Oakland Raiders: 5 players who were a pleasant surprise in 2018
By Brad Weiss
Doug Martin
The Raiders signed Doug Martin this summer under the assumption that he would serve as a very capable backup to Marshawn Lynch. In fact, Martin did not get much run at the beginning of the 2018 season, as Lynch was running very well, and looking ten years younger than his age would indicate.
Well, Lynch ended up going down due to injury, meaning that Martin would have to step in and shoulder the load the rest of the way. The former Pro Bowler with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed signs of his own self once he got the starting job, and though his contract is up, the team would be wise to bring him back.
The Raiders needed someone to shoulder the load at running back when Lynch went down, and it was anybody’s guess as to whether or not Martin would be able to do that. He performed well above the expectations, and heading into 2019, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could be the team’s feature back in Week 1.