Anticipating New Running Back
January 7th, 2018
It is time. Again.
As Joe soberly stands here on this first Sunday morning of 2018 (because today’s playoffs have yet to kickoff), Joe is confident the Bucs will have a new horse at running back for the new season.
As Joe has been typing for over a year, Doug Martin is done. Unfortunately, the powers that be at One Buc Palace couldn’t see this or, more likely, didn’t want to see this even though game after game after game of non-production should have been ample evidence.
For reasons not quite clear, Bucs coach Dirk Koetter clung to the hope (desperation?) that Martin would magically return to his 2015 form. Of course, that never happened.
For the second straight season, Doug Martin led the NFL with the worst yards-per-attempt. There simply is no justification for bringing Martin back to drag down the offense, and Jenna Laine of ESPN seems to agree.
The penalty should be on the people that decided to keep Martin, despite overwhelming evidence the parties should have parted ways. Unfortunately, it was Team Glazer in the end who had to pay this penalty, possibly with a dent in their real estate investment portfolios.
Yeah, Joe understands Koetter is loyal to his players and that’s a good thing. But being blindly loyal can cost a man a great deal. If somehow Martin returns to the Bucs, that can only mean he has the goods on someone with power and influence at One Buc Palace.
January 7th, 2018 at 12:01 pm
He got his chance…
January 7th, 2018 at 12:04 pm
Confidence is the food of the wise man but the liquor of the fool.
January 7th, 2018 at 12:06 pm
I mean, you have to reward players with $$$ for past performance. Only a fool produces more than what their getting paid!!!!
January 7th, 2018 at 12:08 pm
Hopefully this team can shake it’s aversion to any running back that runs sub 4.7
January 7th, 2018 at 12:11 pm
HELL Ya !….watch the PO teams yesterday and today and going forward to the last whistle of the SB….running the ball and stopping the run….is STILL the key….everything else is
Pin Ball fantasy football stat masturbation….
January 7th, 2018 at 12:14 pm
Don’t confuse loyalty with stupidity and rigidness. It’s the same thinking that only had Chris Godwin and oj Howard involved in the game plan half of games instead centering your famer plan around their pass catching ability or calling more screens for Adam Humphries than d Jacks. The less responsibility koetter has the better off he will be, seems these Atlanta coaches just aren’t good at doing what the players do best ever though every week they talk about putting them in the best position to make plays
January 7th, 2018 at 12:15 pm
Fingers crossed for LeVeon Bell, Martin should have been gone and never re-signed.
January 7th, 2018 at 12:20 pm
@ not there yet – hopefully the Glazers or Licht or really anyone will start to step in when they see dumb things like this next season. This was my biggest criticism of Koetter, he refused to move on from things that don’t work. It was clear very early that the Winston to Jackson connection wasn’t happening, and it seemed like every time Godwin got a chance he stood out. Not using the amazing TE duo we have more often is just dumb.
January 7th, 2018 at 12:23 pm
OK….most seem to agree there are many position talent holes on both sides of the ball…….yet are so quick to blame coaching….
January 7th, 2018 at 12:27 pm
Licht is the reason for this and no identity, jville is a team built to win playoff games in the cold top defense and run game, jville drafted and made FA moves and trades to build that team, licht has trade bait this year but will stand pat at a 5-11 gm
January 7th, 2018 at 12:29 pm
I’ve never thought the issue was loyalty….Barber couldn’t pick up blitzes and the #1 objective of the team is developing Winston. He was already dealing with an injury and a line that was terribly inconsistent. Martin was the better blocker, Winston is the top priority….Loyalty was nothing more then a talking point.
January 7th, 2018 at 12:33 pm
I have no doubt Martin will be gone before the draft and we could even see 2 new RBs in our stable. Barber, Rodgers and 2 new RBs
Dream Scenario #1 —Martin gets traded for a draft pick (I will take a 7th lol)
Dream Scenario #2 —RB Saquon Barkley is a Buc.
Reality? We release Martin. Then We use a 3rd or 4th round pick and a UDFA on 2 new RBs.
January 7th, 2018 at 12:33 pm
Virgil…tend to agree the two non player positions that should be on the hot seat are Licht and whoever the “special” teams coach is….
