On Wednesday Tampa Bay announced they had released running back Doug Martin after six seasons with the team.
It brings to end one of the strangest tenures of any player at any team.
At his best, Martin was one of the most productive running backs in the league, at his worst he was an injury prone player who battled substance abuse.
In 2015 he finished second in the running title, only behind Adrian Peterson, finishing with 1,402 yards and six-touchdowns. In his rookie year, he ran for 1,454 yards and 11-touchdowns. That saw him become a finalist in the Rookie of the Year award (losing out to Robert Griffin III) and earned him a Pro Bowl trip.
His rookie year also included a career day where he rushed for 251-yards and four-touchdowns against Oakland, becoming only the second player to rush for 250+ yards and four TD’s in NFL history.
In his four other seasons with the Bucs, he failed to rush for more than 500-yards and score more than three-touchdowns. He also never started more than 11-games. It was a frustrating, rollercoaster ride that was always coming to an end this year.
It’s interesting to think about how the former Boise State product will be remembered as a Buccaneer. His two full seasons were so good it always allowed him a little extra leverage from fans and the organisation.
After being drafted in the first round in the 2012 draft, Martin immediately became the team’s starting running back, rushing for 95-yards in his debut against Carolina. He had his first breakout game on Thursday night in Minnesota, rushing for 135-yards and a touchdown and a week later set several franchise records in that game against the Raiders.
He battled through two-injury plagued seasons before his 2015 renaissance and always seemed like a popular player among the team and with supporters.
Despite his inconsistency and injury troubles, Martin earned himself a five-year $35.75 million extension after his successful 2015 season, which included $15 million in guaranteed money. Big coin in the modern NFL where running backs struggle to get paid.
The team also held onto him after his four-game suspension for testing positive to Adderall and his announcement that he would enter a treatment facility. They easily could have cut Martin considering his suspension voided all the guaranteed money he was owed. However, the team kept him for one more year and at the time it seemed like a sensible move.
Now though, the Bucs had little choice but to cut the 29-year old and he finds himself as a free agent for the first time in his career.
He has always been a fun back to watch, short in stature but so hard to bring down, with a quick burst and an ability to find the hole in traffic. A little ball of muscle, making the nickname he earned at college so fitting.
He’s also battled through being stuck on a team constantly mired in mediocrity. Barely sniffing the playoffs and being a member of struggling offences under a carousel of head coaches and offensive coordinators.
It certainly wasn’t coincidental that in Martin’s two best season, the Bucs’ offence as a whole was much more productive. In his rookie year, quarterback Josh Freeman had his best statistical season and 2015 marked the arrival of Jameis Winston who threw for over 4,000. That year Martin and Charles Sims, who may also be released this off-season, formed one of the best running back tandems in the league.
But as has become custom in Tampa over the past decade, his brilliance was always fleeting and fans went into each season “hoping” for the best, not expecting, which is an issue considering Martin was the team’s featured running back.
Martin will find another home and could certainly return to his best in a new environment and if it’s anything like he produced with Tampa Bay, he’ll be a valuable pick-up.
His best was as good as anyone, the Buccaneers just didn’t get to see enough of it.