After Marshawn Lynch retired, the Oakland Raiders were forced to find a new starting running back for the 2019 season and beyond.
Given the amount of draft picks the Raiders had in 2019, it made sense to use one of them on a running back, and that is exactly what they did, selecting Josh Jacobs out of Alabama in the first round.
The team also brought in a veteran to compliment him in Isaiah Crowell, but he ruptured his Achilles during offseason workouts so is out for the entire 2019-20 season.
Again with an opening at running back, the Raiders decided to bring back Doug Martin, who was solid for them last season when Lynch went down with an injury.
It appears Martin won’t actually play a second season in the Silver and Black though as according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, he is being released:
The #Raiders released RB Doug Martin, source said.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 25, 2019
This news comes as a bit of a surprise, although given DeAndre Washington’s emergence this preseason, it is understandable that they went with a younger player to back up Jacobs. Jalen Richard will also help with backup duties in passing situations.
Martin appeared in all 16 games for the Raiders last year, starting nine of them. He totaled 172 carries for 723 yards, good for 4.2 yards per carry while scoring four touchdowns. He also added 18 receptions for 116 yards.
While he didn’t make the Raiders roster this year, he did serve as a mentor to Jacobs during offseason workouts and training camp so he was still able to find a way to help contribute to the team. The 30-year-old shouldn’t have a problem finding a job elsewhere if he wants to continue playing.
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