January 7th, 2018 at 12:34 pm
In order to use that 2 te set…you ha eto be able to run the ball & with Martin it was not gonna happen and I said it before , barber is a second rate RB with fumbling issues. Period ! Wanna be a winner go draft Barkley first round & go defence defence defence the rest of the way..you can pickup a good guard and right tackle in free agency
January 7th, 2018 at 12:36 pm
Joe
I agree about the rose colored glasses with Doug. I wonder though if in Koetter’s case the Boise State loyalty may have played in a bit?
There are backs in the draft if we could find them. I’d rather build a great OL and then a large variety backs can be successful even those without the awesome talent of a Barkley or Derrick Henry.
January 7th, 2018 at 12:39 pm
Jarod…I’d be OK with that….I have not seen Barkley play…but somehow tuned into the Penn bowl game in the last minutes and did see all of the post game interview with Barkley live….I was VERY impressed with how he spoke….a real leader !
January 7th, 2018 at 12:41 pm
I have no confidence in the current regime Martin or Baker will be gone. Until it happens of course. This ” what u see is what u get” or the ” I’m sticking with my guys” mentality is getting old and should of been cut already. Why wait? Is their stipulations in thier contacts? Enough with the crap Licht and remove them from the team immediately. Damage control started a year ago
January 7th, 2018 at 12:42 pm
Barlkey wont be there at 7 and I don’t wanna spend big money on a guy like Bell in the offseason when there’s gonna be plenty of capable backs in the 2nd or 3rd round. Save that FA money for DE’s, Oline, CB
January 7th, 2018 at 1:08 pm
Possible Free Agent Picks-Ups
• Dion Lewis
• Isaiah Crowell
• Jeremy Hill
Possible Draft Picks
• Kerryon Johnson, Auburn
• Damien Harris, Alabama
• Akrum Wadley, Iowa
• Ronald Jones II, USC
• Martez Carter, RB, Grambling State
Possible UDFA Signee’s
• Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt
• Lavon Coleman, Washington
• Kamryn Pettway, Auburn
• Kalen Ballage, Arizona State
___________________________________
Release
• Doug Martin (Age:29) – $6,750,000
• Jacquizz Rodgers (Age:28) – $1,600,000
Sign
• Dion Lewis (Age:27)
Draft:
• 3rd Kerryon Johnson
• 5th Martez Carter
Depth Chart
• PB – Peyton Barber | Kerryon Johnson
• SB – Dion Lewis | Martez Carter
Possible Undrafted Free Agents – Ralph Webb & Lavon Coleman
January 7th, 2018 at 1:14 pm
I know Tillman is a respected running backs.
But IMO the running back play has diminished since the departure of …
..Earnest Byner.
Bring’em Back
January 7th, 2018 at 1:20 pm
They were hoping Martin could show something,however he did not. They were hoping for at lease a 6 or 7 round pick for him on the trade market.
January 7th, 2018 at 1:35 pm
Fix the trenches, fix the Bucs!
Get a great o-line and finding a back is easy. Agree to let Martin go, but the priority across the board in the draft and free agency must be about stockpiling the team with an overwhelming influx of talent and numbers on both lines.
Period.
January 7th, 2018 at 1:35 pm
If he comes back toting the rock I am finished with these Jackwagons !
January 7th, 2018 at 1:36 pm
Licht’s Out may be out-smarting the rest of the league by secretly working on an extension/pay raise for Martin. Once again…no one will see it coming. Tricky….
January 7th, 2018 at 1:41 pm
Martin needs to be gone as does Sims. Rodgers could be kept as long as its cheap and just for depth. This was why I was disappointed in the manner we handled McNichols. Would’ve liked him kept until Martin came back, then cut him if he didn’t start setting in once the the season started. May have still bombed here but given San Francisco’s stable of backs, him cracking the 53 man roster is telling. My choice was to cut Martin 4 weeks ago and try to get lucky with a practice squad find. I have no clue why Martin was in the game for the end of the Carolina game when the Bucs needed to burn clock. Barber showed this season, he could string runs together.
Martin never did. This was a crazy decision by Koetter.
There will be a ton of solid RB’s in the 2nd-4th rounds this year. Barkley is a pipe dream, but so was Howard last year. I wouldn’t cry over a Barkley pick at 7 as he looks to be on the level of Gurley or Elliot. My guess is that his combine is going to be crazy amazing and he will be one of the Browns two picks.
