1) Ireland is "the team," at least as much as Philbin.
2) A player's agent bringing an issue to the general manager is, if anything, MORE significant than Martin having a casual conversation with his position coach. Player -> agent -> general manager is formal, documented escalation. The next step would be to go to the NFLPA.
Fair enough even if I disagree on both counts to a degree. Still my understanding is that this didn't happen until AFTER he walked out on the team. I still say this is what should have happend:
1 ) Martin himself talks with Richie Incognito and/or Leadership council.
2 ) Martin himself talks with position coach.
3 ) Martin himself talks with Offensive Coordinator
4 ) Martin himself talks with Head Coach.
5 ) Martin talks with his Agent who talks with Jeff Ireland
6 ) Agent talks with NFLPA
7 ) Agent talks with NFL
8 ) Agent/Player sue Dolphins/NFL/NFLPA for doing nothing.
I can see Martin walking out on the Dolphins only after getting rebuffed at every step up to and including #5. If it comes out in the NFL investigation that Martin did this or at least attempted to do this PRIOR to walking out on the Dolphins, then he's blameless. If not, then he's at least partially to blame for this mess. If he did ANY of the above and got no where, then the Dolphins are partially to blame as well.