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Though teams will be working through the night, the first day of free agency had a bit of big news towards the end of the evening. According to multiple reports, the Miami Dolphins have traded offensive lineman Jonathan Martin to the San Francisco 49ers. Martin was a central figure in one of the weirdest stories in NFL history where he was the apparent subject of bullying from teammates.
Fellow line mate Richie Incognito was the prime culprit of the bullying case, which came to light a few days before the Bengals faced the Dolphins on a Halloween edition of Thursday Night Football. In the days leading up to the game, Martin stormed out of the Dolphins' facility, apparently hitting a breaking point with being the subject of repeated torment. The story has gone on to be a polarizing one, where some side with Incognito and Co., citing that it is part of the culture in an NFL locker room, while others sympathize with Martin's plight.
Regardless, Martin will be shipped to the 49ers, who have not shied away from taking chances in the offseason on players. It also brings Martin back with his college coach at Stanford in Jim Harbaugh. The trade appears to be for a conditional draft choice and likely rests on Martin's playing time, etc. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the pick is a conditional 2015 7th round one.
It will be interesting to see how Martin fits in with one of the best set offensive lines in the NFL. Both tackle spots are manned by quality players in Joe Staley on the left and Anthony Davis on the right. The guard positions also appear set in Mike Iupati on the left (though he did sustain an injury in the NFC Championship) and Alex Boone on the right. Martin is making just over $800,000 in 2014, per spotrac.