Chargers Give Up on Martin

In yet another surprising move by Bobby Beathard, the San Diego Chargers traded wide receiver Tony Martin to the Atlanta Falcons for a 1999 second-round draft pick Wednesday night.

It was Martin’s 43-yard, over-the-shoulder catch that gave the Chargers the winning margin in their 17-13 AFC championship game victory at Pittsburgh on Jan. 15, 1995, and put the Chargers in their only Super Bowl.

Martin went on to break the Chargers’ single-season reception record held by Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow by catching 90 passes in 1995, and the next year he matched Hall of Famer Lance Alworth’s club record with 14 touchdown catches. Martin also was voted to the Pro Bowl for the first time that year.

Beathard, the Chargers’ general manager, said the reason for dealing Martin was the off-season development of receivers Bryan Still, Charlie Jones and Latario Rachal.

“There’s some element of risk, but we felt it was something we would do if their offer was as good as what their interest showed,” Beathard said.

Martin led the Chargers with 63 catches for 904 yards and six touchdowns last year. Jones was fifth with 32 catches for 423 yards, Still sixth with 24 for 324 and Rachal didn’t catch a pass, instead playing on special teams.

Still only recently started coming on after being a rookie bust in 1996. Beathard traded San Diego’s 1996 first-round draft pick to Tampa Bay for the right to move up in the second round of that year’s draft and pick Still.

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The Oakland Raiders, deciding they have had enough of cornerback Larry Brown after two disappointing seasons, waived the former Super Bowl MVP. Brown was to enter the third year of a five-year contract worth $12.5 million.