Brown, Williams in final Miami year together?

Since the topic of Dolphins running backs has been all the rage of late -- with one being constantly whispered about as trade bait and the other as a documentary star and possible retiree after 2010 -- I wanted to appraoch the topic from a different direction today.

From the team's perspective.

You see, seemingly lost in all the draft coverage over the weekend, Jeff Ireland's words while addressing the running back situation seem to have gotten short shrift. And they beg more attention.

Ireland was asked Saturday evening if he might have liked to add a running back in the draft and he said that 2010 is the last year for Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.

"Again, when you put a board together, sometimes the chips fall differently in certain drafts," Ireland said. "Obviously we’re aware of the situation on our team. You have Ricky [Williams] and Ronnie [Brown] kind of in their last year. We’re aware of all those things. We have them for another year, so anything can happen that way. The draft falls certain ways and you can’t help the way it falls. We’re not ignoring those positions by any means, but I felt like we stuck to our board pretty good and stayed the course."

I'm not going to leap to the assumption that Brown and Williams are indeed done with the Dolphins after 2010. The truth is no one knows what will happen after 2010. The NFL may not even play in 2011 for all we know.

But weighing Ireland's words with the facts currently before us, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Miami will be searching for running backs after this year because one or both of its top backs will be gone.

As far as Brown is concerned, he has yet to sign his restricted free agent tender. He would like a long-term deal but that doesn't seem imminent because, well, the Dolphins don't really have to offer one right now.

Brown, 28, has yet to prove he's 100 percent back from last year's fractured foot and has never proven that he is exceedingly durable. The Dolphins own his rights this year via the restricted tender they placed on him and can extend after June 1st if Brown doesn't sign by then. Trust me, Brown is not going to sit out this year if he doesn't get a new contract so he will eventually sign that tender if the Dolphins don't give him a new deal -- and as we just discussed their motivation for doing so is not high.

Bottom line is the Dolphins can keep Brown this year and decide to replace him with younger legs in 2011, if they wish. Bottom line is they have been willing to let him go at different intervals since 2008. Bottom line is his long-term future in Miami is by no means certain.

Williams is another matter, but one no less fraught with uncertainty. The Dolphins have shown a past desire to pass him Post-it note contract extensions, which is the reason he's signed through 2010. He has said in the past that he would retire following the 2010 season.

He said Monday he is "not sure" if he will retire in 2010 and that the hiring agent Drew Rosenhaus should not be interpreted as an intention to play into 2011. Whatever, the point is neither Williams nor the Dolphins know without doubt what is going to happen.

But we do know this: Williams will be 33 next month and so whether he's able to stretch his career beyond 2010 is not a certainty by any means.

So the Dolphins might be wise to take the approach that this could be the final year for both Brown and Williams. And if it doesn't work out that way, well, then something good happened that stretched the Miami career for one or both of the running backs.

Still, better to make the error on the side of caution.

Comments

[Cuban Menace]

By the way love the name "Payaso del Carajo"

[pistol]

Ricky is on tv wearing a Dolphin orange shirt. It's the brightest thing I have ever seen.

[DC Dolfan]

Pistol, yes, Bess had a few too many drops last year. I don't know why (seems he and Fasano had off years), but I'm sure he'll be more sure-handed this year. And, he got thrown a lot more passes last year, so maybe it was getting acclimated to the pro game. But both of them should be lethal this year, that's what I'm thinking.

[Cuban Menace]

DC, Along with the drops, Bess also had quite a few fumbles...as did Fasano..

[pistol]

DC, I'm not so sure about Fasano. He got off to a bad start at Atlanta and never seemed to get it worked out. I think he played better with someone pushing him. Where is David Martin? He was pretty damn good in '08.

[Aqua1]

Ronnie Brown is an excellent back a loyal team player and a good man. Although running back is an easier position to replace in the NFL, I believe that it would be tough to replace Brown's talent level. I mean that he is the "complete package" when it comes to speed, moves as well as power.
Not all backs are "the complete package."

In terms of his injury history, I believe that he's just had some bad luck in that department and that his luck has to change and he will remain healthy now.

Please extend his contract, BP

Posted by: Aqua1 |

[DC Dolfan]

Cuban, you're right, both were nervous for some reason. But in his college career, Bess was very sure-handed. And in '08, Fasano was a beast. So I'm willing to give them a pass on last season, and see what they both do this season.

