2016 NFL Free Agency: 5 teams who should sign Doug Martin
By John Buhler
48. . NFC. South. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 1. player
It would make very little sense for the Buccaneers to let Martin walk. With a new offensive-minded head coach in former offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter calling the shots, the Buccaneers are poised to have its best offense in franchise history should Martin stay with Tampa Bay and franchise quarterback Jameis Winston.
Tampa Bay knows that when Martin is healthy, he is a top-five running back in the NFL. This is the team that drafted him No. 31 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft and he could end up being a huge catalyst as the Buccaneers try to end their near decade NFC Playoffs absence in the next few years.
In Koetter’s Air Coryell offensive attack, Winston will continue to thrive as a downfield, vertical passer. He has the body, the arm strength, and the presence of mind to become the best orchestrator of that offensive philosophy since quite possibly Dan Fouts of San Diego Chargers lore.
The problem that happens with the Air Coryell under Koetter is if he doesn’t have a reliable running game, the offense becomes to one-dimensional and while Winston will rack up passing yardage, he’ll plateau as a passer. Tampa cannot afford to see another failed franchise quarterback.
Not that Winston is going down that path, but it would serve the Buccaneers to put him in the best of situations to succeed. While he already has two strong, physical wide receivers in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, losing Martin to free agency would be a huge step backwards for the Buccaneers in year two of the Koetter/Winston partnership.
It’ll be a tad expensive, but unless general manager Jason Licht knows exactly how to recreate Martin’s productivity at running back in the aggregate, it is best for Licht and the Glazer Family to shell out a handsome payday for their two-time Pro Bowl running back in Martin. Odds are that he will stay on the Florida Gulf Coast in 2016 and beyond.