Doug Martin Won’t Be Devalued (Much)
June 30th, 2014
When the Bucs drafted Charles Sims in the third round back in May, it sure did open up a lot of eyes. Joe is guessing Doug Martin’s agent’s antennae really stood up straight, when in the hours after picking Sims Lovie Smith noted the Bucs were really looking for a pass-catching running back, hence the selection of Sims.
Wait a minute? Couldn’t Martin catch the ball? This had Bucs fans scrambling for the hidden agenda (even though, there really wasn’t one).
Was Martin about to be traded? Cut? Was he going to be devalued?
Joe thought right away the selection of Sims came with a goal of limiting Martin’s pitch count in order to extend his career. The way Martin was used by former Bucs commander Greg Schiano, Martin’s career life expectancy was short.
And while some may believe Martin’s worth could be devalued by the Bucs, do not count Greg Auman in that group. The Tampa Bay Times scribe thinks Martin may just be as valuable as he has in the past.
.@TonyD_12 Hard to put a percent on it. Martin had 49 catches as rookie, so I think he’ll catch plenty. Just not 25 carries a game …
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) June 30, 2014
This seems to make a whole lot of sense, especially if you believe the Bucs will be running an up-tempo offense most of the time, sort of a two-minute drill at any time in the game.
The best way to burn a running back out is to constantly feed him the ball in the running game. Martin is as much a threat to run the ball as he is to catch the ball out of the backfield. Just his mere presence in the game keeps a defense honest. Until proven otherwise, that he can run the ball effectively, having Sims in the backfield in a one-back set all but signals the Bucs are passing.
June 30th, 2014 at 4:27 pm
Please, no more ‘wheel routes’ for Martin!
June 30th, 2014 at 4:38 pm
Yes he will be devalued
– Every Fantasy Football Owner
June 30th, 2014 at 5:02 pm
If Sims can’t run the ball effectively between the tackles on any down, we blew the pick.
June 30th, 2014 at 5:03 pm
Expect to see Sims a good bit in preseason so they have film of him running the ball successfully. Rainey and James might catch a few passes out of the backfield as well to show they can do it and help trade value…
June 30th, 2014 at 5:38 pm
I love our vets. Can’t wait to see the offense do screens. My favorite screen of 2012 against the Vikings on Thursday night Martin took it to the house! Blocking provide for Martin was Perfect!
June 30th, 2014 at 6:39 pm
Can we stop blaming the “wheel route.” I mean REALLY!? A RB wheel route is a completely viable play. One play I still remember to this day is a Michael Pittman wheel route vs the Flacons up the left sideline in their dome when John Gruden was our coach. The play went 50 yards and nearly scored. The problem is our last coaching staff didn’t fool anyone when they called it. It was poor timing calling that play then the play itself.
June 30th, 2014 at 6:40 pm
I mentioned this a while back that unless we feed Martin the ball via the pass from time to time, lining Sims up in the backfield may telegraph a pass. In cases like this, I hope our qb can sell a fake play action, by actually handing off, but dropping back as if to pass.
Nothing the Bucs don’t already know, it’s my hope our backs become stigmatized for all the right reasons.
June 30th, 2014 at 7:03 pm
Can’t have enough runners!
June 30th, 2014 at 7:05 pm
I would like to see the Bucs keep all five of our RB’s, otherwise one of these guys are going to be on the bubble. Maybe designate Demps or Sims as a WR/RB. If Demps can prove worthy on punt returns maybe we won’t need Eric Page, and it’s to bad Dietrich-Smith can’t also be the long snapper. That would eliminate using a roster spot on a specialist. Teams should push to have the roster limit increased to 56. With the more than usual injuries that seem to occur these days it would be beneficial to have a couple extra players available who have been with the system for awhile. Then we could keep all five RB’s with no question. Except for Sims (because I don’t know him), I think Martin, James, and Rainey are plug and play (interchangeable).
June 30th, 2014 at 7:12 pm
Let’s not rule out the success/failure of Josh McCown and how that will effect Martin’s workload. Martin will almost surely get the ball more if the passing game stalls at all during a game. That as well as the success of the new offensive line, a RB’s best friend. Then there is the sucess of the defense. If the Bucs are constantly down like they were in 2011, they will pass more. But the defense is (on paper) stacked and primed for a good season behind Lovie and Frazier’s defense.
June 30th, 2014 at 7:33 pm
Joe you put the thought in our head saying don’t be surprised if Martin is used as trade bait and is traded by week 8 or whenever the deadline is now. Right?
June 30th, 2014 at 8:02 pm
Your assuming Sims pass blocks well, as I am certain not all passes will go to Sims when he is in the game? Can Sims pass block at the NFL level is just as an important question.
June 30th, 2014 at 8:15 pm
Indy.. Joe puts a lot of thoughts in people’s heads and claims it’s the mass. He just wrote an article disproving that Tedford runs an up tempo offense even though all the players have said it was. I also believe he was the true leader of the Glennon mob.
June 30th, 2014 at 8:21 pm
Yeah Bob but Indy is right on this one. Joe dangled that stuff in front of us for more clicks and he was antagonizing the situation a bit while now he is saying he thought the whole time that it was just a “pitch count” kind of thing. I like Joe alot but he knows how to push buttons and does so for “clicks”
June 30th, 2014 at 9:02 pm
Martin is a complete feature back that was probably the most pro ready RB in that draft, so barring injury or #22 not being fully recovered from shoulder surgery I think Sims will see limited touches and be the Bucs version of Giovanni Bernard (or at least they hope). Martin is just too good not to give the lion’s share of the carries
June 30th, 2014 at 9:40 pm
“Joe thought right away the selection of Sims came with a goal of limiting Martin’s pitch count in order to extend his career.” – Joe
B.S., Joe.
June 30th, 2014 at 10:32 pm
Then you are leaving your wide receiver corps terribly thin.
June 30th, 2014 at 11:37 pm
24 days until I’ll have sweat running into my eyes as I watch J.McCown throw passes to Mike Evans. Please no afternoon showers.