G Richie Incognito (68) and T Jonathan Martin used to form the left side of the Dolphins' O-line. (Photo: Lynne Sladky, AP) Story Highlights Investigation from NFL-appointed lawyer absolves Joe Philbin, Miami front office of wrongdoing 
 
 Martin was not only harassed by Incognito but fellow linemen Mike Pouncey and John Jerry 
 
 Another player and one of the team's trainers were also frequent targets of abuse 
 
 Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito was the ringleader of three players who "engaged in a pattern of harassment" of teammate Jonathan Martin, another unidentified young offensive lineman and a member of the team's athletic training staff, according to the long-awaited report released by prominent attorney Ted Wells' office Friday morning. 
 
 That harassment by Incognito and fellow offensive linemen John Jerry and Mike Pouncey contributed to Martin's departure from the team in October, but those teammates "did not intend to drive Martin from the team or cause him lasting emotional injury," and coach Joe Philbin and the front office were unaware it was happening, the report said. 
 
 "As all must surely recognize, the NFL is not an ordinary workplace," the report's conclusion read. "Professional football is a rough, contact sport played by men of exceptional size, speed, strength and athleticism. But even the largest, strongest and fleetest person may be driven to despair by bullying, taunting and constant insults. 
 
 "We encourage the creation of new workplace conduct rules and guidelines that will help ensure that players respect each other as professionals and people." 
 
 The Dolphins, the NFL and the players union all released statements saying they planned to review the 144-page report, which culminated a more than three-month investigation and more than 100 interviews by Wells' team. 
 
 It was harshest toward Incognito — the 30-year-old guard suspended the season's final eight games for conduct detrimental to the club — but also implicated Jerry, Pouncey and offensive line coach Jim Turner. Statements from those three to investigators were specifically discredited. 
 
 Dolphins owner Stephen Ross issued a statement Friday night calling the language and behavior in the report "deeply disturbing" and said the team consulted "dozens of experts" to create a series of initiatives and a policy paper examining the issue that will be released next week. 
 
 "I have made it clear to everyone within our organization that this situation must never happen again," Ross said in the statement. "We are committed to address this issue forcefully and to take a leadership role in establishing a standard that will be a benchmark in all of sports." 
 
 FULL REPORT: Check out full document (WARNING: Graphic language) 
 
 Incognito's lawyer, Mark Schamel, issued a strongly worded statement Friday afternoon that criticized Wells' conclusions and promising its own counter report. 
 
 "Mr. Wells' NFL report is replete with errors," Schamel's statement said. "The facts do not support a conclusion that Jonathan Martin's mental health, drug use, or on field performance issues were related to the treatment by his teammates. 
 
 "It is disappointing that Mr. Wells would have gotten it so wrong, but not surprising. The truth, as reported by the Dolphins players and as shown by the evidence, is that Jonathan Martin was never bullied by Richie Incognito or any member of the Dolphins Offensive line. We are analyzing the entire report and will release a thorough analysis as soon as it is ready." 
 
 Roughly five hours after the report's release, Incognito chimed in via Twitter: "Pleeeeease Stop The Hate. Happy Valentines Day :)" 
 
 Pleeeeease Stop The Hate. Happy Valentines Day :) — Richie Incognito (@68INCOGNITO) February 14, 2014 
 
 Martin, 24, left the team and checked himself into a mental hospital Oct. 28 after a cafeteria prank that was just part of the harassment he endured that day, the report said. Martin told investigators he endured "racially derogatory language," then boiled over when the offensive linemen, at Incognito's urging, got up from the table and walked away as Martin arrived. 
 
 Six days later, Martin's representatives turned over evidence of alleged abuse — including the voicemail already leaked to media outlets, taking the issue public — to the Dolphins, who suspended Incognito that night and asked Commissioner Roger Goodell for help. 
 
 On Nov. 6, the league hired Wells to lead an "independent" investigation in which he interviewed every Dolphins player, the entire coaching staff, key front office personnel, former Dolphins, some of Martin's teammates and coaches at Stanford, including Jim Harbaugh, Martin's parents and Martin's agent. He also collected text messages, e-mails and scouting, medical and security files. 
 
 ANALYSIS: Dolphins at fault for failing to help Martin 
 
 The report acknowledged Martin should have reported the harassment, which was unknown to Philbin and the Dolphins front office despite its apparently pervasive nature. Incognito not only was on the team's leadership council, he was widely supported in the locker room even after his departure and details of his treatment of Martin became public. 
 
