Buc Fans Know The Drill
June 4th, 2018
BY IRA KAUFMAN
Let ’em gush about Doug Martin in Oakland. There’s talk he might beat out Marshawn Lynch as Jon Gruden’s workhorse back.
That’s OK, too. The Bucs are moving on.
It’s been six weeks since Tampa Bay dumped a two-time Pro Bowl back — and the only question is what took so long.
Injuries, ineffectiveness and an ill-timed PED suspension wrecked a once-promising career and now Martin is apparently turning helmets on the comeback trail.
“Doug is smart,” says Raiders left tackle Donald Penn, who opened holes for Martin in Tampa. “He’s always going to be in the right spot. He’s small, tough and strong, so he gets to hide behind us, and then he just pops out. He did that so many times in Tampa. That’s another guy that has a chip on his shoulder.”
Martin should have no gripes about his tenure with the Bucs … zero.
He was outstanding for two seasons and awful or mediocre for the other four years.
His PED suspension arguably cost the Bucs a playoff berth in 2016, when a five-game winning streak improved Tampa Bay to 8-5 and in control of its postseason destiny. In a critical loss at New Orleans, Dirk Koetter chose to sit Martin, although he was eligible to play.
Buc fans were stunned when Koetter stuck with Martin as the primary back for much of last season, even as he averaged 2.9 yards per carry.
In his final two games as a Buc, Martin carried nine times for four yards.
Martin, 29, had no burst in the past two seasons, but he did have a fat contract. Not anymore. On March 15, the Raiders signed him to a 1-year deal worth $1.475 million.
Martin says he feels reborn as a Raider, only 70 miles from his hometown of Stockton.
“The past couple of years, I just got in my own way,” he says. “Being here, having my family around and old friends, it’s definitely going to help me stay busy. I can always confide in them if I have something to talk about.”
What went wrong in Tampa?
“Not focusing on the right things,” he said.
For those needing a translation, Doug Martin admits he couldn’t resist the temptations of Tampa. For two years, his mind was anywhere except Koetter’s playbook.
Dougie “Fresh?’
While Martin raked in millions, Tampa Bay’s ground game went bankrupt.
Now, he’s wearing a new number (28) and seeking a new start.
“Doug has really jumped out in this camp,” says Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson, who used to work with Gruden at One Buc Place. “His quickness, his ability to pick up the offense and what we’ve given him, that’s been very encouraging. It just looks like he’s got a real fresh set of legs.”
Here’s Martin, playing for a contract once again. Buc fans know the drill.
“You see why he’s an All-Pro,” Derek Carr says. “You see why he’s a 1,500-yard back. His work ethic is unbelievable.”
Ring Of Shame
Martin is never going into the Bucs Ring of Honor, but he’s not a first-round bust, either. There were times when he gave this franchise everything he had, which was plenty. But in the end, he’ll be considered a disappointment who couldn’t stay the course.
He joins Josh Freeman, Da’Quan Bowers, Austin-Seferian Jenkins, Anthony Collins and Chris Baker as Buc underachievers who sadly didn’t love football.
“I just want to play for the Raiders and I want the Raiders to be successful,” Martin says. “Playing for my hometown and playing for my family that’s out here, just show everybody that I can bounce back.”
While the Bucs move on, the Raiders think they landed a bargain.
We’ll find out in a few months, but know this: the walking dead of the Black Hole aren’t known for their patience.
Neither is Mr. Gruden.
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 at 10:30 p.m. on Spectrum Sports 360 (aka BayNews 9). Ira also is part of the FOX-13 Tailgate Sunday show and enjoys beet salads, Riesling, Chiefs victories and needling Joe.
June 4th, 2018 at 10:14 am
Nothing but the best for Doug Martin……Is a win win situation, good for the Bucs and good for him……..Honestly I don’t feel the same for Baker or Ward or ASF…..the truth feeling is I don’t wish them the best…..
June 4th, 2018 at 10:23 am
I was a strong supporter of dougie his whole time here in Tampa I’m just a stubborn optimist, but it got so bad last year I never wanted to see dougie run for ours Bucs again. Glad he is gone and we got Rojo 🙂
June 4th, 2018 at 10:36 am
What is crazy to think about is that some of the so-called fans and local media wanted Coach Gruden back!!!!!! And if that had happened, Drug Martin would most likely still on the roster!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!
June 4th, 2018 at 10:39 am
By game 4 his legs will be mush and the burst will be gone. Otherwise it’ll prove he cheated his team by not giving effort
June 4th, 2018 at 10:52 am
Too bad Doug couldn’t handle his life’s chosen “distractions” better while in Tampa. As in – just DON’T if it gets in the way of your responsibilities. Everybody has vices of some form or another – but when you get paid multi millions NOT to be overly “distracted” – and do it anyway to the point of losing focus, losing your edge as a player and getting caught/suspended for being “distracted” – all of which hurt your teams chances for success… Well that was just disappointing to say the least.
