Bucs Get Their Running Back: Doug Martin

April 26th, 2012

Wow!

The Bucs just traded back into the first round to score Denver’s 31st overall pick and grabbed Boise State running back Doug Martin. Joe is fired up! And the Bucs didn’t even get played. In fact, it seems like rockstar general manager Mark Dominik pulled off a coup, especially after seeing the Giants draft a running back with the 32nd pick and knowing the Rams were sniffing running backs ahead of the Bucs in the second round.

The Bucs moved up four slots by giving up the their second-rounder and only had to swap fourth-round picks with Denver. Maybe there was a method to the earlier trade-down madness, though Joe wouldn’t bet any cash on that.

Regardless, the Bucs got a powerful, versatile back, one they absolutely needed to be a pound-the-rock team under the new Schiano World Order.

Dominik spoke on WDAE-AM 620 after the selection and praised Martin for being a team captain at Boise State and a tremendous kid off the field. Interestingly, Dominik said Schiano has close relationships with the Boise State coaching staff and that was a factor in the pick.

“A three-down-type of back,” is how Dominik described Martin and said getting a second beast of a running back on the roster was a critical need.

Joe’s not big on drafting running backs so early, but the need was pressing and now dare Joe say the Bucs have no more holes on offense. On the defensive side of the ball, well, that’s another story.

71 Responses to “Bucs Get Their Running Back: Doug Martin”

  1. Patrick Says:

    Good pickup. But we need to get back into the 2nd round tomorrow and get ourselves a kickass linebacker!

  2. FlBoy84 Says:

    Really solid first day. Love the move up, because it was very doubtful Martin would’ve been there at #4 in the 2nd. Now just need to grab some LB depth tomorrow.

  3. legacy Says:

    Awesome draft by the bucs

  4. canadianbuc Says:

    What a great pick he looks great both Martin and blount pounding the rock in our pass happy not great defensive division watch out Falcons and saints and wait Panthers just wait till kuechely get knocked over by blount then the next play by Martin!!!! Great pick so pumped now.

  5. Marques Says:

    Coach got his ray ray after all.

    Great kid. 3 down back and with this offensive line he will be very productive.

    Did not cost very much for an impact player.

    He is a worker, high character, strong, fast and healthy.

    Overall a very good first day.

    Now lets find a linebacker or two

  6. Brain Says:

    Yep Joe. Offense is shaping up great but defense is borderline disastrous. I defy anyone to find a worse LB corps in NFL history than Black-Foster-Hayward. Spence is an absolute must in the 3rd and even with him we’re still in rough shape.

  7. Matthew Says:

    No one knows for sure until these guys play but for all the lame haters bashing Dominik after the Barron pick (that trade to 7 allowed us to get Martin due to the 4th round pick we got). We got a stud Safety and a huge upgrade at RB, strongest bench press in the draft 28 reps (more reps then Richardson who had 25), runs a 4.47, team captain, can catch, played offense, defense, and special teams! Who knows if they’ll be as good as advertised but for now HATERS Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

  8. @eric Says:

    Another solid pick, so far so good and off to a very strong start, Go Bucs

  9. JS1506 Says:

    Love our 2 first round picks! Now we need to get a LB tomorrow…

  10. Justafan Says:

    NYG would’ve pulled Martin at 32. Tremendous pickup – the rest of the draft can be defense.

  11. chargedcbh Says:

    Sometimes its better to be lucky than good. Mark saved the draft with this move. I called him an idiot for the first trade, I’ll give him credit for this one! What a night, also I think the Network did a poor job covering this draft. They were not ready for the speed of the draft or all the trades….

  12. Brad Says:

    A hope there’s still a solid linebacker in the 3rd round. You know that weakness we’ve had since last year. The one we didn’t address in FA or in the first round of the draft.

  13. Jordan Says:

    Love it! The top Safety in the Draft and the 2nd best RB as well! If we could somehow move back up again and get a LB or RT it would be a hat-trick”! Although I feel we should have gotten more from Jacksonville to trade down, looks like the trade back up for Martin was negligible! Nice job Coach Schiano and Mark D.

  14. FlBoy84 Says:

    Btw, have to think having Sullivan on staff may have given the Bucs a little insight into what the Giants might have been thinking at #32. Grabbing Martin ahead of them might have thrown them a curveball and caused them to reach a little for Wilson. He’s a speedy back, but not the all-around one that Martin is.

  15. bucslover 55 Says:

    I do not mind the pick. I do not like losing the 2nd round pick. I hope they can move back into 2nd round and snag a desperately needed stud Lb

  16. Hawaiian Buc Says:

    I wanted Richardson, but this is going to work out wonderful. I think Martin may end up having a better career than Richardson because of the help he’s going to get in Tampa. Martin is getting a better line, better QB (I think/hope), and better backfield mate (Blount). Not to mention that the NFC South doesn’t have the defenses that the NFC North has. Let’s just hope we can stay somewhat healthy this year, because like last year, depth is going to be an issue.

