After signing former Tampa Bay Bucs standout Doug Martin, the Raiders now have a four-deep group of ballcarriers. Marshawn Lynch, Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington and Martin provide Oakland with a talented and diverse blend of running backs. Plus, Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie could add another in this draft, which seems rich in running back prospects.
It will be interesting to see how Martin does in his new surroundings, and if he can regain the All-Pro form he had in 2015 when he rushed for 1,402 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per carry.
Martin, who turned 29 in January, is coming off two disappointing and injury-shortened seasons in which he averaged just 2.9 yards per carry in both. In 2017 he had 406 yards rushing in 11 games after picking up 421 yards in eight games in 2016.
The former Boise State standout, a first-round pick in the 2012 draft, has been productive when healthy. At 5-foot-9 and a powerful 223-pounds, Martin — known as the Muscle Hamster or Dougernaut — has rushed for more than 1,400 yards in the two seasons in which he’s played every game, but has rushed for between 400 and 500 yards in his other four injury-shortened seasons.
Over his last two seasons in Tampa Bay, some of Martin's troubles were attributed to a shaky offensive line. But as Gil Arcia of SB Nation pointed out last week, Martin may have been more of the problem than his blocking. Arcia pointed to a statistical breakdown that showed Martin's backup running backs the past two seasons averaged about 4.0 yards per carry, while he averaged 2.9. No. 2 back Peyton Barber over the past two years has averaged 4.0 yards on 163 carries behind the same line.
Now, Martin will have the luxury of running behind a strong offensive line while also staying fresher as part of a larger group of talented backs. If healthy, Martin could produce better results for the Raiders.