Didn't it seem like there were more fumbles/takeaways in the NFL last season? Defenders just taking the ball out of a receivers hands and running the other way with it? I remember a lot of those last season (more than usual). I may be wrong, would like to see the numbers on that from last season.

[DC Dolfan]

Pistol, we let David Martin go. It was weird, I thought we'd keep him after he got off IR, but it was like the Roth situation (in that we liked the guy, he got hurt and went on IR, then we he got off we dropped him). Martin was a much better receiver than Fasano (he was a converted WR). But I think Fasano just had an off year. He's not gonna be Jason Witten, but I like his size and route-running. Yes, he never got it together after the fumbles in Atlanta, so we'll see this year. But he was damned good 2 years ago (you gotta admit). Hopefully he returns to that form (for all our sakes, cause we're pretty empty at that position).

[DC Dolfan]

I'm just wondering if Reshad Jones will be our FS this year. I like his tackling, but that's more SS. Can he cover? I liked Clemons at times, and saw how much work he needed other times. That's where I'm most worried. Didn't know Atogwe had surgery this off-season (someone posted that), so that makes me tentative on him. Before that news I was leaning his way over Sharper since he's younger if we do grab a FA. So that's what I want to see most by pre-season, who steps up to be our starting FS.

[billbill]

big article on yahoo ripping the front office of miami, saying they are awful to everyone and asked dez bryant if his mother was a prostitute.

[pistol]

I think both Bess and Fasano will do a better job holding on to the ball. To quote the great Jose Marti.... "When a man has no real afflictions, he invents some." That one's for you, fellow Cuban.

[pistol]

DC, hopefully Clemons will make strides this offseason. That kid is pretty damn fast and can cover a lot of ground. I agree, he did look lost at times last year.

[Eitoro]

payso is gay man .his mama also a gay lisbo .

[payaso del carajo]

eitoro yes I am a happy man. But a mama that is a g@y lisbo. wtf? Are not all lisbos G@y to begin with? Now you sound like aloco, very nice

[Eitoro]

so you r gay ,what about your mama ?

[Charlie]

You have to watch Ireland with those words...He does that often when speaking...Like the gibril Wilson interview and the predraft 2008 interview.

[COWKILLA]

News flash...Parcells doesn't read these blogs you meathead. And the prostitute thing..well grow up, we are all adults including dez, so it isn't a big deal, go swallow a meatsword dez...yo mamma's meatsword

[TAlberding]

Forget about running backs!!!!! Sign more LB'S we need more we should have used all Draft picks on them!!! He'll let's see how many LB'S we can get for Marshall...

[mike]

BIG time Ronnie fan - hope he stays (healthy). No one but NO ONE can run the 'Cat like he does.. best in the league at it. Ricky is a perfect compliment and cheep and very little drop off when he's called upon. And though he's lost a step in his advanced years... he's still faster than most....

[mike]

... Lex is a BEAST and can fill in for either when called upon.. and when it's time for him to step up as a starter (this... next year?) - he's already ready for that. I noticed his tenaciousness 2 seasons ago when he first joined the team and eventually ended up on the practice squad. We know what Cobb can do and he'll do it again. Next season, we draft RBs in the early to middle rounds to build for the future. Despite our #1 and #2 RBs apparently on the verge of moving on (or out)... I feel the future is bright for the Fins RB Corps. LET'S GO FINS!

[Jordi]

I like ireland's approach
Now if only we can keep him from interviewing anyone

[dre]

Ricky and Ronnie, will make one final run at it, all pieces are in play and the right fit has arrived.

[Jerry]

Ronnie Brown averages almost five yards per carry for his career. A career that he has seen nothing but eight man fronts with a safety in the box since we had no passing threat. He is an outstanding player and a team player. I can't wait to watch him run the ball in this his contract year considering that Brandon Marshall will make teams pay if they try and put the safety in the box to stop Ronnie. Super Bowl!!! This year!!! Why not us?

[Carlos]

I like Ronnie very much, I think he's a very good player, at times even great, but the bottom line is he simply isn't durable enough, what good is good RB that can't finish the season much less play in postseason, so if we get the right offer he'll be traded, Ricky is a question of time, the funniest thing about him is he was suppossed to be out of this team and the NFL a very long time ago, and now he is the player that has more time with the dolphins.