 "Moreover, however offensive much of the conduct discussed in this Report may have been," the report said, "it appears that the Dolphins' rules of workplace behavior were not fully appreciated and, with respect to at least some of their actions, Incognito and his teammates may not have been clearly notified that they were crossing lines that would be enforced by the team with serious sanctions." 
 
 The report found Incognito demonstrated an awareness he had engaged in improper conduct, though, urging Pouncey and another offense lineman in text messages the day he was suspended to destroy a notebook of "fines" they'd issued to one another in their so-called kangaroo court. 
 
 After Martin left the team, Incognito had "made a number of telling entries" in the notebook that included a $200 fine against himself for "breaking Jmart," a $250 bonus for another lineman for "not cracking first" and a number of penalties against Martin, the report said. 
 
 On Feb. 4, Incognito posted a Twitter message saying he supported Martin's return to the NFL. But his tone changed by Wednesday, when he tore in to Martin and Martin's agent, Kenny Zuckerman, in a series of tweets, saying "the truth is going to bury" Martin and his camp. 
 
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 The report said investigators "struggled with how to evaluate Martin's claims of harassment given his mental health issues, his possible heightened sensitivity to insults and his unusual, 'bipolar' friendship with Incognito. 
 
 "Nonetheless, we ultimately concluded that Martin was indeed harassed by Incognito, who can fairly be described as the main instigator, and by Jerry and Pouncey, who tended to follow Incognito's lead." 
 
 All three teammates made remarks about Martin's family, including sexually graphic statements about his sister, whom they'd never met. Jerry downplayed the remarks to investigators and Pouncey denied hearing or saying them. Both were discredited in the report because Incognito, Martin and other witnesses confirmed what was said. 
 
 "From Incognito's perspective, however, the statements in question were an accepted part of the everyday camaraderie of the Dolphins tight-knit offensive line," the report said. 
 
 "Incognito told us that Martin (and other offensive linemen) all recognized, accepted and, indeed, actively participated in 'go-for-the-jugular' teasing, and that vulgarity and graphic sexual comments were not only a staple of their locker-room culture, but also helped them bond." 
 
 Incognito can become a free agent March 11. Martin remains under contract for two more seasons, though it seems unlikely he'll play for the Dolphins again. 
 
 "Martin has expressed a desire to continue his NFL career, and we hope that he will have the opportunity to do so," the report said. "His brief experience in the league was derailed by harassment from his teammates, and it would be unfortunate if he did not get the chance to resume playing in an environment that will permit him to reach his full potential as a professional athlete." 
 
 In essence, the report absolves Philbin, who impressed investigators "with his commitment to promoting integrity and accountability throughout the Dolphins organization – a point echoed by many players. We are convinced that had Coach Philbin learned of the underlying misconduct, he would have intervened promptly to ensure that Martin and others were treated with dignity." 
 
 TWITTER RANT: Incognito goes off on social media 
 
 COLUMN: Incognito's rant revealing 
 
 The report also detailed harassment of the Assistant Trainer, who is Japanese and "repeatedly was targeted with racial slurs and other racially derogatory language," as well as Player A, who "frequently as subjected to homophobic name-calling and improper physical touching." 
 
 Martin told investigators head athletic trainer Kevin O'Neill heard and sometimes laughed at the remarks made towards the Assistant Trainer and once pulled Martin aside to tell him to stand up for himself more. The former accusation wasn't addressed by O'Neill — his interview "was cut short because O'Neill expressed hostility toward our investigation." 
 
 The report said Turner participated in the running joke about Player A, giving the player a male "blow-up" doll as part of a Christmas stocking. It also discredited Turner's denial of knowing about the "Judas" code Martin blamed for not coming forward sooner, even though former assistant offensive line coach Chris Mosley claimed Turner introduced the concept. 
 
 "There is no question that the better course of action would have been for Martin to report the abuse," the report said. "We also agree with the view, expressed by many of Martin's teammates, that it would have been preferable for Martin's grievances to be handled inside the Dolphins organization rather than played out in the national news media." 
 
 The report also didn't entirely back up the accusations made publicly by Martin's representatives and attorney David Cornwell, who alleged his client "endured a malicious physical attack" at a Christmas party at Pouncey's house in 2012. 
 