  17. Kujolw Says:

    That was a good trade to get back into the first round. Totally cock blocked the Giants lol(Take that Coughlin) Im really liking the idea we might get L.Green in the fourth now.

  18. The Dutcher Journal (Pete Dutcher) Says:

    Take the THOMAS 2.2!!!!!

  19. passthebuc Says:

    We will be forced to settle for LB and Corner’s from the 3rd thru 5th rds. Some packaging with 6 and 7th pick could possibly allow for a move up into 2nd. But so far I like what has been accomplished.

  20. FlBoy84 Says:

    And as far as LB’s go, there a still a few FA’s out there (McIntosh, Levy, Goff, atc.) and there will more added once teams start cutting guys during the 2nd phase of free agency.

  21. NJBucsFan Says:

    On paper….great draft so far. Remember on paper Quincy Black is good.

  22. knucknbuc Says:

    @eric changing your tune now huh? It’s ok well let you back on the bandwagon. I know since you didn’t watch Mark barron alot you criticized the pick but what we did in the first round was one hell of a draft so far.

  23. derk Says:

    great draft so far by bucs… nice leaders, character guys…
    big safety runstopper… and a running back that is a tough
    bowling ball type… can catch…. big upside…
    dominic and schiano did a A + job tonight….
    great night for tampa bay.

  24. Stevek Says:

    Stoked we got the 2nd best RB in the draft.

    Super happy about Barron.

    We got a thumper and an every down RB to complement the power running of Blount.

    Happy we could pull this off and snub the Giants. Ha!

  25. thibs5599 Says:

    I was pushing hard for Kuechly when we traded down, however I understand the Barron pick and he was second on my list behind Kuechly. However this draft is deeper at linebacker than safety, and Barron not only is elite against the pass, but he can play the run also. As for Martin, great pick up, another captain who can do everything well he is asked to do, him paired with Blount behind our O line is going to be a great thing to watch.

  26. Brandon Says:

    Good pick up, I liked Martin as much as Richardson. He’s like a bigger Ray Rice. Very shifty but powerful, I watched him a lot the past two seasons and have been very impressed. We didn’t get ripped for a change, too.

    We don’t need to trade up to get LBs or CBs… there are plenty still available. We pick again in about another 36 picks or so. LBs Kendricks, Wagner, Brown, and others are still there. Many CBs are there, too. We may shock and go for TE or RT next. Who knows, perhaps Schiano and company like our LBs and CBs.

  27. Matthew Says:

    I love that Martin out lifted Richardson on the Bench Press. The guy is only 5’9” soft hands & runs a 4.47, if he can be even a half-decent imitation of MJD we got a great pick up!

  28. Thinker Says:

    POUND THAT ROCK! Bravo Rock Star

  29. BigMacAttack Says:

    Well it definitely looks like its time to Coach Up some Linebackers. Maybe Round 3

  30. Plbuc Says:

    So far so good. Two captains and high character guys. You can already see a change in the drafting philosophy brought about by the new coaching staff. I love it. Maybe we could trade K2 and throw in a 6th and 7th to get back into the second round. If not, we need 2 LBs, CB and TE. New day in Tampa Bay. Go Bucs!

  31. Ed Kerber Says:

    Good recovery MD. Now if you could trade Briscoe for a second or third round LB I will never doubt you again!

  32. Patrick Says:

    “Maybe we could trade K2”

    Don’t say stupid sh*t. We don’t a NEW Tight end!

  33. Architek Says:

    I love the first day…Preferred Claiborne but still getting a monster in the secondary is a great pickup.

  34. Capt. Tim Says:

    This was a good move

  35. Have A Nice Day Says:

    Day one turned out better than I expected. Dominik played the game. Schiano must be very excited.

  36. Bucsfan47 Says:

    I hope we can trade into the 2nd for LB(s) [yes two], get a corner in the 3rd and fourth, trade 5th for Usi. Rest of picks this year and late picks next year as bait.

  37. st. louis Bucs fan Says:

    ill b honest, i dnt kno much about Barron, (my neighbor is a Roll Tide fan so i asked him) but it looks like the Vikings head faked us worse than Turner on Black! but my neighbor tells me Barron is a stud!! and now we snagged Martin who is the 2nd best RB in the draft, do you think we can call the 1st round a push? dont know wuts in store for the 2nd or 3rd but i do kno that the Browns gave up WAY to much for TR. BUC IT IM OUT!!!!!

