The Raiders have agreed to re-sign running back Doug Martin, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com.
With that, Oakland has a “replacement” for Isaiah Crowell, who is likely done for the year after suffering a torn Achilles.
Last year, Martin led the team with 723 yards on the ground and averaged a respectable 4.2 yards per carry. This time around, he may not be the team’s top ball carrier. On Thursday, the Raiders used a first round pick on Josh Jacobs, and all indications are that they have big plans for the Alabama product.
Back in November, Jon Gruden indicated that he wanted Martin back for another season. It took longer than anticipated, but the veteran has himself a deal for 2019.
“He’s a good back. I think I’ll say it again and again, he’s a very good player,” Gruden said. “He’s been a great player in this league. He’s running it. He’s catching it. He picked up some blitz that were flushed. We did a lot of good things on the film that I look at.”
Still, Martin should be able to carve out a decent role, particularly in the wake of Marshawn Lynch‘s retirement. In addition to Jacobs and Martin, the Raiders have Jalen Richard, Chris Warren III and DeAndre Washington on hand to keep the chains moving.
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