 Investigators determined that claim was "exaggerated" but also credited Martin's statements "that he found the episode humiliating and viewed Incognito's conduct as consistent with his pattern of demeaning Martin in front of other players." 
 
 Cornwell's office and Zuckerman did not respond to messages seeking comment Friday. 
 
 Among other things, the Wells report chronicles Martin's descent into depression — including twice contemplating suicide in 2013 — and said one complicating factor was that he may have been more sensitive to insults. 
 
 Martin told the investigators he was bullied in middle and high school, "which diminished his self-confidence and self-esteem and contributed to what he self-diagnosed as periodic bouts of depression during his teenage years." 
 
 Investigators leaned on a consulting psychologist, William H. Berman, who explained that "attempting to develop a close friendship with an abusive person is a common coping mechanism exhibited by victims of abusive relationships." 
 
 "Further, Martin's vulnerabilities do not excuse the harassment that was directed at him," the report said. "That the same taunts might have bounced off a different person is beside the point. Bullies often pick vulnerable victims, but this makes their conduct more, not less, objectionable." 
 
 The report did not tone down any of the vulgar language used in communication between the players and acknowledged "context matters" when evaluating those communications in an environment where profanity and mental and physical intimidation is widespread. 
 
 "We also recognize that good-spirited goading often contributes to team-bonding," the report said. "But limits should exist. Even viewed in context, some of the behavior and language discussed in this Report is inappropriate by any reasonable measure of conduct becoming of a professional athlete – and, based on what he reported, certainly was offensive to Martin." 
 
 A statement from Wells' law firm, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, said the report will stand on its own and he will have no further comment. 
 
 The NFL said in a statement the league appreciated "the work of Ted Wells and his colleagues and the cooperation of the Miami Dolphins organization in the investigation. After we have had an opportunity to review the report, we will have further comment as appropriate." 
 
 The union statement read: "We have received the report on workplace conditions in Miami. We will review the findings closely (and) confer with our players and all relevant parties involved." 
 
 Incognito cut a deal Nov. 21 to delay an expedited hearing for his grievance against the team and extend his suspension two weeks beyond the maximum allowed by the collective-bargaining agreement in exchange for reducing his financial loss to two game checks worth $470,588. A subsequent deal extended Incognito's suspension for the rest of the season. 
 
 The Dolphins officially ended Martin's season Nov. 30 by placing him on the non-football injury illness list but continued paying his weekly salary of $35,733. He has non-guaranteed base salaries of $824,933 in 2014 and $1,042,400 in 2015. 
 
 Miami won five of its next seven games after Martin left the team, only to drop the last two to the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills and New York Jets and miss the playoffs for a fifth straight year. The team fired offensive coordinator Mike Sherman on Jan. 6 and general manager Jeff Ireland the next day, but Philbin kept his job. 
 
 Even before the Martin/Incognito saga began, the Dolphins needed offensive line help. In addition to Incognito, their starting tackles at the end of the season, Tyson Clabo and Bryant McKinnie, and Jerry can become unrestricted free agents next month. 
 
 USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis and Lindsay H. Jones contributed to this report. 
 
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 Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero ||||| Wells report: Harassment details | Martin considered suicide | Coach involved | Racist messages | Incognito lawyer response | NFL, NFLPA, Dolphins to 'review' 
 
 When Dolphins tackle Jonathan Martin left the team in November because he said he was being bullied by guard Richie Incognito, the NFL appointed big-name attorney Ted Wells to run an independent investigation into the team. 
 
 On Friday, that report was released, and it concluded that Incognito, guard John Jerry and center Mike Pouncey "engaged in a pattern of harassment directed" at Martin and another young offensive lineman who wasn't named and an assistant trainer. 
 
 Writes Wells' team: "We find that the Assistant Trainer repeatedly was targeted with racial slurs and other racially derogatory language. Player A frequently was subjected to homophobic name-calling and improper physical touching. Martin was taunted on a persistent basis with sexually explicit remarks about his sister and his mother and at times ridiculed with racial insults and other offensive comments." 
 
 You can read the full report here. 
 
 According to Wells, the three antagonists signed a Dolphins workplace conduct policy agreement in 2013 in which harrassment was defined as "unwelcome contact; jokes, comments and antics; generalizations and put-downs." 
 
 Wrote Wells: "Guided by this policy, it was not difficult to conclude that the Assistant Trainer and Player A were harassed, but the questions raised in Martin's case were more complex, nuanced and difficult." 
 