  38. bucthis Says:

    Charlie Casserly of NFL Network just said Bucs had the best first round A++ baby!! Now Thomas, you just have a talk with that man and knock some common sense in that former GM lol…

  39. FlBoy84 Says:

    Just throwing this out there, but anyonr think the Bucs may float a WR like Benn or Briscoe (and maybe a pick) out there for a trade to the Rams, who have multiple 2nd rnd picks?

  40. The Dutcher Journal (Pete Dutcher) Says:

    Part of me thought the running the ball talk was just talk. I said so here several times. In my mock I did suggest we would take David Wilson…I knew Martin would not fall to us in the second.

    I love the move.

    Best of all…because Martin was drafted in the first round, under the new CBA he can be signed to a 5 year contract instead of 4 like rounds 2-7.

  41. bucthis Says:

    Good Job Dom, jumping ahead of the giants to grab D. Martin…Oh, Cassely btw had Barron rated as the 7th best player in the Draft and where did the Buc’s pick?…

  42. bucthis Says:

    Again Dom, you are the Rock star of Rock stars!!! Is it true that the bucs just swaped 4th picks with with Denver and not give it away? If so. then this guy is truly the real deal GM…

  43. st. louis Bucs fan Says:

    how hard wouldit b to trade back in and grab Jenoris Jenkins???? cld b a diffrence maker. just way happy bout Martin!!!! if we couldnt land TR then Martin was an absolute must, if TR is the next Peterson then Martin is the next Ray Rice or MJD!!!! back feild looks great for the Bucs!!!! love this team!!! BUC IT IM OUT!!!!!!!

  44. Brain Says:

    yes Dutcher, the extra year on his contract is big. I just hope we get Sean Spence in round 3.

  45. mister V Says:

    Where are all the “a-na-list” and nah-sayers now,probably somewhere crying in their kuechly beer. No matter what anyone say, the bucs have added 5 count ’em 5 impact players this off season. Who else has added such an impressive group to their roster this year . This is the equivalent to adding 5 first rd. pick to your team in one off season and the chicken littles are running around screaming the sky is falling(i.e. the bucs got played), the sky is falling. Well Doug Martin just fell right in lap of the bucs( good catch mark) and look like they got “played”, like a fox, playing the so called players. 2 thumps up!!! way to go Bucs. The draft not even close to being over and the holes everyone was talking about in march are now beginning to disappear….. slowly, but disappear just the same. My guess is with more draft choices and the fall out of other teams drafting there will be a few more mid level free agents hitting the market soon and few more pieces added to puzzle b4 september.

  46. DAN Says:

    so much for dexter jackson announcing a pick for us… hahhaa

  47. Hawaiian Buc Says:

    Great points Mister V. We unquestionably have better players, and I feel pretty confident that we have better coaches than last year. Who knows how many wins it will translate to (probably depends mainly on how well Freeman plays), but I would be shocked if we don’t win many more than last year. Good times are ahead!!!

  48. 941-Bucs Says:

    How is anyone complaining about moving back up into the first.

    Technically we just used our second round pick to get the guy we were already going to get.

    All we had to do is witch a 4th round pick, one which we didn’t even have till the trade earlier.

    Smart move and we didn’t loose ANYTHING besides maybe Claiborne and a leap back in a round we didn’t previously have because of this.

  49. Macabee Says:

    A LB in the 3rd will be Tank Carder or Nigel Bradham!

  50. 941-Bucs Says:

    Please give me Tank Carder in the third and Ron Brooks CB LSU in the 4th.

  51. Hawaiian Buc Says:

    Funny how so many of the people crying like little girls are missing now. Why are you so scared to admit that you are idiots? You jumped the gun, you look like a fool, but we will accept you back on the bandwagon.

  52. Lion Says:

    Wow, what a great pick and if you think about it we gave up virtually nothing to move up a few spots and grab him. We used the 4th rounder we got from Jags and our second rounder and we came out with Doug Martin and the Broncos 4th rounder. Nice move Dom, and Mark Barron is a future pro bowler no doubt about it.

  53. FIRED GREG OLSON! Says:

    Casserly an Kurt Warner think the Bucs get an A+ in round 1…

    http://www.nfl.com/videos/auto/09000d5d828a68f8/Day-1-draft-winners

  54. ttampa77 Says:

    After reading the earlier posts about Dominik and how he needs to be fired, I honestly believe that this was the scenerio. Sure, the Buc’s would have loved to Richardson, but they were not willing to use 3 or possibly more draft picks to aquire him. As for Claiborne, as much as I personally liked him, I think the Buc’s didn’t even have him on their radar. As mentioned in previous posts, we have his secondary coach from LSU, not to mention a plentiful staff of college personnel (oh, and a quality scouting dept.). Obviously there was something not convincing enough about Claiborne. Sorry if you don’t like the pick of Barron, but I’ll take the best rated defensive player from the National Champions, not to mention the top defense in the NCAA. Then we follow up with a brilliant move by Dominik picking up Doug Martin! Wow! I think most people posting here jump to conclusions too quickly. You act like we drafted a punter at #7!!!! Go Bucs!