Let the draft talk begin. It will be a long spring.
January 7th, 2018 at 1:43 pm
When Doug Martin had Pro Bowl seasons in 2012 and 2015
The Bucs went 7-9 and 6-10
But it’s Doug fault for this 5-11 season
Maybe the team just sucks
January 7th, 2018 at 2:06 pm
Lakeland
Dougs fault? Nobodys blaming martin for a 5-11 finish. I hope not anyway. Doesnt take a genius to figure out where the “blame” goes. The head coach gets the credit and blame. He has publicly taken the blame. He runs the operation. He deserves the blame. Not sure why people wana blame anyone other than the coaching staff for that disaster of a season. Anyone who knows a lick about football knows that season of coaching ranks among the worst of all time. Period.
January 7th, 2018 at 2:12 pm
Could we improve upon Martin, yes.
Could a different RB have made much of a difference on this team, no.
The offensive line and scheme will need to improve for this team to turn the corner
January 7th, 2018 at 2:24 pm
Very little to no O-Line production =Very little to no running back production…BUILD A WALL….THEN TAKE A KNEE..KEEP AMERICA FREE!!
January 7th, 2018 at 2:33 pm
Bad GM + bad coaches = bad roster.
January 7th, 2018 at 2:39 pm
OL looked better with Barber running the ball. I don’t think it was the OL. Jameis looked better passing when Barber was given the opportunity to be the starting back.
Martin is gone. Saves us 6 million. We could get a nice FA for 6 million
January 7th, 2018 at 3:08 pm
Yeah yeah everybody here knows everything.
I am so happy that Kotter is coming back. You need to give him time and trust to build this team that already has cancers in the locker room that the coach or GM can’t remove because of the backlash.
January 7th, 2018 at 3:09 pm
Watching the talent so far in the post season….Bucs are two full seasons of rebuilding off. That means 3 seasons from today…..
January 7th, 2018 at 3:13 pm
Chicken or the egg?
Which came first.
We prob have the 30th best run blocking team.
So is it a shocker when our backs implode?
January 7th, 2018 at 3:22 pm
Disagree Altered we have a QB that is better than Tennessee, LA, Buffalo or Jax and receivers/ TEs to boot BUT we need to get better up front and if not it will be never not 3 years my friend. As of today we cannot compete with our current dline, our oline is serviceable but also needs improvement.
January 7th, 2018 at 3:27 pm
Alteredego
Your slow. The Bucs have as much if not more talent than the bills, titans, jags, patriots. The difference is our garbage coaching staff. Give Bill Belicheat this roster and he will win a SB
January 7th, 2018 at 3:48 pm
Alter
You ain’t even lying. Forget about individual talents the Bucs are missing entire units ie oline, dline, blitzing secondary, special teams, refs, etc.
What hurts most to me is that the Bucs has the opportunity to sign quite a few of the players in the PO’s ie Alex Mack who owned A Donald last night. Incognito, O’Leary, Clay, Barron, Campbell, Donald, I could go on forever.
It’s almost like the Bucs are intentionally trying to suck.
And how good is Telvin Smith and Ramsey? Good thing the geniuses of TB don’t like FSU thugs. Smh
Jameis is dying right now watching all his boys in the playoffs.
January 7th, 2018 at 3:54 pm
Man Jameis owned that Buff def and he’s owned ATL since his rookie years (mostly)..he beat KC at home, he had NE, argh whatever. Just wish we had a defense.
January 7th, 2018 at 3:59 pm
Improve the Oline and regardless of who is back there – the running game will improve along with the entire offense.
We need better Guards (plural) if Marpet is to stay at center. Dot may suffice at RT for 1 more year but Benenoch did not look to me like he’s ready for prime time when he played this year. At the very least we need a good developmental OT in the 4th or 5th rd of the upcoming draft.
January 7th, 2018 at 4:07 pm
Everyone pining for Barkley needs to just settle down. RB is not as much of a need as OL. Anyone watching the Heart that Barber runs with should know that if the OL opened more holes we would be Set!
January 7th, 2018 at 4:08 pm
Didn’t even read your comment before I did Pick. Great minds and all.