 Incognito's lawyer, Mark Schamel, blasted Wells' report in a statement released to media: 
 
 "Mr. Wells' NFL report is replete with errors. The facts do not support a conclusion that Jonathan Martin's mental health, drug use, or on field performance issues were related to the treatment by his teammates. It is disappointing that Mr. Wells would have gotten it so wrong, but not surprising. The truth, as reported by the Dolphins players and as shown by the evidence, is that Jonathan Martin was never bullied by Richie Incognito or any member of the Dolphins Offensive line. We are analyzing the entire report and will release a thorough analysis as soon as it is ready." 
 
 As thousands of text messages that were recently leaked to the media seem to show, it appeared that Incognito and Martin were buddies who frequently were in contact and just as frequently put each other down. The report concluded that the two had an "odd but seemingly close" friendship. 
 
 While Incognito claimed it was all one big joke, Martin -- who also claimed he had been bullied in middle school and high school -- said he engaged in an attempt to fit in. Wells' team consulted with a psychologist, who said that Martin's response was consistent "with the behavior of a victim of abusive treatment. 
 
 "To be candid, we struggled with how to evaluate Martin's claims of harassment given his mental health issues, his possible heightened sensitivity to insults and his unusual, 'bipolar' friendship with Incognito. Nonetheless, we ultimately concluded that Martin was indeed harassed by Incognito, who can fairly be described as the main instigator, and by Jerry and Pouncey, who tended to follow Incognito's lead. 
 
 "In reaching this conclusion, we were significantly influenced by multiple factors, including the flagrantly inappropriate treatment of the Assistant Trainer and Player A, which, independent of Martin's claims, reflected a pattern of harassment. Moreover, shortly after Martin left the team, Incognito made a number of telling entries in a notebook used to keep track of 'fines' the offensive linemen imposed on each other in their 'kangaroo court' (typically for trivial infractions such as arriving late to meetings). Incognito recorded a $200 fine against himself for 'breaking Jmart,' awarded another lineman who had been verbally taunted a $250 bonus for 'not cracking first,' and wrote down a number of penalties against Martin for acting like a 'pussy.' The evidence shows, and Incognito did not dispute, that 'breaking Jmart' meant causing Martin to have an emotional reaction in response to taunting. Approximately one week after Martin left the team, on November 3, 2013, Incognito wrote nearly identical text messages to Pouncey and another lineman: 'They're going to suspend me Please destroy the fine book first thing in the morning.' We view Incognito's entries in the fine book about 'breaking Jmart' and his attempt to destroy the fine book -- which was unsuccessful -- as evidence demonstrating his awareness that he had engaged in improper conduct toward Martin." 
 
 In regards to the team leadership, Wells writes that Incognito and the others might not have been told they were crossing any kind of line. Which leads to this question. 
 
 How did Joe Philbin not know what was going on inside his team? — Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) February 14, 2014 
 
 Martin told investigators that he was most offended when his teammates vulgarly referred to his family members, most notably sexual comments made against his sister. Then, after Martin's mother attended a team event last April, the teammates began making similar comments about her. 
 
 Incognito didn't dispute Martin's comments that the statements that were made, and he said he often was trying to "get under the skin" of someone he was insulting. But to Incognito, this was "an accepted part of the everyday camaraderie of the Dolphins tight-knit offensive line." Incognito said all the linemen "recognized, accepted, and, indeed, actively participated in 'go-for-the-jugular' teasing and that the sexual comments "helped them bond." 
 
 Basically, Wells' investigators led to this conclusion: 
 
 "We find that the harassment of Martin bears many hallmarks of a classic case of bullying, where persons who are in a position of power harass the less powerful. It may seem odd to some that Martin, a professional football player with imposing physical stature, could be described as a victim of bullying or harassment, but even big, strong athletes are not immune from vulnerability to abusive behavior." 
 
 Said Dolphins owner Stephen Ross in a statement: “We have just received the report from Ted Wells and will review it in detail before responding relative to the findings. When we asked the NFL to conduct this independent review, we felt it was important to take a step back and thoroughly research these serious allegations. As an organization, we are committed to a culture of team-first accountability and respect for one another.“ 
 
 
 
 The NFLPA said: "We received the report on workplace conditions in Miami today. We will review the findings closely, confer with our players and all relevant parties involved.” 
 
