Drafting Jon Martin was a consensus decision

When the second round of the 2012 NFL draft began, the Dolphins knew they wanted to add an offensive tackle. Two players were at the top of general manager Jeff Ireland's horizontal draft board at the position and both were graded as virtual equals.

The Dolphins, with the 42nd overall selection, liked Georgia offensive tackle Cordy Glenn and Stanford offensive tackle Jonathan Martin.

And when the the Buffalo Bills selected Glenn with the 41st pick, there was no hesitation inside the Dolphins draft room. The focus immediately shifted to Martiin.

A scout who was most familiar with Martin was brought in and asked to go over the scouting report. And the file was clean. Martin was described as Andrew Luck's blindside protector, as smart, as a potentially good locker room guy and as a tough player.

When the scout was done with the report everyone in the room was sold. Everyone in the room agreed. No one -- not owner Stephen Ross, not coach Joe Philbin, obviously not Ireland, no one -- said anything that would suggest Martin shouldn't be picked.

Indeed, the idea that Martin is "soft," was never brought up. There were no red flags as to his psychological or emotional state. There were no medical issues.

And based on that strong organizational consensus, the Dolphins selected Martin.

Fast forward 19 months and it is clear the narrative on Martin has changed. His emotional state is such that he's getting treatment for an unspecified "illness." He was considered to be soft by some teammates.

So did the Dolphins completely miss it?

Or did Martin, under heavy and unrelenting pyschological attack, simply lose it once he got to the Dolphins?

Was Jonathan Martin troubled before he came to the Dolphins, suggesting the personnel department missed something, or did the Miami culture ruin him, suggesting the coaching failed him?

To hear former Stanford players such as Coby Fleener and Andrew Luck talk, they back up the initial scouting report the Dolphins had on Martin.

That, however, is not the point. The point is now Martin has fallen away and his representatives say he's not comfortable returning to the Dolphins. So aside from the sad nature of this Incognito-Martin issue, the bottom line is the Dolphins have probably wasted another second round pick.

And the popular thinking among fans is it is all Ireland's fault.

Well, sure, it is Ireland's ultimate responsibility for picking a player that did not return the desired investment. But what happened that day in the draft room was a full-throated approval of what Ireland was doing. That includes Joe Philbin. That includes owner Stephen Ross.

Everyone.

To his credit, Philbin publicly has not distanced himself from Ireland at a time Ross has seemingly done so and fans are on a Fireland rampage. On Wednesday the coach made certain everyone knows Ireland does not act alone on personnel matters. Philbin, you see, is also responsible for personnel wins and losses since he was hired.

“Jeff and I have worked closely since the day I’ve gotten here," the coach said. "He’s been very supportive. We all work together. This is not a one-man operation in any regard. Everybody works together. Everybody contributes."

And when responsibility must be attached or fault found, everyone shares in that.

So if Ireland indeed loses his job for this pick, this controversy, it bears saying he had lots of company in Jonathan Martin becoming a sad chapter in Dolphins history. Philbin approved of picking Martin. As did others.

No one said no.

Meanwhile, there is something to be said for fate because Glenn, who the Dolphins just as likely would have picked before he was selected by the Bills, is turning into a very good player. He has started every game for the Bills this season at left tackle.