If you would have told me last year that Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin might be the most sought after ball-carrier in free agency this offseason, I would have laughed in your face and wrote something mean about you on Twitter.
Following a breakout rookie season, Martin did a whole bunch of nothing over the last two years. Frustratingly nagging injuries limited the rusher to just 17 total games in that time frame. When he was healthy, he was arguably the biggest disappointment on the field. Martin totaled just 950 rushing yards during the 2013-14 seasons while averaging a paltry 3.6 yards per carry. He looked slow and indecisive and nothing like the Pro Bowl running back we saw in 2012.
However, Martin, like the "Die Hard" franchise, has come back with a vengeance this season. He sits second in the league in rushing with a whopping 1,133 yards through 12 games and fourth among running backs with a 5.0 yards per carry average. He's also scored four touchdowns. All of this is a long-winded way of saying he's earned a hefty deal in free agency this offseason. But will that deal come from the Bucs?
Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times believes "there's mutual interest in a new contract" between the team and their pending free agent. It's true that most running backs fail to justify their big contracts in the changing landscape of today's NFL. DeMarco Murray, Toby Gerhart, CJ Spiller and Frank Gore come to mind as recent examples of high-priced ball-carriers who haven't quite delivered. Yet Martin has been a crucial elements of Tampa Bay's offense this year and is averaging a healthy 20.8 touches per game.
Should the Bucs be concerned that Martin has righted the ship during a contract year? Perhaps. Handing over big money to an injury prone player is always a risk after all. But given Martin's reported interest in returning, it make sense to hammer out a deal to keep him in a Buccaneers uniform.
