Martin Focusing On Speed
May 31st, 2013
What does a true young superstar like Doug Martin work on in his second offseason?
Joe asked the Muscle Hamster just that this week, and speed, health and playbook were his three answers — in order.
Remember, Raheem Morris and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik talked a lot during the asinine NFL lockout about how a great percentage of players improve most from Year 1 to Year 2 in the NFL (something second-year guys that year lost out on.) So it’s reasonable to think Martin, who got off to a somewhat slow start last season, might be in line to completely blow up in 2013.
Joe found it interesting that Martin referenced speed. His legs are young enough to get faster, and he hasn’t racked up a big enough pounding yet to be worn down.
Joe wonders what the Bucs strength staff came up with to improve Martin’s burst.
May 31st, 2013 at 9:55 am
Joe!! Wake up. Unless you live under a rock Doug Martin does not want to be called ‘The Muscle Hamster’. Good God .. How many times does the dude need to say he doesn’t like it.
May 31st, 2013 at 9:59 am
I think he will work on his stiff-arm jetpack move!!
May 31st, 2013 at 10:03 am
@joe,
You have really upset Brad!
As for #22 I’m glad to hear the guy isn’t satisfied with the extraordinary rookie year. I hope he keeps it up.
May 31st, 2013 at 10:16 am
Agree. Please don’t use that term, “muscle hamster.” Since he has often said that he doesn’t like it. He deserves more respect.
May 31st, 2013 at 10:28 am
As far as big improvement from year 1 to year 2, I think there are two exceptions, QB, which is usually year 2 to year 3, and RB, where often rookies burst on to the scene, and either fizzle out or maintain their production; no significant improvement.
I’d love to see Martin dramatically improve upon his rookie year, but for fans/media to expect more than what he’s already shown (which has been great) is unreasonable.
May 31st, 2013 at 10:30 am
Can it, guys. Muscle Hamster is here to stay. They even used it on the NFL’s top 100. Players around the league use it, it’s staying
May 31st, 2013 at 10:32 am
Sorry Muscle Hamster, you don’t get to pick and choose your nicknames.
May 31st, 2013 at 10:40 am
Martin’s gonna rush for at least 1500 yards and 14 TDs.
May 31st, 2013 at 10:57 am
There was really only one glaring thing that I thought Doug needed to work on and that was his last gear speed. He lacked a last gear and got caught from behind several times when he clearly could have scored if he had that extra gear. Besides that, Dougernaut doesn’t have to many weaknesses in his game. He hits the holes with authority, very nimble on his feet, great at faking and misdirecting tackles, he catches well, and he blocks well. He just needs a fifth gear.
May 31st, 2013 at 11:05 am
He should embrace it. KIA is waiting on him to blowup with a boatload of cash in endorsements.
May 31st, 2013 at 11:08 am
@TimBuk
Speed is a God given talent. You can improve it from like a 4.5 to a 4.44 but nothing drastic. You say he lacks a another gear yet he almost rushed for 300 yards against a team that prides themselves on having track athletes on both sides of the ball (albeit it be the Raiders). Not everyone one can have a Chris Johnson gear but Martin had more than enough speed, Just ask Minnesota. .
May 31st, 2013 at 11:09 am
Dom gets called “rock star” because of so many 2010 interviews
Doug Martin gets called “Muscle Hamster”.
Bill Belichick gets called: “Belicheat”.
Notice a trend here? It looks like the guys deserving the MOST respect, get the least with their nicknames.
In order of accomplishments/NFL worthiness:
1. Belichick
2. Doug Martin
3. Mark Dominick
May 31st, 2013 at 11:19 am
It always a nice thing to say you’re trying to improve and I’m all for trying to be the best you can be as I am for America and apple pie.
I love Doug Martin just the way he is. And with Joseph and Nicks back in the line up, just the way he is ought to be just that much better.
I don’t know what a RB can to minimize this, but if there is anything I would hope for is for Doug to avoid the dreaded Achilles heel that seems to be more prevalent, as well as the ever present hamstring, and protect his knees to every extent possible.
May 31st, 2013 at 11:20 am
@stevek Belichick is a proven cheater…the rest is tongue in cheek. Joe obviously tries hard to report on the Bucs and not take life so seriously. I love the site and it has now become my primary source for Bucs news. Those thta don’t like it can go elsewhere.
