Tampa Bay Buccaneers can't let Doug Martin go

This offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have just one pressing impending free agent to get a contract done with, and that free agent just happens to be Doug Martin, who is coming off of one of the greatest (and maybe most-anticipated) bounce-back seasons at the running back position in recent memory.

After averaging 3.6 and 3.7 yards per carry, respectively, in injury-plagued 2013 and 2014 seasons behind an awful offensive line and with no semblance of a passing game to help him out, Doug Martin took advantage of the additions of Jameis Winston and Dirk Koetter to become a 1,400-yard back for the second time in his career.

Koetter was one of the biggest believers in Martin’s game prior to the 2015 season, and the former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator is now the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, leading many to believe that there’s no chance Martin walks in free agency.

Fueling the belief that Martin is a lock to stay with the team that drafted him in the first round of the 2012 draft, albeit under the previous regime, is a statement he made to NBC Sports’s Mike Florio on PFT Live, “I love Tampa and Tampa loves me. I’ve got a house out there so I do wish I’ll go back to Tampa.”

More from Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds relayed in late January that both sides have already begun contract talks, and that’s an earlier starting point than most other marquee impending free agents around the NFL. There’s more than just mutual amicability from both sides to getting a deal hammered out, because the Buccaneers know how important he is to the offense.

Yes, Charles Sims quietly became a successful and underrated three-down back last season, but Martin was the heart-and-soul of the offense. Although the Buccaneers offensive line stepped up big-time last year, they don’t have a line like the Dallas Cowboys, which means replacing a 1,400-yard rusher won’t be easy. After all, only two running backs had more than 1,200 rushing yards last season, which means that Martin was second in the NFL in rushing behind Adrian Peterson. Martin was also second in carries, but he was more efficient than A.D. with 4.9 vs. 4.5 yards per carry.

Yes, Martin had nearly five yards per carry despite rushing the ball a whopping 288 times; he’s a workhorse, a three-down back, a home-run threat, a tackle-breaker, and a consistent yardage-chewer. Outside of Peterson, Le’Veon Bell, and Todd Gurley, there might not be a better or more complete back in the league right now, which means Martin would be one of those rare RBs to get paid on the open market. Remember, he still has a few good years left in him as a 27-year-old.

However, we also have to remember that all running backs are devalued, 27 isn’t exactly young, and he did miss a combined 15 games in 2013 and 2014. Martin is undoubtedly a valuable player, but he probably realizes he’s more valuable to the Bucs than anyone else, and perhaps there’s extra motivation on Tampa Bay’s part to reward a “homegrown” player that the fans can get behind.

All of that flowery crap sounds nice, but there’s a more fundamental factor at play here: Jameis Winston.

Look, if the Bucs were willing to keep Vincent Jackson at a sky-high cap hit last season and are evidently willing to do so again, then it follows they will be more than willing to pay their feature back what he’s worth. Jackson’s catch radius, long speed, veteran savvy, and understated ability to line up as a “big” slot receiver all give Winston a boost, but it is Martin whose tireless work on the ground helps to set up the Buccaneers aggressive vertical passing game, which figures to be even more aggressive in 2016 under Koetter.

And speaking of Koetter, we all saw how he helped unleash Martin, so obviously the coaching factor is there. However, the entire organization- not just Koetter- most likely wants to put every single support system in place for Winston to flourish in his sophomore season after an already-successful rookie campaign, and effectively removing the team’s best skill position player in 2015 (apologies to Mike Evans, whom I love as a player) would not be a step in that direction.

Keeping Martin is obvious, and every Buccaneers fan surely understands that. It’s why they aren’t bothered by speculation that an RB-needy team like the Tennessee Titans could be interested if he were to hit the open market; it’s a foregone conclusion that the Buccaneers will do whatever they can to ensure that he doesn’t see the light of free agency.

Dec 13, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin (22) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Although the Bucs were only 20th in points per game last season, they were fifth in yards per game, eighth in net yards per pass attempt, and second in yards per carry.

With one more offensive line upgrade and a real slot receiver, the Bucs could have one of the NFL’s scariest offenses in 2016 under Koetter, but that potential is capped if the Martin-Sims duo turns into a Sims-rookie (that would be my assumed “replacement” for Martin) combination.

I know some fans are worried about Martin declining in the later years of a multi-year deal, but remember that the impetus for getting this deal done is Winston’s success.

He needs a strong running game more in his first two or three seasons than he does in his fourth or fifth, which is why I have a gut feeling that the Buccaneers might be cool with sacrificing the long-term for the short-term with Martin, though their myriad of holes on defense do complicate the risk-benefit analysis of this trade-off.

More nfl spin zone: Who did the Buccaneers take in our latest Mock Draft?

The bottom line is that the Buccaneers can’t let Martin leave, since it stunts the progress they started in Winston’s rookie season, and they’d like to see that success bleed into Koetter’s rookie season as an NFL head coach

Home/Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers can’t let Doug Martin slip away

By Kevin Parvizi | Feb 11, 2016