Oakland Raiders 2018 season grades: RB Doug Martin
By Brad Weiss
Doug Martin was supposed to be RB2 for the Oakland Raiders in 2018, but when Marshawn Lynch went on the IR, he stepped up in a big way.
The Oakland Raiders went into the 2018 with Marshawn Lynch atop their depth chart, as the veteran came back for his second season playing for his hometown team. With Lynch back in the fold, the Raiders needed to make moves to add depth to the position group, and they did so by bringing in Doug Martin to be their No. 2 back.
Martin, who was once a Pro Bowl player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, came to Oakland with fresh wheels, as he had not been used in a featured back role in quite some time. Playing on a one-year contract, Martin showed flashes of his old self late in the season, providing the Raiders with a solid option out of the backfield.
Here is a look at his season in review, as well as his overall grade for 2018.
Expectations
Martin came to Oakland to play behind Lynch, who really came on towards the end of the 2017 NFL season. In a previous life, Martin was one of the best running backs in the league, and the hope was that he would provide good depth behind an aging Lynch at the running back position.
Reality
Martin ended the year as the feature back in Oakland, posting his best two games in the final two games of the year. He rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last two games, and that fueled speculation that he could be the answer at the position moving forward.
Through the final six games of the season, Martin found the end zone four times, and showed the kind of tough running that made him a star in Tampa Bay. Oakland needs a veteran presence at the position in 2019, and if Lynch retires, Martin would be a great guy to bring back.
Looking Ahead
Martin could certainly be back with Oakland for another season, as he showed no signs of slowing down in the second half of the season. He was an automatic touchdown from inside the two-yard line, and as we have seen throughout the NFL, that is not an easy thing to be.
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With so many questions at the running back position, Martin is a safe bet, and the Raiders would be wise to see if they can get him under contract for 2019. Jalen Richard is also a pending free agent, and rookie Chris Warren led the NFL in rushing in the preseason, but in Martin, the Raiders know what they are going to get every week.