May 31st, 2013 at 11:21 am
Steve,
You know I hate “rock star” also, but geez, Joe didn’t give Martin “muscle hamster”, that came from Boise State. And as far as Belicheat, if the shoe fits…
May 31st, 2013 at 11:21 am
dougernout.
May 31st, 2013 at 11:22 am
I meant I hate the nickname “rock star”. Don’t hate Dom, just don’t think he’s a good GM.
May 31st, 2013 at 11:24 am
@TimBukTwo@OneBucPalace
Doug needs to work on his last gear? Doug was rarely caught from behind last year and has a knack for finishing long runs. Maybe you missed the Oakland game when he scored four 40+ yard TDs.
May 31st, 2013 at 11:29 am
http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/top-15-fantasy-football-must-haves-slideshow/nfl-tampa-bay-buccaneers-denver-photo-101719601–nfl.html
Dougie fresh is the 3rd best fantasy player (according to yahoo) hope he has as good of year as everyone thinks
May 31st, 2013 at 11:33 am
I agree Lightningbuc, its time that the Nfl Scout to stop posing as the GM!
May 31st, 2013 at 11:49 am
Yes because what the guy has done this off season is soooo horrible. Boohooo cry us a freaking river. It’s almost as if you want the Bucs to lose.
May 31st, 2013 at 11:52 am
Love to hear “The Dougernaut” doing everything he can to improve after such a stellar rookie season. He definitely started the 2012 season slow so hopefully he can come out of the gates like he was fired from a cannon!
May 31st, 2013 at 11:54 am
the only losing we wish the Bucs to do this year, is there biggest problem. And that is the GM
May 31st, 2013 at 11:54 am
Couch Fan,
Dom has done great since being allowed to use the salary cap. (after 2011 season).
This should be a playoff team. This is the 5th year in the rebuild, and the time is now.
Luther,
Belichick PAID HIS PRICE (lost draft picks), but the man has 3 super bowls and 5 appearances.
Dominick has a 10 win/ no playoff season, that only led to a free agent punter to brought it. It is no coincidence we lost 10 straight games in 2011 and 5 straight in 2012. You gotta spend the cap, and spend it wisely. We are on the up and up baby! 🙂
May 31st, 2013 at 12:03 pm
@SteveK
Lol actually my comment was towards bucs pessimist. His posts have become nothing more than a joke and its blatantly obvious he is just a troll. But your right theres no doubt this should be a playoff team. Heads will begin to roll after this year if we dont at least finish above .500. I have no doubts about that.
May 31st, 2013 at 12:07 pm
couch, we are basically saying the same thing, just that i am saying head will roll if we don’t get to the playoffs.
May 31st, 2013 at 12:10 pm
Lol yes but you say the samething every single post. Even when its uncalled for and unrelated. At least try to be happy that, on paper at least, we should have a good team. You seem to just want to harp on the negative side ALL the time.
Dont get me wrong, Dom so far has not done a good enough job and I realize that. But this is the time of year for hope. We are 0-0. As of right now there is no reason to think we cant make the playoffs with the team we’ve assembled.
May 31st, 2013 at 12:17 pm
I do have hope. Hope that the Pop-star will get sent packing. So the next GM will turn this team into a perennial playoff team, not just saying that this is the goal every year, But actually do it.
May 31st, 2013 at 12:19 pm
Funny… I just got a picture in my head of Martin training at home by jumping in a BIG hamster wheel and running for HOURS!!!
Glad he’s working to improve, good things happen with hard work
May 31st, 2013 at 12:20 pm
Brad Says:
“Joe!! Wake up. Unless you live under a rock Doug Martin does not want to be called ‘The Muscle Hamster’.”
Doug has no say in it, Brad. The fans do.
@the_buc_realist
I think it depends on the reason for missing the playoffs. Say for example Freeman gets injured in the first game and is out for the season. Glennon ends up sucking. Whose fault? Afterall, Glennon was not brought in to be the starter.
Plenty of other scenarios as well.
May 31st, 2013 at 12:27 pm
If Freeman gets put on IR at the beginning of the year. Man, would that make for an interesting off-season… Let’s hope that doesnt happen.
May 31st, 2013 at 12:40 pm
I can’t wait for this time next year and the_buc_realist will have to eat his sneakers. Instead I’m sure the troll will disappear.
