The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting closer to signing their entire draft class as they announced the signing of first round pick Doug Martin to a five-year contract. Martin was the team's second pick of the first round after trading up to the 31st overall pick. With this signing, Mark Barron remains the only unsigned Bucs pick.
In getting this deal done, Martin will get into training camp on time and get a chance to learn an offense in which he can expect to be heavily involved. New head coach Greg Schiano "intends to emphasize the running game, and the addition of Martin to a backfield that already featured LeGarrette Blount could create a very powerful 1-2 punch."
Doug Martin had a stellar career at Boise State, where he rushed for 3,431 yards and 43 touchdowns, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. As a senior, Martin rushed for 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns, while appearing on the Doak Walker watch list. He will join running back LeGarrette Blount in a rushing game that pounded out 1,458 yards in 2011.