It's all speculation and even then, the "starting" running back means nothing more than who trots out for the first snap. But even with those distinctions, it hasn't stopped Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans from wondering who will earn the first and likely majority of the reps between Blount and Martin. Blount is listed as first on the depth chart currently, but Martin, a first round pick and object of a Schiano man crush, seems likely to take that over. It seems even more evident based on a quote from Schiano to Joe Rose, which I lifted from this PFT article.
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."
This shouldn't be surprising but gives you an idea as to how organizations view first round picks against established players.
The big question now is, will Martin indeed leapfrog Blount by the start of the season?