Not surprisingly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers parted ways with running back Doug Martin after he averaged a paltry 2.9 yards per carry over the past two seasons.
Now it appears the Oakland Raiders have substantial interest in Martin. They are expected to “make a strong push” for him in free agency.
Sources: #Raiders coach Jon Gruden recently arranged for a face-to-face meeting with former #Bucs RB Doug Martin and came away impressed with him as a person. Oakland expected to make a strong push for Martin in free agency.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2018
Head coach Jon Gruden must see something in Martin that’s been missing for the last two seasons. A suspension and poor overall performance saw Martin start in only 16 games with the Bucs between 2016-17. He tallied just 827 rushing yards and scored only six times during this span.
Aside from the Raiders being interested in Martin, we must wonder what this means for running back Marshawn Lynch’s future in Oakland. Gruden said he wants Lynch to be the lead back, but yet he is also a candidate for a possible release.
Bringing Martin into the mix would be an interesting move. The Raiders also have three other younger running backs on the depth chart behind Lynch.