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Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2015 Training Camp Profile: RB Doug Martin

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Doug Martin

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended the 2014 season with a 2-14 record, and there weren’t many positives to take away from the year. Doug Martin had yet another disappointing season, and that will have to change looking ahead to 2015 if the Buccaneers want to take the leap forward in their rebuilding process that many are expecting to see from them.

After drafting former Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers are in need of finding a running game to support him. During Martin’s rookie season, he appeared to have star potential. Unfortunately, he has fallen away from that star potential and has instead seen injuries and inconsistency destroy his career.

At just 26 years old, Martin is facing what is likely a make or break season for his career with the Buccaneers. If he is unable to come away with a solid year, they are going to part ways with him. Finding another job after three straight years of struggling wouldn’t be an easy task for him either.

During the 2014 season, Martin ended up carrying the football 134 times for 494 yards and two touchdowns.

Those numbers show a bit of the struggles that he has had, and he isn’t going to be guaranteed the starting running back job heading into 2015. He is listed at number one on the depth chart right now, but will have to beat out Bobby Rainey, Charles Sims and Mike James in training camp and the preseason.

Needless to say, his journey to get back to being a legitimate NFL starting running back begins with training camp. He’ll need to come out strong and prove that he has taken a leap forward, which isn’t going to be easy. Tampa Bay’s offensive line isn’t terribly talented, but that didn’t stop Martin during his rookie year.

Finding a way to figure out what made him successful in 2012 is imperative to his chances of turning things around. In 2012, he racked up an impressive 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns on 319 carries. Those numbers show the potential that he is capable of reaching, and is exactly why the Buccaneers have stuck with him so long despite all of his struggles.

Pressure is rising on Martin’s NFL hopes, and he has to find a way to either rise to the challenge or sink and lose the dream of being a star running back. His physical ability is there, but staying healthy and figuring out how to get back to the attacking style of play that he had during his rookie season is the only way to make his dream a reality.

It will be very interesting to see what he looks like this season, and whether or not he can be the guy that the Buccaneers are in desperate need of in the backfield.

Lovie Smith usually knows how to bring the best out in players, and hopefully he can work his magic with Martin. There is no doubt that the star potential is still within Martin, but unlocking that talent isn’t always possible. Expect to see Martin bounce back, to be an improved running back for Tampa Bay during the 2015 season, and take a major load of pressure off of Winston’s shoulders.

Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.

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