 Follow Josh Katzowitz on Google+ ||||| After the report was released, the Dolphins made the following statement: We have just received the report from Ted Wells and will review it in detail before responding relative to the findings. When we asked the NFL to conduct this independent review, we felt it was important to take a step back and thoroughly research these serious allegations. As an organization, we are committed to a culture of team-first accountability and respect for one another. 
 
 Richie Incognito, Mike Pouncey and John Jerry engaged in a pattern of harassment directed at not only teammate Jonathan Martin, but also another young Dolphins offensive lineman and an assistant trainer, independent counsel Ted Wells has determined. 
 
 Furthermore, Wells rejects any suggestion that Martin manufactured claims of abuse after the fact to cover up his true reason for leaving the team, he announced Friday. 
 
 The findings were released in Wells much-anticipated report on the teams workplace conduct scandal. The investigation took three months, in which he reviewed thousands of voluntarily produced documents (including text messages, emails and team policies) and completed more than 100 interviews. 
 
 Wells spoke with all Dolphins players and coaches, key front-office personnel, and the teams owner and chairman he said Friday. 
 
 After the report was released, the Dolphins made the following statement: We have just received the report from Ted Wells and will review it in detail before responding relative to the findings. When we asked the NFL to conduct this independent review, we felt it was important to take a step back and thoroughly research these serious allegations. As an organization, we are committed to a culture of team-first accountability and respect for one another. 
 
 Our office has received the report of independent counsel Ted Wells, which sets forth the findings of his investigation into the workplace environment at the Miami Dolphins. Consistent with our commitment at the outset of this matter, the full report has been transmitted to our clubs and has been made public. We appreciate the work of Ted Wells and his colleagues and the cooperation of the Miami Dolphins organization in the investigation. After we have had an opportunity to review the report, we will have further comment as appropriate. 
 
 The report finds that an assistant trainer repeatedly was the object of racial slurs and other racially derogatory language; that the other offensive lineman was subjected to homophobic name-calling and improper physical touching; and that Martin was taunted on a persistent basis with sexually explicit remarks about his sister and his mother and at times ridiculed with racial insults and other offensive comments. 
 
 Text messages sent from Martin to his parents and others months before he left the Dolphins corroborate the left tackles account that the harassment at the hands of his teammates caused him significant emotional distress. 
 
 The report finds, however, that Martins teammates did not intend to drive Martin from the team or cause him lasting emotional injury. 
 
 Wells does not plan to comment further on the investigation.
– A long-awaited report on allegations of bullying in the NFL is in, and the main headline-grabbing point is that Richie Incognito (and others) did indeed harass Miami Dolphins teammate Jonathan Martin (and others), reports the Miami Herald. But the report by attorney Ted Wells also gets a little squishy on the subject. For instance, it concludes that Incognito didn't intend to cause "lasting emotional injury" or drive Martin to quit the team—Martin left in October over the abuse, but remains under contract—and it cites a range of factors that make this case unique. Some of the highlights: 'Was indeed harassed': "To be candid, we struggled with how to evaluate Martin's claims of harassment given his mental health issues, his possible heightened sensitivity to insults and his unusual, 'bipolar' friendship with Incognito. Nonetheless, we ultimately concluded that Martin was indeed harassed by Incognito, who can fairly be described as the main instigator, and by (teammates John) Jerry and (Mike) Pouncey, who tended to follow Incognito's lead." Other victims: Incognito, Pouncey, and Jerry also repeatedly harassed a member of the team's athletic training staff and another unnamed lineman, reports USA Today. Calls for new guidelines: "As all must surely recognize, the NFL is not an ordinary workplace. Professional football is a rough, contact sport played by men of exceptional size, speed, strength, and athleticism. But even the largest, strongest, and fleetest person may be driven to despair by bullying, taunting, and constant insults." The report encouraged new "workplace conduct rules" for the league. 'Breaking Jmart': One of the more damning points cited against Incognito is that he fined himself $200 for "breaking Jmart" in a notebook kept by the team's offensive linemen, reports CBS Sports. When the story broke, he asked teammates to destroy the notebook, but that didn't happen. Coaches didn't know: The report says coach Joe Philbin and staff were unaware of the abuse. It also says that "Incognito and his teammates may not have been clearly notified that they were crossing lines that would be enforced by the team with serious sanctions." Read the full report here. The NFL and the Dolphins say they'll respond after a thorough review.