January 7th, 2018 at 4:12 pm
FSU THUGS BABY!!!!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2018 at 4:15 pm
Where is the best place to buy Jacksonville Jaguar gear in the Tampa Bay area? Expect many current Bucs fans to tire of their poor management and support a real football organization that knows how to build a team.
January 7th, 2018 at 4:16 pm
So all you folks that thought Mariota was great for winning last night also thinks Bortles is great as well right? Right?
January 7th, 2018 at 4:16 pm
FSU THUGS BABY!!!!!!!!!!
__________
Are you being racist DB? Or would that only be racist by a white person?
January 7th, 2018 at 4:18 pm
We definitely need to draft a Rb but unless it’s Barkley, it doesn’t need to happen in the 1st rd.
I’m watching this Jags game that just ended and the Jags got some home cookin calls The sideline route that the Bills had on a big throw was deemed the receiver stepped out and it was very hard to see conclusive evidence that he did. Then, when Peterman had to come in they called an intentional grounding when he was trying to throw it as he was sacked. No way they call that penalty on a seasoned QB. Finally, the game clinching pick by Jalen looked like he didn’t have possession when the ball touched the ground. The calls weren’t ridiculous but I never see us get these calls at home.
January 7th, 2018 at 4:18 pm
On another Note..How bout them JAG-WARS huh? DEFENSE baby. Something we don’t have. Thats the way to do it. Hold your oppoment to a measly 3 points and then..take the opposing QB out of the game. Thats Mean man..MEAN!! Congrats J-VILLE!!
January 7th, 2018 at 4:28 pm
the bucs ignore defense its licht has a 10 year plan we just gotta RELAX
January 7th, 2018 at 4:31 pm
I’ve seen 6 teams so far in the playoffs…..talent wise the Bucs are not as good….the bar is only going to get higher before the Super Bowl…..3 years off
January 7th, 2018 at 4:33 pm
A different RB would have made a huge difference in this offense , Koetter was never ever working from his whole play book with Martin………. Simply compare the offense the last three games to the rest of the year and and and Koetter still handcuffed himself late in all those games with Martin coming in and doing what he does ( put the team in 2nd and 12) and Winston then trying to pull rabbits out of his hat. Barber isn’t great but he opens up the play book and allows the QB to not have to be a magician.
Look at Winston’s numbers over the last three games with a rb that doesn’t constantly lose yardage and can get 4 ypc. Hell,,,, I haven’t looked it up but I will guess that Winston was Top 5 over the last three games. It’s simple and basic but Koetter and Licht protected their egos and didn’t perform as professionals and even amateurs could see it . Joe please pull those stats !!!
January 7th, 2018 at 4:42 pm
I like Martin and don’t blame him for Dirk’s predictable play calling of running him right into the middle of run blitzes on every first down – but there isn’t a way to justify his cost and he’d be better served going to a new team. Barber is a very basic/generic north/south runner with good power, but in an offense with as many weapons as the Bucs have you don’t have to have big money guys at every position. The Bucs should bring in a proven vet and let Barber see if he can still win the job. Still people doing cartwheels over a 3.9ypc Barber is silly. As for saying WELL MARTIN… blah blah blah. Dirk did not call games the same way at the beginning of the year as he did at the end of the year when he was coaching for his job. Also Martin was not used much in the passing game which I think was a huge tell on where the ball was going on most downs – and Barber is a better receiver than Martin. Anywho Martin is now like 29 years old already so he’s going to expire in any case and the Bucs aren’t paying him $7-mil so he’ll be gone.
January 7th, 2018 at 4:46 pm
Martin will be Ok. Just watch..him go to another team and run all over the place.
They always do..come back to haunt us. Its a..BUC LIFE BABY!!!
January 7th, 2018 at 4:47 pm
Barkley is a rare player that will elevate the play of every one suited up for the days game……yeah I know everything we need
January 7th, 2018 at 4:51 pm
Issick great post and 100% accurate
January 7th, 2018 at 4:59 pm
Seeing es buc george johnson playing at his best level next to sheldon rankins and he couldnt do that next to GMC, so is it coaching?
January 7th, 2018 at 5:05 pm
This RB class is just as nice as this past draft, which what I believe the GM saw. Barkley would be the prize, but if you miss him in the first round, which is likely if the Browns are smart, you got several RB, Chubb & Michael from UGA, Jones from USC, Penny from SDSU, Harris from UA and I am sure I have missed a few.