June 4th, 2018 at 10:53 am
We all should wish all Pro Football Players the best. If you have ever played the game on any level (I did in HS and 2 yrs in college before an injury)You’d know just how difficult it is to make it to the professional level. You gotta have great skill and stength sure. But you also gotta have quite a bit of lady luck pullin your way. For different reasons, some players come in flash and are gone. Some have 2 or 4 good yrs..couple bad yrs and then rejuvenate. Martin is human. He gave us what he had for the short length he did. He just might have a comeback. We don’t yet know. I just wish all NFl players well. They take a plethera of injuries with them for life when they leave this league. And some athletes like me, do not even make it thru 4 yrs of college ball because of injuries. God Bless the NFL!!
June 4th, 2018 at 11:15 am
lol, can’t wait to re-post this article week 10 or 16. This is probably the same BS “they” said about Blount. 3 SB rings later it’s crickets.
Tampa lets go of stars and replaces them with guys like Peyton Barber then have the audacity to questions why they stay in last place year after year.
https://www.joebucsfan.com/2014/01/legarrette-blount-trade-still-good/
[DallasBucs was not bounced for disagreeing with Joe — quit lying. HOWEVER, lying about Joe can get you bounced — is that what you are aiming for, to try to prove some twisted point? — Joe]
June 4th, 2018 at 11:19 am
https://www.joebucsfan.com/2014/01/legarrette-blount-trade-still-good/
Dallas had a clue but like everyone who deals in reality he has been ousted from jbf.
But yea Ira Peyton Barber and such…..blah blah blah
FACT! Martin will shine outshine of the cesspool of clueless fans and media
June 4th, 2018 at 11:24 am
@Mike Johnson
While I almost agree wholeheartedly agree, their is a rare exceptions!!!!! Like that scum bag lying jfro-6pak whole blamed everyone else for his failures!!!! I would have more respect if he did not say anything!!! But that trash can of a human put the blame on anything he could!!! I am so glad that piece of sh!# was exposed!!!!!
I do hope to see success for drug martin in oakland, it will be a great story!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!
June 4th, 2018 at 11:27 am
That’s a crock. He got bounced because he continually committed crimes against Joe, after repeated warnings no less. No one is bounced for disagreeing with Joe. Please don’t make things up.
June 4th, 2018 at 11:29 am
Lets wait until the season is over, and I believe it will be quite apparent why some bucs fans wanted Jon back.
Its called winning.
But I don;t expect that the morons who ran him out of town will ever admit they are round
June 4th, 2018 at 11:31 am
@mike johnson
Thank you for leaving an empathetic and compassionate response.
I wish all NFL fans were like you.
But not “God bless the NFL.”
I say, “God bless the players.”
June 4th, 2018 at 11:51 am
I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Martin do a lot better in Oakland. He set the bar about as low as he possibly could in 2016-2017 as a running back. Basically the worst starting RB in the league with a historically bad YPC average for the amount of carries he had in that stretch.
He needed to be cut and it should have happened before 2017. If he does well in 2018 it doesn’t change that fact. He f*cked this team and had no one to blame but himself. Not sure why some fans love this guy still. Good luck to him I guess but I’m moving on
June 4th, 2018 at 11:54 am
I was always a Doug Martin fan when he was with the Bucs. That was then, not so much now.
June 4th, 2018 at 12:02 pm
I understand this article, but it feels too insular…
The Bucs have a systemic problem for the past decade. An inability to generate sustained and consistent success in ANY department. Players have yo-yo games and seasons. Great drafts are followed by trades for kickers.
Maybe Martin was the problem.
Maybe he was also susceptible to the sMe thing plaguing everyone else in the organization this past decade.
He may bust this season
I would not be surprised if he had a demarco Murray type season (as Murray did his first year in Tennessee) in year one with Oakland.
June 4th, 2018 at 12:38 pm
If he does well, the haters will scream that Licht and Koetter screwed up by letting him go.
Even though EVERYONE HERE knew it had to happen.
June 4th, 2018 at 1:28 pm
Even if he leads the league in rushing, the Raiders definitely should NOT re-sign him for anything but the minimum. If he was distracted by Tampa nightlife, then it will be worse when the Raiders move to Las Vegas next season!
June 4th, 2018 at 1:48 pm
DM is trrraaaaassshhhhh. And the primary reason we lost!!!!!
June 4th, 2018 at 2:10 pm
ROTFLMAO!!!
Tampa nightlife is tame compared to Vegas.
June 4th, 2018 at 4:16 pm
Sad to hear that Dallas Buc is not around anymore, only a few of the first few bloggers from first years of JBF.
June 4th, 2018 at 6:46 pm
And if u think DM gets over 400 yards again in a season your deluded!!
June 4th, 2018 at 7:19 pm
I don’t think Las Vegas will be a good football town for the Raider players. The fans maybe.. yes. But one must be very careful in Vegas…
The last time I was in Vegas 2 yrs ago…I woke up to loud Rock music with nude girls serving coffee and doughnuts!!! I still cannot remember…………..
June 4th, 2018 at 9:08 pm
Wow… Just wow. Someone sounds so supremely confident yet will find out their football iq is slightly below my 4 yo son.