The Raiders have released veteran running back Doug Martin, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter). Martin was Oakland’s leading rusher in 2018, but the club selected Josh Jacobs in the first round of this year’s draft with the expectation that he would become the new No. 1 RB, and DeAndre Washington‘s excellent preseason earned him the top backup job behind Jacobs.
Martin, a former first-round pick of the Buccaneers, spent the first six years of his career with Tampa Bay before catching on with the Raiders in March 2018. In his lone season with the Silver-and-Black, Martin compiled 723 rushing yards on 172 carries — good for a respectable 4.2 YPC mark — and four touchdowns. It’s a far cry from his 2015 First Team All-Pro campaign, when he piled up 1,402 yards on the ground and 271 yards through the air, but he proved that he can still be a serviceable back.
Head coach Jon Gruden is fond of Martin, so this move may be about getting the 30-year-old back a chance to catch on with an RB-needy team as the preseason draws to a close. Indeed, the Texans are now very much in the market for an established rusher, and many pundits are already connecting Martin to Houston.
Oakland cleared $1.9MM of cap space with the move.
Paging Bill O’Brien. Do you read? Over.
Glad to see it as a Raider fan. Martin looked solid last year but the time is now or never for Washington to find a role. Give the young guys a chance
Washington and Richard have had year after year to show what they have. I still see zero difference between the two and I don’t know why they keep both. Cutting Martin looks like a move to keep an extra TE.
I agree they are too similar. Seems Richard found a role with Gruden as a receiver, would have preferred Warren came in hungry for a job and forced Washington out, but that didn’t happen
If the man is affordable and serviceable, then that’s all the Texans really need.
Just don’t start winning football games and then ask for money. That don’t fly in Houston.
This shock me, because I had him as the raiders starting running back over josh Jacobs, because he’s that much better than him and they will be sorry they did this by the end of week one, because no Alabama running back has been any good that came to the NFL just ask Trent Richardson!
Yea except for, Derrick Henry, Mark Ingram, Eddie Lacy (was good for a few years), Shaun Alexander, Kenyan Drake, etc, etc, etc. Not sure why you are so distraught over Doug Martin, he has sucked and been hurt for 5 out of his 7 years as a running back.
He’s better than people give him credit, but injuries have hurt his development, but he was good in Tampa if u forgot
Derrick Henry only had one good year so far and Eddie Lacey isn’t even playing football, because how bad he is as a RB! Only good one u named is a third down or goaline running back which is Ingram