January 7th, 2018 at 5:05 pm
Issic – Yes compare those last 3 games to early in the year when Dirk was still on autopilot and calling the most basic, simple and ultra conservative games anyone could. When you look at the next gen stats what you see is Martin AND Barber both spent a bunch of time in the backfield, in the bottom part of the league for starters, this means either the Bucs ran a lot of sweeps and slow developing run plays (which they didn’t) OR it means the Bucs running backs were needing to avoid people and make adjustments to even get back to the LOS. Martin had the most stuffs of anyone, that means the number of times he was stopped behind the line – that stat isn’t on the RB unless the RB is doing a bunch of dancing behind the LOS when he has holes – and that didn’t happen either. Martin was getting hit behind the LOS on nearly every first down because Dirk ran the same play over and over and over again, all of last year and for most of this year. Play calling matters, just strength of schedule matters and what defenses you’re playing matters. Barber was serviceable for the most part, although he did lose the Bucs the Atlanta game with his fumble.
Anyways at the end of the year when Dirk was coaching for his job he actually opened up the playbook. People will say Winston played much better, and he did, but in large part it was because the Bucs were doing things like running playaction passes on 1st down in the 1st half of games, something they did not do last year or most of this year – and when defenses get burned on that a few times it opens up holes in the running game. Barber, a less than 4.0avg ball carrier, shouldn’t be counted on as anything more than a spot starter, and if the Bucs put all the pressure on him for next year it could be bad, but at the same time the Bucs don’t need to draft someone highly or spend big money on someone, just keep Charles Sims around for 3rd down work and get another vet that could start and they should be set.
January 7th, 2018 at 5:12 pm
Go Aints!!!
January 7th, 2018 at 5:14 pm
LeVeon Bell please
January 7th, 2018 at 5:16 pm
SB
Just proud of my guys with “off-field concerns” that all! #FSU
January 7th, 2018 at 5:25 pm
Now that is a Mike Shula offense! Held the ball for what, like 12 mins in the first quarter, two visits inside the 20 and they up 3 points total.
January 7th, 2018 at 5:34 pm
It’s really sad that Mike Shula offense has outscored the Bucs offense for 4 straight years!
January 7th, 2018 at 5:37 pm
Man that is great that Licht passed on Kamara and the other RBs so he could target in on snoop dogs boy, that really pushed us from the 4th pick to the 7th pick great job again Licht
January 7th, 2018 at 5:39 pm
The bucs need some burners get a multiple backs with speed. All of our backs get caught in the open field. This team lacks athleticism across the board we have no freak Athletes. Watching jville they have speed at all levels of their defense. We haven’t had a fast back since we drafted warrick dunn. Licht has to do better
January 7th, 2018 at 5:40 pm
Well Joe I have to admit you were right about the Hampster.
I was never a huge fan but thought he would come back strong this past season.
I was astonished that we paid full price…..that’s on Licht.
January 7th, 2018 at 5:52 pm
Slowest fans in the league right here at JBF
January 7th, 2018 at 5:58 pm
Doug Martin was the softest running back in the NFL last year. Cupcake runs every carry . If there wasn’t a gaping hole in front of him then he was stuffed at the line of scrimmage.
January 7th, 2018 at 6:01 pm
Licht needs to step it up too. No more excuses. Enough wasting time with these good story borderline NFL players (Humphries, Dontee Dye, Bobo Wilson, the list goes on and on). It’s time to draft REAL talent. Like Kamara, Fornette and Dalvin Cook. Licht needs some elite draft picks because he just has a couple of those.
January 7th, 2018 at 6:15 pm
Martin should have been gone yesterday. Not sure we have enough ammo to fill all of the holes (DE,RB,CB,RT,DT)
January 7th, 2018 at 6:36 pm
@ DB………………Didn’t we get into a discussion about the word “Thug” earlier this year and you basically referred to me being a racist ? And now you are Glorifying it? Just sayin
January 7th, 2018 at 6:53 pm
You Can’t have it both ways bro. Don’t make me do a “realist” and look up the archives
January 7th, 2018 at 7:12 pm
Man just using the same terminology as the racists.
