When the Raiders signed running back Doug Martin this offseason, it wasn’t clear what kind of role he’d play for the team this year and it was also unclear whether he’d be effective after averaging 2.9 yards per carry over the last two seasons.
Martin didn’t play much in the first six weeks of the season, but Marshawn Lynch hit injured reserve and Martin got a chance to play. Martin has run 60 times for 285 yards and a touchdown and caught 10 passes for 95 yards over the last five games.
That hasn’t done much to help the Raiders win games, but it has left head coach Jon Gruden with a desire to bring Martin back for another year.
“Hopefully we can keep him around here,” Gruden said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s a heck of a football player.”
Making any big predictions about the way the Raiders roster will look next season is foolish given how many draft picks they have and how much turnover can be expected as Gruden tries to build a more competent team than he has this season. That said, Martin doesn’t figure to cost much as a complementary piece in the backfield and that makes it easier for him to fit in 2019 plans.