  55. Hawaiian Buc Says:

    “Casserly an Kurt Warner think the Bucs get an A+ in round 1…”

    ——

    But more importantly, what do Thomas, Eric, and Captain Timmy think about it? That’s the ones that really matter to me. I’m sure the organization would be devastated if they weren’t satisfied (as if anything would have satisfied them).

  56. 941-Bucs Says:

    With the Doug Martin Pick up i give them an A+ too.

    At first glance I was like WTF? like the rest of you. and i was like Mark Barron but only gained a 4th round and lost on Claiborne. Great player, poor Trade Value. Grade = C

    Then at Pick #31!

    Mark pulls the trigger on another deal. Swapping 4th round positions with Denver and Trading them our 2nd round pick for their first. Placing us just in front of the Giants to Steal Doug Martin. Second best RB on the board. Last fully complete back left in the draft. Great pick up!
    Grade A++

    Dominik Saved the draft with that last move. Lets see what he can do with rounds 3-7. Those will truly determine the success of this draft.

    I am hoping for 2 LBers, 1CB, 1TE, 1 more Safety

  57. eric Says:

    Three down back?

    Glad to hear that.

    Naturally sheep swoon in the spring every year with talks of steals.

    We did need another rb though so i applaud the effort.

    Doesnt change the ealier debacle though.

  58. Capt. Tim Says:

    Eric- yup.
    Hawaiian- lol at the biggest fool! What happened to your guarantee that the Bucs would draft Richatdson?
    Idiot

  59. Rrsrq Says:

    NFL network compared Martin side by side to Matt Forte, not just ray rice, if this guy is 3/4 of either of those two, that is going to be awesome

  60. eric Says:

    I hope Blount doesnt punch the guy.

  61. Paul Says:

    I would’ve liked Miller better. Might just be from my watching Miami and not Boise State much.

  62. Don Says:

    Although they got two solid players, they botched the trades early in the first and missed Clairborn, who I personally believe was a higher value and then took Martin, who was projected to be an early second rounder and may have been available without the trade. Over all I’d give them a B for their acquisitions but a D for strategy.

  63. Macabee Says:

    I know a bad decision when I see one and I made one last night when I criticized Mark Dominik for not getting more for the trade down to #7. I never criticized the pick, I love the pick, but I was irritated with the price paid – so much so that I never got to see the trade for Doug Martin at the end of RD1.

    I could make excuses for my judgment because I started my draft party early, but I won’t, I just completely misread what was going on. This morning with things being a lot clearer, it turns out to be a clever move without which the move back into the 1st round would have been much more difficult if not impossible.

    So I’m not too proud to man up and say to Dominik and crew “Ya did good” and keep up the good work. Every fan gets a one-time “stupid card” and I played mine last night. So I’m back on the boat firing cannons at full mast! Go Bucs!

  64. Paul Says:

    They never wanted “Clairborn”. Dominik said in predraft articles that the wonderlic is a big part of their draft board. Claiborne wouldn’t be on there with a “4”…

  65. Paul Says:

    If you said that they got burned on Richardson, then I’d buy that, not Claiborne…

  66. Capt. Tim Says:

    Yeah.
    6 elite players in this draft
    We have the 5th pick
    And we don’t get one

    Yeah, sweet

  67. Have A Nice Day Says:

    It’s funny that Casserly said Doug Martin reminds him of Ray Rice, who was a running back under Schiano at Rutgers in college.

  68. deminion Says:

    Martin is a baller

  69. 941-Bucs Says:

    No way Doug Martin would have been there for us in the second round.

    We had to pull the trigger before the Giants nabbed him up.. So trading to get him was worth it especially since all we had to do was move down a few spots in the 4th round to do so.

    And with out the batched trade for that very 4th rounder we wouldn’t have been in position to get him.

    Plus Barron is a Stud hands down! 7th best player on the board and we got him. I think he will fill a much bigger role the Claiborne could have.

    I like the picks. And i don’t really care about the trades. All the matters is the END result and how much we helped this team get pieces to WIN football games.

  70. 941-Bucs Says:

    Remember WE are Drafting to WIN GAMES .

    Not Win the DRAFT!

    Good Moves and Good Picks ups, enough said!

  71. Hawaiian Buc Says:

    Capt. Tim,
    The fool is you. I said all along Cleveland would take him jack arse. You said he would go in the 20s. Who’s the fool