“…Contract year. We’ve all been there.” -Dirk Koetter on signs of a Doug Martin resurgence in the 2015 preseason
Koetter’s words turned out to be the truth as Martin produced his best year since his rookie season. He rushed for 1,402 yards and six touchdowns on 288 carries. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry and played all 16 games for the first time since he was a rookie.
Martin was rewarded for his big contract year, signing an extension to stay in Tampa Bay. What can he do in year one of his new deal?
Looking at some of the running backs from recent years that signed big deals after productive seasons, two trends emerged.