Jonathan Martin's agent to meet with Dolphins at scouting combine
Offensive tackle and alleged bullying victim Jonathan Martin is still a member of the Miami Dolphins.
They hold his contractual rights even though it appears unlikely that he'll ever play for the AFC East franchise again after being bullied by teammates Richie Incognito, Mike Pouncey and John Jerry. That's according to the conclusions of Ted Wells' investigative report.
The Dolphins could either try to trade Martin, cut him or keep him.
The middle option appears the most likely.
Martin's agent, Kenny Zuckerman, told The Palm Beach Post that he'll meet with the Dolphins next week at the NFL scouting combine to discuss the situation.
“We’re going to meet with the Dolphins at the combine and see what their plans are,” Zuckerman said. “Right now they have his property, they have his rights. ..
“He will be on the field in 2014. There’s no doubt. He wants to, he’s ready, he’s excited. He’ll be somewhere this season.”
As part of the investigation, San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, who coached Martin at Stanford, expressed confidence that Martin will be able to play again.
“Jim Harbaugh, Martin’s former head coach at Stanford and the current head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, told us that he had never doubted Martin’s tenacity, work ethic and dedication to the game, and that he had never seen Martin exhibit problems with social adjustment,” the report stated. “Coach Harbaugh told us he believed that Martin likely could continue to have a successful career in the NFL. It appears that Martin was up to the challenge of dealing with physical or verbal intimidation by opposing players during NFL games, but fell victim, at least in part, to persistent taunting from his own teammates.
“Coach Harbaugh emphasized that he never doubted Martin’s physical or mental toughness, and he believes that Martin can continue to have a successful career in the NFL. Coach Harbaugh also said that the atmosphere in the Stanford locker room, in his view, was not materially different from that of the San Francisco 49ers’ locker room."
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Aaron WIlson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun