Doug Martin, Rolando McClain Injury Updates
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin was a rookie revelation, but a season-ending injury in 2013 following a disappoint start to the season combined with a terrible, injury-plagued 2014 season have him as one of the most disappointing running backs of the past two seasons. Martin was supposed to establish himself as an elite back in this league last season, but he is now getting pushed down the depth chart in Tampa Bay. The new coaching staff has evidently soured on Martin, who was placed on the trade block, and the former first-round pick will likely find himself behind rookie Charles Sims and another coaching staff favorite in Bobby Rainey by the end of the year. Rainey has already displaced him as the No. 1 back, and Sims looks poised to trump Rainey if he can match the expectations the Buccaneers coaching staff seems to have of him.
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Martin missed last week’s game against the Cleveland Browns with an ankle injury after being listed doubtful on the injury report, and he was also listed doubtful for today’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. With Sims active and ready to make his NFL debut, Martin was even less likely to play, and ESPN NFL Nation’s Pat Yasinskas tweeted that the former Boise State standout is indeed inactive today. Again, he was never expected to play, and he didn’t get a single practice in. Martin has averaged just 2.9 yards per carry on 58 attempts this season.
According to the NFL Network’s Kimberly Jones, Dallas Cowboys star middle linebacker Rolando McClain is active for today’s London game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but, unlike Tony Romo, he won’t be used as a starter. So why is he active? The Cowboys figure to play him in key situations as needed, but they don’t need to give him significant snaps since the Jaguars offense isn’t exactly a high-powered machine. That said, having him out there is beneficial, since Denard Robinson, an apparently rejuvenated Toby Gerhart, and the wide receiver can do some damage.