Word in May was that the Raiders were impressed by the burst that running back Doug Martin was showing in offseason workouts and he continued to show well enough to make the team out of training camp this summer.
Martin hasn’t seen much playing time through the first six weeks of the season, but that may be changing. Marshawn Lynch is on injured reserve, which opens up a big role in the offense for Martin to fill if he proves up to the task.
The answer to that question has varied over the years as Martin has matched two very good seasons in 2012 and 2015 with four mediocre ones. On Thursday, he was asked how different he is from his best days.
“I don’t think he’s different at all,” Martin said, via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. " ... With injuries and games that I wasn’t able to play in previous years, I’ve still got a lot of miles left on these wheels.”
Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington are also on hand at running back for the Raiders. Richard figures to continue in the receiving back role he’s played all season while Martin tries to show he can handle the work that Lynch is leaving behind.
