Doug Martin Not Franchise-Tagged by Buccaneers: Latest Details, Comments

Running back Doug Martin finished second in the NFL with 1,402 rushing yards in 2015 for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that jumped from 2-14 to 6-10 in one season. However, he could be headed toward the free-agency market this offseason after Tampa Bay did not apply the franchise tag to him.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Martin was among a number of playmakers across the NFL not tagged by their respective teams Tuesday.

While Tampa Bay elected not to tag Martin, it still could bring him back on a new deal. In fact, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford was also on the list of players not tagged Tuesday, and Schefter then later reported the Eagles gave the signal-caller a two-year, $36 million deal.

Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune provided some of the financial reasoning behind the Buccaneers’ decision:

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The deadline for applying a player with the tag is today at 4 p.m., and the prohibitive cost of tagging Martin is the key reason behind the team’s decision.

Though using the tag would guarantee Martin remains with the Bucs for another year and offers the team more time to strike a long-term deal, it would cost the Bucs $11.789 million.

Applying the transition tag to Martin would cost less ($9.647 million) and would also give the Bucs the right to match any offer Martin receives in free agency, but the Bucs aren’t expected to use that tag either.

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Cummings also noted on Feb. 25 that Martin was “more likely to sign” with another team in free agency.

There was prior optimism within the organization that Martin would come back. On Feb. 24, general manager Jason Licht said of the running back, “I know he wants to be a Buc and we want him to be a Buc,” per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

This all comes after the Buccaneers declined to pick up the fifth-year option on Martin’s contract before the 2015 season. Before this announcement, 2015 represented the final campaign in Martin’s four-year contract worth more than $6.7 million, per Spotrac.

There were understandable concerns about Martin heading into 2015, but he appeared more like the rookie version of himself throughout the year than the one fans saw in 2013 and 2014. Martin racked up 1,926 total yards and 12 total touchdowns in 2012 but struggled on his way to a combined 950 rushing yards and three total touchdowns in 2013 and 2014.

However, he bounced back in 2015 and was one of the most productive runners in the league. Shoulder and ankle injuries played a factor in the drop-off in production the prior two years, but Martin once again showed how dangerous he can be when he plays a full 16 games, which he also did as a rookie (he only played six in 2013 and 11 in 2014). 

Pro Football Focus highlighted the fact the playmaker picks up the tough yardage as well:

Whether Tampa Bay ultimately brings him back or another team signs him, it will be getting a running back who will only be 27 years old during the 2016 campaign and who theoretically has a few prime, productive years remaining.

If Martin does come back to the Buccaneers, those years will coincide with the development of young quarterback Jameis Winston. Winston will not reach his full potential without a consistent running game to remove some of the pressure that comes with being the No. 1 pick (in the 2015 draft), and a healthy Martin gives the Buccaneers the best chance at accomplishing just that.

Tampa Bay’s offense could be particularly impressive if the former Boise State Bronco and Winston star in the backfield for years to come, but the financial part of the game appears to have played a role in Tuesday’s potential breakup.

Former third-round draft pick Charles Sims—who ran for a solid 529 yards on 107 carries in 2015 and is only 25 years old—may have to play the role of lead back in Tampa Bay in 2016 if Martin signs elsewhere.