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Schiano says he hopes and plans for Doug Martin to start

Doug Martin

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin, center, evades the pack and runs for during NFL football training camp, Friday, July 27, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

AP

It you’re looking for proof that preseason depth charts mean nothing, look no farther than Tampa.

LeGarrette Blount is listed as the Buccaneers’ first-string tailback. But coach Greg Schiano recently acknowledged that the plan is for first-rounder Doug Martin to start.

Asked by our buddy Joe Rose of WQAM in Miami whether the first-year NFL head coach expects Martin, first-rounder Mark Barron, and second-round linebacker Lavonte David to be starters, Schiano was unequivocal.

Sure hope so,” Schiano said, via JoeBucsFan.com. “I mean they’ve been doing very well in camp. And, you know, I think they’re really talented guys and they pick things up very quickly, all three of them. So, that’s our hope. That’s our plan. But you know you can’t make stuff happen. It’s got to happen on the field. But I think it will.”

It doesn’t mean that Martin will definitely leapfrog Blount. But it sounds like a tie will go to the rookie, and then some.