Doug Martin is among the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reporting for work on Monday.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the running back is out of rehab, in a good place, and back in the team facility participating in offseason workouts. Bucs general manager Jason Licht later confirmed Martin's attendance.
"[Coach] Dirk [Koetter] and I just very recently had a sitdown with him, a conversation with him," Licht told reporters. "He looks great. He looks, right now, as good as I've seen him since I've been here from a physical standpoint. Seemed to be in very good spirits. Excited to have him. Excited to see how he does out here in OTAs."
Licht added the Bucs will keep an eye on Martin as they continue their pre-draft evaluations of players.
"Seems like everything, the trajectory is going up," Licht said about Martin. "We've got 10 days here before the draft. Can't answer all questions in 10 days but, like I said, it's just good to see him here. It's good to see that he's been working his butt off."
Martin reporting to camp isn't a surprise, but it's notable given that the Bucs could have moved on from his contract this offseason. Cutting Martin and his $7 million salary is still an option, but the Bucs are poised to let the offseason continue playing out to see if the 28-year-old tailback has turned a corner from a personal perspective.
The past two years for Martin have seen extreme highs and lows. In 2015 he rushed for 1,402 yards on 288 carries, which led to a five-year, $35.75 million contract. Last year was disastrous, with injuries wiping out games early in the season, before a suspension ended his year after just 421 yards on 144 carries for a career-low 2.9 yards per carry.
Martin spent part of the offseason in rehab after the NFL suspended him for the first three games of the 2017 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
In five NFL seasons, Martin has three sub-500 yard seasons to go with his two 1,400-yard years. If Tampa decides not to select a running back in this year's draft later this month (April 27-29 in Philadelphia) it could be a sign that they are giving Martin one more chance and hoping for another bounce-back year for the bowling-ball runner.
The Bucs could get out of Martin's contract without penalty, due to the suspension, but have chosen to first see if the 5-foot-9 running back can land on his feet. Monday's voluntary workout is the next step in Martin's 2017 journey.
