Dirk Koetter Kept Doug Martin in Tampa, but Is Charles Sims the Man?

Charles Sims played in a grand total of eight games last season, only tallying double-digit carries in two of those games. In total, Sims ended up the season with 185 rushing yards, 2.8 yards per carry and one touchdown, but we all know that already.

What’s being a bit overlooked about Sims’ game, is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. With Jameis Winston seeming to be the likely No. 1 quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015, having a back like Sims could be huge. Through eight games, Sims caught 19 passes for 190 yards. In comparison, Doug Martin caught 13 passes for 64 yards over the span of 11 games.

Sims wasn’t great running the ball last season, but Martin’s average of 3.7 yards per carry isn’t something to boast about either. To put it simply, the running game needs to improve, but that’s obvious as well.

What’s interesting, is that it seemed like Martin was likely on his way out the door. That is, until Dirk Koetter came to down as the new offensive coordinator.

“Dirk Koetter, once he started watching tape of all our players, he came away impressed with Doug”- Jason Licht

As Chris Wesseling of NFL.com explained, Koetter’s arrival is truly what kept Martin with the Bucs in 2015.

“Dirk Koetter, once he started watching tape of all our players, he came away impressed with Doug,” general manager Jason Licht said last week, via Pewter Report. “You saw the tape when he’s healthy, he’s still a very effective runner.”

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

While that’s great to read, and two healthy running backs are better than one, the Bucs still chose not to pick up the 2016 option on Martin. So, does this mean it’s Sims’ show to run in 2015 with Martin just playing second fiddle?

As long as Sims proves he can handle it.

Koetter may be a big fan of Martin’s game, but it seems as though the plan still isn’t for the 26-year-old to return to Tampa after 2015. This all adds up to Sims at least getting half of the work, with the idea of finding out whether or not he’ll be the long-term answer for the Bucs.

If Sims can make the most of his opportunities, there’s no reason to believe that he won’t be the man to grab hold of the starting job, possibly even before the upcoming season kicks off.

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