Oakland Raiders: Doug Martin free agent signing grade
The Oakland Raiders signed free agent running back Doug Martin from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Can he resurrect his career with Oakland?
The Oakland Raiders are hoping to resurrect the career of former first round pick Doug Martin, now officially formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Martin, a native of Stockton, California, was let go by the Buccaneers before free agency and his union with the Raiders was predicted a few days ago.
It’s now finally come to fruition.
The #Raiders have agreed to terms with former #Bucs RB Doug Martin, source said. Jon Gruden locks in running back depth and Martin gets a second chance.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2018
It’s a 1-year deal for Martin and the #Raiders. Ever since Jon Gruden visited with him a few weeks ago and came away impressed, it seemed like this was going to happen. https://t.co/mjm7rlIQXb
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2018
Signing Grade: D
Martin has played in just 19 games over the past two seasons, including 16 starts. He has rushed for 827 yards since the start of the 2016 season, and has averaged 2.6 yards per carry.
Now at the age of 29, the Raiders are really hoping their old-school offensive approach is beneficial for the former Boise State star.
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Only twice in Martin’s career has he played in all 16 regular season games, and the good news for the Raiders — if he can achieve that — is that whenever he played in all 16 games, Martin has rushed for 1,400 yards or more.
Now, that has only happened twice in his six-year NFL career, so don’t hold your breath or anything.
The Raiders are taking a calculated risk here. Martin likely isn’t going to be expected to come in and jump-start the team’s running game on a one-year deal. Heck, he may not even be guaranteed a roster spot depending on what that contract looks like. But this is a decent low-risk, high reward move for the Raiders that could pay off.
What does this mean for the future of Marshawn Lynch with the team?
My guess is, the Raiders would probably still like to have him back. Jon Gruden has said as much. If that’s the case, the Raiders will really be throwing it back to 2012 with their rushing attack.
Whether or not it works out is anyone’s guess.