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About the Author: Scott Reynolds

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Scott Reynolds is in his 28th year of covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the vice president, publisher and senior Bucs beat writer for PewterReport.com. Author of the popular SR's Fab 5 column on Fridays, Reynolds oversees web development and forges marketing partnerships for PewterReport.com in addition to his editorial duties. A graduate of Kansas State University in 1995, Reynolds spent six years giving back to the community as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach for his sons' Pop Warner team, the South Pasco Predators. Reynolds can be reached at: [email protected]

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FAB 4. BUCS TAKING A RISK AT RUNNING BACK
As I wrote a week ago, all indications are pointing to Doug Martin being a part of the Bucs’ backfield in 2017.

I quoted Bucs general manager Jason Licht from his draft day press conference and from last week’s appearance on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football where he implied that Martin, who is facing a three-game suspension to start the 2017 season due to a failed drug test, is part of the team’s plans this year.

So when I got the chance to ask Licht directly about Martin in our exclusive interview I did.

Will Martin be on the Buccaneers roster in 2017?

“He’s doing all the right things, but he still has a ways to go,” Licht said.

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Bucs RB Doug Martin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That’s as far as Licht would go with his answer, but my sense is that as long as Martin doesn’t have any slip-ups between now and Bucs training camp he will be a major part of Tampa Bay’s offense. So much so that the team passed on Florida State running back Dalvin Cook and wasn’t pressured to draft a running back before selecting Boise State’s Jeremy McNichols in the fifth round.

“It doesn’t seem like people believe us when we say that we like our group,” Licht said. “We like Jacquizz Rodgers. He answered the bell when we asked him, too. I like Peyton Barber. I think Peyton Barber has a tremendous upside. We do like our running back group.”

And the Bucs like Martin.

And Charles Sims, who is entering a contract year.

“When I was with New England we had Benjarvus Green-Ellis and all he did was rush for 1,000 yards for a couple of years in a row,” Licht said. “We feel like we have a pretty good committee right now. Sims was great two years ago. Doug was the second-leading rusher two years ago. Now he’s showing all the signs that we’re looking for. He’s doing everything we’ve asked. It’s too early to say what we’re going to do, but it’s looking very good.”

The Bucs are hesitant to commit to Martin publicly and seem to be dangling a carrot in front of him to make sure he’s motivated and on the right track this year. It’s a smart move, but reading between the lines it should surprise no one if he’s the Bucs’ starting running back when he returns from his suspension in Week 4.

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Boise State RB Jeremy McNichols – Photo courtesy of Boise State University

Meanwhile, there will be a battle brewing between McNichols and Sims for the third-down back duties in training camp once McNichols is healthy.

“We really like Jeremy,” Licht said. “He’s very patient and he has very good instincts. We’ve said a thousand times that he’s great in pass protection. He has phenomenal hands. He’s rushed for a lot of yards and he had a lot of production as a runner, too. He played through his injury all last year and if he wouldn’t have had surgery after the Combine – if he would’ve had an earlier surgery – I feel like he would have gone off the board a lot higher. We’re willing to bring him in, be patient with him and have him out there for training camp. He’s a great kid and he’s a very competitive guy.”

If he fares well in the preseason as a running back I could see the rookie from Boise State contend for the backup running back job behind Rodgers to start the season. Licht suggested that unless something unforeseen happens in training camp and the preseason the Bucs are comfortable with Rodgers being the starting running back in Miami when the 2017 season starts and occupying that role for the first three games.

“We do feel good with Quizz,” Licht said.

Licht reiterated over and over again during the offseason that Tampa Bay liked its offensive line despite some fans and media members suggesting the Bucs should sign a free agent or draft a lineman. Outside of re-signing center Joe Hawley, the Bucs didn’t sign a free agent nor did they draft a lineman.

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Bucs RB Charles Sims – Photo by: Mark Lomoglio/PR

I’m not a huge believer in Barber at this stage, but Licht really likes him and believes in him. He sees him a lot more than I do, too.

After seeing Sims regress as a runner last year I think he’s pigeonholed himself as just a third-down, pass-catching back out of the backfield. I like Rodgers and McNichols – from the Boise State tape I’ve seen – but I have questions about Sims and Barber.

There’s no doubt this running back group is better and deeper with a healthy and motivated Martin, but that can’t happen until Week 4.

What concerns me about the Bucs’ backfield and the risk the team is taking is that if something happens to Rodgers or McNichols in the preseason we could see Sims and Barber a lot more than we’d like to in the first three weeks of the season while waiting for Martin to return in October.

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