Sometimes the promise of free agency can spur a player to kick it into another gear. That seems to be the case with Buccaneers running back Doug Martin.
The Bucs didn’t pick up the fifth-year option on Martin’s rookie contract, meaning he becomes an unrestricted free agent in March. According to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, Martin has responded to that with his best offseason in three years.
Martin was a first-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2012 and burst onto the scene as a rookie, starting all 16 games and rushing for 1,454 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns.