Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin will be able to negotiate with other teams starting on Monday should the two sides not come to an agreement on a long-term deal this weekend.
Unfortunately for those looking to keep Martin in a Buccaneers uniform, it’s being reported that there still remains a significant gap between what Tampa Bay is offering the soon-to-be free agent and what he’s demanding:
Talks between Martin’s agent, Brian Murphy and Bucs GM Jason Licht Saturday failed to close the gap to prevent Martin from being a FA.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) March 5, 2016
Martin, 27, finished this past season as the NFL’s second-leading rusher behind Adrian Peterson. He tallied 1,402 yards on the ground while averaging a whopping 4.9 yards per rush.
Should Martin hit the open market, there’s little reason to believe he wouldn’t earn a deal that pays him north of $8 million per season. It appears that this is a price Tampa Bay doesn’t seem willing to pay.
The Buccaneers do have a young running back in the form of Charles Sims on the roster, but the team doesn’t view him as a three-down back.
This means if Martin were to leave in free agency, Tampa Bay would have to find a replacement either on the veteran market or through the draft.
Pure conjecture here, but it’s safe to assume teams flush with cap room might make it impossible for Martin to return to the Buccaneers.
With $47.4 million to spend, the Tennessee Titans are surely in the market for a running back after struggling a great deal on the ground last season. The same can be said for a Detroit Lions team that has more than $32 million to spend.
Martin, a first-round pick in 2012, has recorded nearly 4,700 total yards and 22 touchdowns in four seasons with Tampa Bay.