January 7th, 2018 at 7:15 pm
@sb
DB55 and ndog are a couple of idiots that literally think they know everything there is to know about football and if you in anyway disagree with them then they call you names or demean you in any way they can. Or ofcourse play the race card. Literally no one on the planet knows more than them.
A couple of typical millennials without a job that think they have everything figured out while living at home with whoever claims to raise them.
January 7th, 2018 at 7:44 pm
These playoffs look fun. Too bad our fans hate going so much.
January 7th, 2018 at 7:48 pm
Sony Michel from Georgia is my 2nd favorite back
January 7th, 2018 at 7:48 pm
Sony Michel Georgia round 3 of the draft!!!!
January 7th, 2018 at 7:52 pm
Btw last three games where Barber started with back up o line he was 43 for 175 ……… 4.1 ypc
2 nd ly – it was stated in camp that Barber was 100 percent ready for blocking assignments ……… either way this is on Licht and Koetter
3 rd ly any back is a better receiver than Martin ,,, all the more reason it’s mind boggling and mind boggling it is what professional coaches and GM s do to be totally unprofessional and cover their own stubborn blind asses !!! Not the fans first, not the community first, not the players first and not the owners first !!! Koetter and Licht are as guilty on all counts as anyone can be !!!
Hellllll Martin came in the Panthers game and had a hole 3 feet wide with a LB 2 yards beyond the line of scrimmage and he stops and does that retarded Doug dance and gets stopped for a two yard loss ( should have gained 2 min)……… this becomes a difference of 4 or 5 yards and no qb under the pressure that a Bucs qb is under will do well in constant 2 nd and twelve ………. Again this is coaching and leadership from above !!! It Is what it is , Koetter and Licht were nothing short of Inept with Martin !!! I mean as clueless as you can possibly be !!!
January 7th, 2018 at 8:00 pm
It’s true these playoff teams have way better players, especially on defense.
Night and day watching the jags compared to the bucs.
And a lot of these teams were worse than us and have now passed us right by. Rams. Eagles. Jags. Even the saints have rebuilt why we go backwards.
It’s depressing.
January 7th, 2018 at 8:04 pm
The UGA boys are both going to make grate pros. Sony is similar to Kamara while Chubb is similar to Fornette. Hope we can land either if decide to go Defense in round one.
January 7th, 2018 at 8:52 pm
@LUVMYBUCS,
You don’t even have Nick Chubb and Sony Michel listed.
On a side note, I wish we would have drafted Ramsey instead of that skinny finger wagger from highschool.
January 7th, 2018 at 9:36 pm
Why knock Bell? He is the best RB in the league and he isn’t just a weapon, he is also a solid pass blocking RB. Imagine having one player that can perform all of the tasks his position might be asked to….Also there are a few positions of need the Bucs can actually address in FA which then leaves them to focus on other positions in the draft.
No other team would be crazy enough to give him what he wants salary wise but we will have the space to get Bell and so much more and I think that Licht will be aggressive in this offseason because of the pressure starting to build. If we could go into the draft with several positions improved I would be much happier.
January 7th, 2018 at 9:41 pm
I never wana see Doug Martin ever again in a buc uni Thank God I never bought his jersey #3 # 13 #58
January 7th, 2018 at 10:20 pm
I think we should draft a kicker with our first pick. ….awful joke
Let Martin go and see what his market offers. If his market only can fetch the veteran minimum we could make him a 1 yr. offer but he has to prove his spot and earn a backup role in camp or be cut.
January 7th, 2018 at 11:51 pm
How the hell did we lose Lagarrette Blount?
January 8th, 2018 at 7:08 am
LeVeon Bell ain’t coming here! That’s a pipe dream!
It doesn’t do us any good to upgrade the RB without FIRST upgrading the o-line play.
January 8th, 2018 at 9:53 am
What about Sony Michel in the second?
January 8th, 2018 at 1:35 pm
Sign- Carlos Hyde
Draft- Rashad Penny-San Diego St.
January 8th, 2018 at 2:45 pm
Richie Incognito could have been had, but the Goody Goody Bucs were more interested in a team a Choir Boys.
SMDH
January 8th, 2018 at 7:08 pm
this is not the first time a player lost his wheels due to drugs or a hot woman…remember jason sehorn?…he went from all pro to big shmo once he married his model wife…drugs and poonany can destroy a man’s career in a heartbeat — sometimes