Buccaneers' Doug Martin: "Looks great" in first day of OTAs

Martin (suspension) joined the Bucs as expected for the start of offseason work Monday and made a positive impression on general manager Jason Licht, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports. "He looks great right now; he looks as good as I've seen him since I've been here, from a physical standpoint," Licht said. "He was in very good spirits. We're excited to have him, excited to see how he does out here in OTAs."

Analysis:

Martin's physical and mental well-being has been the subject of considerable intrigue this offseason, although reports have consistently had him doing very well in all aspects after completing a rehabilitation program early in 2017. This is a particularly pivotal time of year for the former Pro Bowler's future with the Bucs, with Licht acknowledging that the early, pre-draft portion of OTAs is a golden opportunity for the running back to "assert his place with the team." That wording seems to at least partly imply that the team is giving serious consideration to investing a premium draft pick on a running back, and recent visits and workouts with the likes of Florida State's Dalvin Cook, Texas' D'Onta Foreman, and Oklahoma's Joe Mixon lend further credence to that theory. While the 10-day period preceding the draft naturally won't tell Tampa everything it needs to know about Martin's overall condition, the fact that he's arrived and looking as good as previously advertised is certainly a step in the right direction. Unwavering support expressed by team leaders Jameis Winston and Gerald McCoy on Monday also speaks volumes, and the reality is that the Bucs will likely take plenty of time to make a final decision on Martin's future, potentially even having him complete his suspension over the regular season's first three games before making a definitive call on his future.