Running back hopes to help, return to form
Running back Doug Martin, who was born in Oakland and grew up in Stockton, has played only once at the Coliseum in his NFL career.
“I had a fabulous game,” Martin said Tuesday, grinning.
It’s true: As a rookie with the Buccaneers in 2012, Martin gashed the Raiders’ defense for 251 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-32 Tampa Bay win. All four touchdowns came in the second half, tying an NFL record, and included runs of 45, 67 and 70 yards.
Martin had 50 family members and friends in the crowd that day and said, “That type of energy just brings the best out of me.” It’s one reason Martin is excited to join the Raiders this season, along with the opportunity for a fresh start following an ignominious exit from Tampa Bay.
Martin rushed for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie. In 2015, he had 1,402 rushing yards, second to Adrian Peterson. The latter season earned Martin firstteam All Pro honors and a five-year, $35.75 million contract from the Buccaneers.
Over the past two seasons, though, Martin appeared in just 19 games, averaging 2.9 yards per carry. In December 2016, he was suspended four games for violating the NFL’s drug policy — a violation that NFL Network reported was for Adderall — and released a statement saying he would enter a treatment facility to “receive the help I truly need.”
Last season, Martin was benched late in the year, and in February, the Buccaneers cut him.
“The past couple of years, I just got in my own way,” Martin said. “But being here (in Oakland), having my family around and old friends, is definitely going to help me stay busy. And I can always confide in them if I need to talk about something.”
Martin, 29, signed a freeagent deal with the Raiders in March after a meeting in Tampa with new head coach Jon Gruden, who already has raved about their connection.
“We went to a little golf course and had some breakfast, and we hit it off great,” Martin said. “The vibe was there. We talked about the upcoming season, and what he had planned, and I was sold.”
Gruden is said to want a “smash-mouth” running game to anchor his offense. The Raiders have a returning lead back who fits that style in Marshawn Lynch (207 carries for 891 yards last season), but their backup tandem of Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington struggled to carry the load (428 yards combined) at times when Lynch was out.
If history is any indication, Martin, even as a backup, could have plenty of chances in Gruden’s system. In his first 11 seasons as head coach in Oakland and Tampa Bay, Gruden had only two 1,000yard rushers, preferring to spread carries among multiple backs. Martin, who emulated Lynch’s “hard-nosed running” as a younger player, said he figured Gruden “wants me on this team now because we’re so similar in that type of running style.”
The Raiders’ coaches, meanwhile, like what they’ve seen from Martin in spring practices.
“Doug has really jumped out in this camp with his quickness, his ability to pick up the offense and what we’ve given him,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said Tuesday.
“He’s really got a fresh set of legs. And that’s probably been the most encouraging thing when you watch him run out here in drills that we’ve run and the strength and conditioning stuff.”
After combining for 282 carries the past two seasons — six fewer than in his AllPro season — Martin said he hopes in 2018 to “just show everybody that I can bounce back.”
“My approach is, basically, I’m a rookie again,” Martin said. “And I’ve got to prove to the team, to the players, the coaches, that I can be useful on this team. Like I said, just act like a rookie, and go out there and play, play the game that I love.”