Doug Martin’s Batting Average
February 21st, 2018
Ira Kaufman is the most revered sports personality and writer in town. He has hung his hat at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters since July 2016. Tampa Bay’s only Pro Football Hall of Fame voter, Ira busts out columns here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and his award winning podcasts fire Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also hear Ira on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio Wednesdays during football season, and see him now on Mondays and Fridays at 10:30 p.m. on Spectrum Sports 360. Ira also is part of the FOX-13 Tailgate Sunday and enjoys beet salads, Riesling, Chiefs victories and needling Joe.
BY IRA KAUFMAN
The Buccaneer book has closed on Doug Martin, with enough intriguing chapters to make for a decent TV movie.
He started off like a dynamo, excelling for first-year coach Greg Schiano. By the time he finished off that wondrous 2012 season with a 142-yard outburst at Atlanta, Martin had the potential to be the best running back in franchise history.
Move over Mr. Wilder, step aside Mr. Alstott, make some room Mr. Dunn, Doug Martin is in the house.
He was that good as a rookie, earning Pro Bowl honors with 1,926 yards from scrimmage. The Bucs were 6-4 and in playoff contention before a five-game losing streak wrecked those hopes.
Mark Dominik deserved credit for trading back into the first round and selecting Martin out of Boise State, where he was saddled with a nickname he didn’t embrace because “muscle hamsters aren’t intimidating.”
Buc fans were thrilled with Martin’s burst and impressive knack for making the first defender miss. Ownership figured Tampa Bay’s running woes were over.
Temptation Calls
Five more seasons followed and for the most part, they were forgettable. In turn, Martin was hurt, ineffective and then, unreliable.
He’s not the first pro athlete who couldn’t resist the temptations of the Bay area, but few of those who have fallen had Martin’s upside. He turned in another exceptional year in 2015 but Martin’s suspension the following season was a bitter blow for coaches and teammates who believed in him.
Martin said he was on Cloud 9 when he received that phone call from the Bucs in 2012, welcoming him to the NFL. By the time he was released on Tuesday, Martin had a storm cloud swirling above his helmet.
He says his best football is in front of him, but we’ll soon find out if 31 other teams are buying what he’s selling. Martin just turned 29 and he has averaged less than 200 carries per season, so there’s a chance he can resurrect his career.
A slim chance, but a chance.
The Bucs could have moved on from Martin in 2017, but they showed loyalty. He looked good against the Patriots in his first game back from suspension but the rest of the year was a disaster.
In the NFL, loyalty can get you fired. I remember the late Bill Walsh telling me that a key to success in pro football is getting rid of a player a year too early rather than a year too late.
Let’s not diminish what Martin was like at his best. As a rookie, he ripped off five runs of 40 yards or more. In 2015, he led the league with 14 runs of at least 20 yards.
Lost Mojo; Lost Minds
But in his final two years in pewter, spanning 282 carries, Douglas Martin posted only one 20-yard gain. He lost his burst. He lost his zest. He lost his mojo.
And Buc fans almost lost their minds, watching No. 22 plodding along, unable to shake defenders with that patented Martin shimmy.
Although he can’t be considered a first-round bust, Martin was a positive factor only two years out of six.
Let me do the math for you. That comes out to a 33 percent success rate.
Tampa Bay’s winning percentage during the Martin era is 34 percent. Ain’t that a heck of a coincidence?
Now the Bucs approach the offseason seeking a new running back. Martin is seeking redemption.
I like Tampa Bay’s chances better.
February 21st, 2018 at 2:08 pm
And the irony is? Some of the people who wanted him out of here will blame Licht for letting him go in two years if he suddenly string together two good years.
Not me. I wanted him gone.
And I never liked giving him a contract. I’m kind of glad he voided it.
February 21st, 2018 at 2:09 pm
How about the bucs batting average the past 15 years, that is impossible how the nfl is set up….well i guess not impossible because it happened
February 21st, 2018 at 2:11 pm
I do wish he would have worked out though. My sons loved him that first year. Only year they’ve watched the games with me.
February 21st, 2018 at 2:31 pm
22 was never great… only a few scattered good games over 6 years… and he was always that the bottom of the league in scoring. the bum will need a good relapse for the 30 for 30 to have enough content to be entertaining. his career highlights could not fill a 20 second spot. he should have never been given that contract. just another wasted 1st round pick….
nice BS PR message from his agent yesterday though. he screwed his teammates so screw him.
February 21st, 2018 at 2:32 pm
tmaxcon, not true. His first year he was excellent. Never reclaimed it though.
February 21st, 2018 at 2:52 pm
bonzi
i disagree take away the oakland game and the fact he never scores he was good that year lots of garbage yards but never consistent and never great
February 21st, 2018 at 3:17 pm
He was on cloud 9 for different reason.
From all the ecstasy he was taking? Molly was his beoch
February 21st, 2018 at 3:20 pm
Gotta agree with tmax on this one. Take away the Oakland game and DM22 averages 80 yards a game, 4 YPC, and only scored 7 times. Good numbers, but not great. Compare that to Ezekiel Elliott (I do think he had a GREAT rookie year) who averaged almost 20 yards more per game, 1.1 YPC more, and more than doubled DM22’s touchdowns.
February 21st, 2018 at 3:27 pm
I wonder what his o-lines looked like in his “good” years. Martin was/is a hard runner. Was/is he an elite back? Of course not! At his best, he was a serviceable back for Tampa Bay. Unfortunately, it wasn’t often enough.
Good luck Dougie!
February 21st, 2018 at 3:30 pm
6 playoffs wins in 42 years. we’re a model franchise. lol
February 21st, 2018 at 3:35 pm
T-Max is right…ANOTHER wasted 1st round pick. Simple as that.
Toss in Mark Barron and boom, another wasted 1st round pick. Vernon Hargreaves..another wasted 1st round pick.
OHNO the kicker ..wasted second round pick ASJ..another wasted 2nd round pick.
First and second rounders are supposed to build your team….
Now we will hear about ME / Jaboo / Marpet etc….
Every blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.
This organization at the GM level has SUCKED for years..
February 21st, 2018 at 5:08 pm
Warrick Dunn is probably the best runningback in team history, then Martin, then Wilder. Alstott I don’t slot as a RB, certainly not with the way Gruden wasted him for his final years here, giving the ball to Pittman to run into the back of his offensive lineman on every play while Alstott was just left to rot because he didn’t “fit” Gruden’s system. Another sad waste of could have been a HOF career.
February 21st, 2018 at 5:24 pm
In the NFL, loyalty can get you fired.
Take note koetter
February 21st, 2018 at 5:44 pm
James Wilder, Caddy, Ricky Bell, Dunn…caddy & ricky bell were best pure RBs the bucs have had but both had carreers cut short,
February 21st, 2018 at 5:47 pm
Hahaha, over 5,000 yards of offense. Sure, he gave us some letdown seasons and was not great but far from a wasted draft pick.
Oh that’s right I forgot the dreamers draft formula:
1st round) Team leader and perineal probowler
2nd) Pro Bowl type talent
3rd) Starter
4) Role player
5-6)Depth player
7)Roster bubble
UDFA) Camp meat
Being oblivious to history of the draft? Absolutely
February 21st, 2018 at 8:22 pm
JimmyJack
not sure you could lower your standards farther trying to justify a POS rb and horrible player.
February 21st, 2018 at 9:40 pm
Hard drugs are bad kids. What a weak minded dude and what a waste of potential talent.