz as #3. That’s a pretty darn good lineup or RBs.
March 1st, 2017 at 4:12 pm
StPeteBucsfan Says
“First of all he can’t come back with a vengeance he has to miss the first three games!!! Do the Bucs want to risk the first three games on a guy who has only performed for 40% of his career.”
You are operating on the assumption that Doug would keep the starting role. But what if he didn’t? If the Bucs are not liable until week 4, they could draft/sign another RB and force Doug to renegotiate his deal and position in the lineup.
Would any team NOT want Doug as a 2nd RB? Including the Bucs? He made one mistake, and before that he was considered a great teammate. It wasn’t a violent mistake like Ray Rice. It was popping the wrong pills. And he did the right thing by seeking treatment.
Bucs are in a position of power. They could have the best RB stable in the league if they play their cards right.
March 1st, 2017 at 4:16 pm
If Martin is healthy, clean and trains hard in the offseason, I’d keep him. When Doug is right he can ball. Definitely worth taking a hard look at him because the Good Doug will be difficult to replace.
March 1st, 2017 at 4:20 pm
Something to think about Bonzai.
March 1st, 2017 at 5:03 pm
Doug Martin’s had 2 very good yrs out of 5 yrs, his rookie season (when he was busting his hump to prove himself & win a starting job) and his contract yr (when he was busting his hump to win a 2nd contract). Unfortunately, he proved himself to be unreliable last year … period. The Bucs didn’t do it, he did it. And beyond that, he’s suspended for the first 3 games of next season … ouch. Sorry, but time for the Bucs to draft his replacement & move on. Truly hope that his rehab has gone very well and that he’s 100% now but he’s not worth $7 mil a yr. Stringing him along until the start of the season and then renegotiating his contract to a lower amount is a crummy way to treat players. Time for the Bucs to move on.
March 1st, 2017 at 5:28 pm
I think you break contract and tell him here is a new deal take it or leave it. We want you here doug but at this price its too high of a risk. Draft a back in the middle rounds, sign rodgers and go from therem oline and wr biggest needs
March 1st, 2017 at 5:31 pm
You.gotta wonder how much these injuries and parties have affected his play. If he truly learned his leason he can return to form just get someone else as insurance
March 1st, 2017 at 5:32 pm
I agree bonzai
March 1st, 2017 at 5:41 pm
I know what Joe’s opinion on the matter is. I am skeptical if he has insider info on the situation. It sounds to me like the bucs are supporting Doug through this. If the bucs knew they were going to waah their hands of doug martin (the way Joe keeps writing) they why wouldnt they have already done it? Joe makes it seem like it is already done. But it isnt and Doug very well could be our starting RB week 4 of the regular season. Im not convinced the bucs draft a RB in the first 2 rounds. I could see a late round pick. But the team likes doug, even if some media members and fans do not.
It’s funny that the same media members and fans that want Martin gone, also want the bucs to sign Adrian Peterson or Latavius Murray. “Delusional”, is one word i would use to describe such people.
March 1st, 2017 at 6:47 pm
Joe this article really wasn’t necessary since I said 2 days ago that Doug was at One Buc but you decided not to let it be viewed and wouldn’t let it post. Joe what is wrong you don’t like for someone that has more info & contacts inside the building & continually gets the jump on you?? What Dirk said is old news to people in the know.
March 2nd, 2017 at 6:11 am
Really we need to stop …. He let himself down, in all of these type of situations it’s always next man up….and please stop with the we were on a playoff run! But please continue to build a wall… But not in Mexico …dumb ass!!
March 2nd, 2017 at 8:25 am
Glad to hear Doug is back in Tampa and hopefully ready to get his life back on track. I still think the team should see how things develop before cutting ties. The guy owned up to his problem and took it upon himself to seek help, plus he’s proven he can play at a top 10 level at his position (when healthy). It’s not like he decided to do a one on one interview on ESPN to make insinuations and accusations blaming others around him for his personal issues…then I could see fan hostility and a desire to move on from said player ASAP. doug let the team, the fans, and himself down last year, but from all accounts it sounds like he’s liked in the locker room, coaching staff, and front office…certainly NOT a locker room “cancer” like some we’ve seen in the past.
March 2nd, 2017 at 8:36 am
Buddy, what are you talking about? Of course they aren’t going to publish an article because of what Buddy said on one of their forums. They need to solidify that the news is true and although they may be a step behind you this time, I would bet a lot they have more inside information on a consistent basis.
They are just reporting the news and for someone that lives in NC, I appreciate cuz I don’t have the luxury of hanging around OBP like you do.
March 2nd, 2017 at 8:36 am
I am not ready to give up on Doug Martin.