Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Doug Martin Will Have A New Home Next Season

NFL free agency officially opens on March 9, so between now and then, there will be a lot of speculation about where the big names will end up. Among the most sought-after players is Tampa Bay Buccaneers tailback Doug Martin who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Martin rushed for 1,402 yards and six touchdowns in 2015 after playing in just 17 combined games in the previous two seasons. The 27-year-old from Boise State had his fifth-year option declined by the club prior to the season which means his rookie contract will expire in a few weeks.

The Buccaneers finished 6-10, though with a very young team and a few impressive wins, they seemed to be on an upswing. Despite their potential, head coach Lovie Smith was abruptly relieved of his duties last month, leaving a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the organization.

Anyone who’s played team sports knows how difficult it is to be part of a program or organization that is notorious for losing. When an organization fires a head coach after two seasons, especially when that guy has coached in a Super Bowl (Chicago Bears, XLI), a high-caliber player might be interested in signing a long-term contract. Maybe Martin will look at the team’s improvement to six wins with a rookie quarterback as a step in the right direction and decide he wants to be part of that, but he’s made it clear that he plans to test the waters of free agency and ‘hit the jackpot’ with a big contract.

Should Martin walk, the Washington Redskins may be one of the top contenders to sign the tailback. They’ll be big players this offseason following their NFC East title, and they can’t afford to regress. Priority No. 1 will be holding onto starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. We all know it’s a quarterback league, and Cousins will be attracting interest from other clubs. It’s incredibly likely that he’ll be back, and if that’s the case, they’ll need to look into bringing in more weapons. Adding a piece like Martin could also help sway Cousins to stick around, though it should come down to what every contract comes down to: Money. If they Redskins are serious about improving on their 9-7 record and staying at the top of the division, they’ll open up their checkbook and simply outbid everyone else.