Do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still believe in running back Doug Martin? Coach Lovie Smith told a gathering of team suite holders on Thursday that "we haven't seen the true Doug Martin yet," per Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune.
Smith went on to praise Tampa's stable of backs -- including Bobby Rainey, Mike James and Charles Sims -- while noting that new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is excited to see what a healthy Martin can accomplish in 2015.
Three years removed from a sizzling rookie campaign that saw him rumble for 1,454 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, Martin has been slowed by shoulder, knee and ankle injuries over the past two seasons. After burning through opponents for 4.6 yards per carry as a rookie, he's logged just 3.6 yards per tote since.
As the story also pointed out, Martin played last season behind a terrible O-line. There's also been a lot of hype surrounding Sims, who could cut into any kind of workload Martin would get this season. However, the story also pointed out it's entirely possible the Bucs look to trade or release Martin before the season.
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