Martin charged with making threats
Prosecutors said former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin has pleaded not guilty to threatening former teammates who had harassed him in the NFL.
Los Angeles County prosecutors said Martin, 28, appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to charges of making criminal threats and carrying a loaded firearm.
A menacing post from Martin’s Instagram page last month showed a shotgun and referred by name to the prep school he attended in Los Angeles. It also mentioned the Instagram names of two former Dolphins teammates who harassed him, Richie Incognito and Mike Pouncey.
The post said suicide and revenge were the only options for a victim of bullying.
Martin left the Dolphins midseason in 2013 after accusing teammates of bullying. An NFL investigation found that Incognito, Pouncey and teammate John Jerry engaged in persistent harassment directed at Martin.
Incognito was suspended for the final eight games and sat out the 2014 season before joining the Buffalo Bills.
The NFL’s investigation also found that teammates threatened to rape Martin’s sister, called him a long list of slurs and bullied him for not being “black enough.” Martin is black and Incognito is white.
Court documents say Martin “did willfully and unlawfully threaten to commit a crime which would result in death and great bodily injury” of Pouncey and Incognito. Both Pouncey and Incognito feared for their own safety and the safety of their families, the documents said.
Prosecutors said Martin also had a loaded firearm in his vehicle in Glendale, but court papers provided no other details.
Jaguars release Lewis, Hurns: The Jacksonville Jaguars unceremoniously dumped the longest-tenured player on their roster, and he wasn’t happy about it.
The Jaguars released veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis after 12 seasons to save $3.5 million in salary-cap space. The move came the same day Jacksonville parted ways with receiver Allen Hurns to save $7 million.
Both players are now free agents and can sign with any team that wants them.
Lewis thought his spot was safe, even after Jacksonville signed Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Niles Paul last week. The Jaguars picked up an option in Lewis’ contract last month.
Lewis said he felt “disrespected” by the timing of the move. It came a week after free agency began.
“I wish they would have done it sooner,” he said. “I think I deserved a little better than this.”
The 33-year-old Lewis, a first-round draft pick in 2006, played in 170 games with Jacksonville. His 375 receptions and 4,502 yards receiving both rank third in team history. His 33 receiving touchdowns are second-most in franchise history, trailing only Jimmy
Smith (67).
Donahue seeks treatment: New York Jets linebacker Dylan Donahue recently checked himself into a treatment facility after being arrested for driving under the influence for the second time in less than a year.
The 25-year-old Donahue was arrested and charged with drunken driving early on Feb. 26 after he drove the wrong way in the Lincoln Tunnel in New Jersey and collided with a bus, injuring four people. Shortly after the incident, Donahue voluntarily entered rehab.
Donahue, a fifth-round pick last year out of West Georgia, had another DUI arrest in his hometown of Billings, Mont., on May 9, 2017 – 10 days after he was drafted by the Jets – according to the complaint affidavit. Donahue was charged on Jan. 2 and pleaded not guilty through his attorney on March 1. His next court hearing is scheduled for April 3.
He played in only four games after tearing a ligament in his right elbow against Jacksonville on Oct. 1.