Stephen Ross, Martin to meet soon

— -- MIAMI -- After months of delays, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross expects to meet with embattled offensive tackle Jonathan Martin soon, Ross said Tuesday.

The two initially were scheduled to meet in November amid the Dolphins' high-profile bullying scandal. But lawyers for Martin and the NFL nixed the idea while the league was conducting an investigation.

"I was precluded from talking to him while the investigation was going on," Ross said on a conference call with Miami media. "Now that we got the report, the lawyers are trying to arrange the meeting, which should take place relatively soon, I believe."

Ross said the meeting with Martin will not be related to football. The Dolphins are expected to trade or release Martin this offseason, and the team met with his representatives last week at the NFL combine to discuss his playing future.

Instead, Ross wants to talk to Martin about what happened and how to prevent bullying and harassment going forward.

"I haven't heard what his feelings are; I've read the report," Ross said. "He wants to talk to me as much as [I want to talk to him]. I'm prepared to listen. When you've dealt with something, it's nice to hear from the person directly."

Ross was speaking on a conference call Tuesday to announce his initiative with NYU and the Jackie Robinson Foundation to improve locker room culture. Ross said he hopes to lead an effort to eliminate racial slurs, harassment and bullying in sports. He also introduced an anti-bullying bill in sports to Florida's legislature.

"How could anybody be against it is really what it comes down to at the end of the day," Ross said. "This is for the good of everybody. I think having this taking place and having so much publicity around it allows us to be heard and hopefully have an impact."