*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Apr 09, 1999: -- Tony Martin Signs --
** Tony Martin Signs
According to various news sources, including the Miami Herald
and ESPN, the Dolphins have signed WR Tony Martin to a 4 year contract
for an estimated $14.2 million, of which $3.3 million is a signing
bonus.
The Dolphins have been working with Martin for several weeks,
trying to sign the veteran to a long term deal to bolster the
Dolphins' deep passing attack. But concerns about his upcoming trial
in May on Federal money laundering charges have hindered negotiations
and raised questions about his availability in the coming year.
In response to those concerns, the deal with Martin reportedly
only guarantees $100,000 of his signing bonus. If Martin is acquitted
in trial (which the Dolphins consider likely), he will receive the
remainder of his $3.3 million signing bonus and a base 1999 salary of
about $400,000.
If, on the other hand, Martin is convicted of money laundering
and has to spend time in jail, he will only receive the initial
$100,000 that the Dolphins will give him when he formally signs his
contract in the next few days and only that $100,000 will count
against the salary cap.
Tony Martin was originally a New York Jet back in 1990, but
the Jets cut him and the Dolphins acquired him as a free agent. While
with the Dolphins, he started 8 games in 4 years from 1990 to 1993,
but never quite lived up to the potential that the Dolphins saw in
him.
The Dolphins traded him to San Diego in 1994, where he
blossomed into a Pro-Bowl player. He stayed with San Diego from 1994
until last year, when he signed with the Falcons as a free agent.
Over his last 4 years as a pro, Martin has broken the 1000 yard
receiving mark 3 times. Last year, Martin caught 66 passes for 1181
yards with 6 touchdowns and averaged 17.9 yards per catch.
** Other News And Rumors
Casey Wiegmann, who had been signed to an offer sheet by the
Dolphins last week, was retained by the Chicago Bears yesterday when
they elected to match the Dolphins' offer of $1.4 million for 2
years. Wiegmann was a restricted free agent that the Dolphins had
hoped to sign as a backup.
Running back Leroy Collins from Louisville visited the
Dolphins for an interview and a physical yesterday, according to the
Herald. Collins is a junior who has declared himself eligible for the
draft this year after rushing for 1134 yards on 218 carries last
year. Collins, at 5-11 and 200 pounds (180 cm and 90 kilos) also
rushed for 19 touchdowns last year.
My Comments:
I have never been that big a Tony Martin fan because I always
had trouble forgetting how many passes he used to drop when he was
with the Dolphins back in the early 90's.
I still don't think that Martin is that great a wide receiver.
But one thing he does have is speed and he's definitely
matured over the years. And right now, he's easily the best receiver
the Dolphins can get in free agency.
It's pretty clear that Martin can fill the role of a deep
threat for the Dolphins next year. The key word there, however, is
"threat". It remains to be seen if Martin can duplicate his feats of
the past few years and catch over 1000 yards worth of passes from
Dan.
But even if he doesn't, his mere presence on the field will
complicate matters for opposing defenses. No one can afford to ignore
him and almost no one can play him reliably in one-on-one situations.
That opens up a whole range of possibilities for this offense.
Also, Martin's acquisition gives JJ more flexibility in the
draft. Wide receiver can become less of a priority and that will
allow JJ to take the best player available when his turn comes.
The loss of Wiegmann stings a little, but ultimately is
probably not going to be a factor. It was unlikely that Wiegmann
would have been able to push Ruddy aside for the starting job anyway
and with John Bock back and the addition of Gogan, the offensive line
is pretty deep - provided Mark Dixon can return from his neck
surgery.
I'm not sure why the Dolphins would interview Leroy Collins at
this point. It's probably because of some personal recommendation
from the coaches at Louisville, but he seems to be a real project who
might never develop. And the chilling phrase "he dances in the hole
too much" has been attached to his name. The Dolphins don't need any
more dancers in their backfield.
Related Info:
[Return to Dolphins News]
Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
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