May 31st, 2013 at 1:27 pm
Martin is turning into one of my favorite current Buccaneers. It’s refreshing to see modest, non-flashy guys who just go to work. Not worried about marketing themselves, or whatever else. Just football. Driven to be great.
May 31st, 2013 at 1:31 pm
So realist, in the last 2 years, Dominik has brought in the best free agent WR, the best FA guard,the best FA safety, got a franchise RB, the best linebacker here since Brooks in David, and swung a trade for the best CB in football(when healthy), and STILL has cap space to spare. Do tell what you would have done differently as the GM.
May 31st, 2013 at 1:36 pm
@the_buc_pessimist
Seriously? You just NEED attention, don’t you? The most “realistic” thing about you is your obvious need of attention. Look at the ti`tle of this ar`ticle. How is any`thing you are sa`ying re`lated to Doug Martin trying to get fa`ster?
Stop trying to hijack every thread with your Dom hate speech. I’m sure the other Dom haters are embarrassed to even have you on their side. (I would be.) You make a complete ass of yourself everyday on this website. We get it, you hate Dom. Everyone knows now so why do you need to repeat it several times a day? If you are right about Dom then just come back and gloat in the offseason but, if you are wrong, I hope you have the balls to stick around and eat crow. I certainly will if I am wrong.
May 31st, 2013 at 1:39 pm
That first paragraph is messed up because one of those words with the “`” in it was keeping it from going through this stupid, random filter. I can say “ass” and “balls” in a post but I can’t say one of those other random words. I just don’t get it.
Joe, is there any explanation for this? I imagine the filters are simply set by wordpress or something and you don’t have control, correct?
May 31st, 2013 at 2:51 pm
Re: filters. One time I was splitting up a long post that didn’t did not show up, so I tried posting a paragraph at a time. Then you can narrow down what was keeping it from posting. I noticed certain peoples name, and teams records, etc seemed to cause it (yet not every time). I know because, I took out the numerical record and put in INSERT TEAM RECORD, and same with the name, and replaced it with INSERT G.M.s NAME or something along those lines, and then it finally posted. And, I also have had success spelling numbers out, or just alluding to it in a different way.
This was just things I typed, not html, not copy and paste. I don’t what it is, or where it comes from, but, there is some sort of filter. That’s just something we have to deal with if we want to post here, I suppose. But, something causes posts not to show up.
May 31st, 2013 at 4:07 pm
Yes it certainly is crazy. I was able to narrow down to just the word “j`ay” before. (It still fails now. If you try to type “j`ay” without the extra character before the “a”, it will block your post.) I seriously don’t understand. There seems to be no real consistency with what it blocks or why. Thankfully, you can just go back a page and it should save your post. Either way, I now copy my entire posts before submitting, just in case. I just wish it would throw an error or give a reason for tripping the filters instead of just refreshing the page and deleting your comment.
May 31st, 2013 at 4:16 pm
@Thanks for the info ODB
May 31st, 2013 at 5:56 pm
Once a nickname sticks, it sticks. Doug is stuck with it, so he might as well embrace it. A lot of speed work involved stretching which also helps against injuries (if done right). If Muscle Hamster rushes for for 1500 yards, expect Freeman to have a big year.
May 31st, 2013 at 7:13 pm
And make a boatload of cash off of it.
Bear Bryant hated his nickname. Often wouldn’t respond to people who called him “Bear.” Yet that nickname helped fuel a legend. Turned out OK for him, then again, Bryant was one savvy SOB.
May 31st, 2013 at 7:19 pm
@Joe
A fairly big difference between “Bear” and “Muscle Hamster”, no? “Muscle Hamster” seems like a nickname that could ruin a legacy.
You hold the power Joe. That “rock star” moniker for Dominik has somewhat caught on among other analysts. You can help sway the masses to “Dougernaut” or another name that doesn’t involve a rodent.
May 31st, 2013 at 9:09 pm
Can’t decide your nickname. Martin has a great one. He may not like it, so may as well make money off of it.
June 1st, 2013 at 6:30 am
Hmmmmm. An article about Doug Martin, the star RB for whom Mark Dominik was wise enough to maneuver to obtain solicits a regurgitated mass of babble from our beloved poster who himself is in a dire need of a reality check.