What It Means:

While speaking at the NFL Combine Wednesday, Koetter specifically stated that the Buccaneers "don't have to make a decision on Doug Martin right now," and they are "going to let the process play out." Koetter also sang some positive praise about how Martin "looked great and sounded good" the last time they spoke, noting he's "extremely motivated" to prove "getting the second contract didn't lessen his motivation." Martin is suspended until Week 4 of next season for violating the NFL's drug policy, and is coming off a campaign where he averaged a career-worst 2.9 yards per carry while being plagued by hamstring issues, so it's no surprise that Koetter and the Bucs are questioning their commitment to the 28-year-old back.

Among the 42 running backs with at least 100 rushing attempts last year, Martin's -0.20 Rushing Net Expected Points (NEP) per attempt ranked second-worst. His career-worst Rushing NEP per attempt prior to 2016 was -0.10, during the 2013 season.