Miami Dolphins Pick'em: Ronnie Or Ricky?

Imagine for a second that you are Jeff Ireland, GM of the Miami Dolphins.

Now, Stephen Ross (your boss) has told you that he wants either Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams back for the 2011-2012 NFL Season, BUT he doesn't want both (he doesn't tell you why he only wants one, but you suspect that he is just being cheap and doesn't want to give both a contract).

Which back do you take?

Do you take Ronnie, who is 29 years old, is your main wildcat back that has put together a lot of successful seasons, but also has injury concerns?

Do you take Ricky, who is 34 years old, has a year or two of good production left in him, and averaged 4.2 yards per carry last season?

Make sure that you consider the current backs you already have on the team and the backs you could add from free agency.

Thanks for stopping by, now let me know what you would do.

You Tell Me: DeAngelo Williams Or Ahmad Bradshaw

The Miami Dolphins are going to be adding another running back. This we know.

What we don't know is who that running back will be.

So, I want you guys to tell me who you would rather have: DeAngelo Williams or Ahmad Bradshaw, and why?

Thanks for stopping by, now let me hear your thoughts.

Also, YouTube has removed my Chad Henne interception video for copyright reasons even though there are a million other highlight videos on it. If you haven't seen it yet or would like to see it again just email me.

Thanks again.

Report: Miami Dolphins Will Go After Another Running Back

The Miami Dolphins are going to be adding another complementary running back once the lockout is lifted, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel.

Ireland said this about what he is looking for:

"I'm interested in having another back, whether it fits the description of a scatback or not, we’ll have to see what's available. You can't corner yourself into just a scatback. We need another complementary back who complements Daniel (Thomas) and Lex (Hilliard). We do have somewhat of a scatback in Kory Sheets that we haven't seen yet, so I'm still hoping he can develop."

I'm glad that Ireland mentioned Kory Sheets, even though he seemed to have him ranked below Hilliard.

That's not the point, though. He is going to add another RB to compliment Thomas. Omar Kelly suggested, and I agree with him, that Ireland is being so open with this information because he wants to catch the attention of players like DeAngelo Williams, Ahmad Bradshaw, and other Free Agents.

Ireland did a similar thing when he said that he was going to add a veteran QB to the team. He was likely trying to catch the attention of veteran Free Agent quarterbacks.

I want to hear what running backs you would like the Dolphins to go after. Here is a list of the main prospects that will get consideration:

DeAngelo Williams
Ahmad Bradshaw
Darren Sproles
Michael Tolbert
Kevin Smith
Reggie Bush
Michael Bush
Willis McGahee


That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by.

Just a heads up. I am going to be doing a good amount of research on Chad Henne for the next couple of days so I can formulate a final opinion of him. Expect my thoughts at the end of this week or early next week.

You Tell Me: Do The Miami Dolphins Need Another RB?

In the 2011 NFL Draft the Miami Dolphins drafted RB Daniel Thomas in the second round. Unless the Dolphins re-sign another big name free agent, Thomas will be the starting back this year.

What I want to know for today's "You Tell Me" is, do you guys think that Miami should try and sign another free agent running back or should they just stick with Daniel Thomas starting and allow Kory Sheets and Lex Hilliard to compete for the backup spot?

I will be commenting later today, so you guys will know my opinion then, but I am not going to post it here.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you are thinking.

Brian Daboll Is At Least A Good Coach For The Miami Dolphins Running Game

While we may question some of Brian Daboll's credentials as an Offensive Coordinator, one thing we can be somewhat assured about is his ability to put together a good running game.

It surprised and angered a lot of Miami Dolphins fans when Daboll was hired as the Offensive Cordinator, and they were upset for good reason. Daboll doesn't have a successful track record as an OC in the NFL, so the decision to hire him obviously came into question.

While I am not sure how good the offense will be next season, I am, at least, pretty sure that the Dolphins will have a good running game. Whoever Miami does bring in as the main running back, Brian Daboll will be able to make him successful.

Daboll turned the little-known Peyton Hillis into one of the best backs in the NFL despite not being one of the fastest, so why wouldn't he be able to do something similar in Miami?

Daboll will probably end up having a better known running back than Hillis at the beginning of next season, but that back should be able to do just as well as Hillis did, and maybe even better.

As much as I would rather the Dolphins get a quarterback with their first pick, I am excited to think about what Mark Ingram would be able to do under Daboll's leadership if the Dolphins do end up drafting him 15th overall.

If Daboll can turn a relatively unkown running back into a premeire back, what would he be able to do with the best available back in the draft?

That's it for now, what do you guys think about Brian Daboll? Are you at all excited about what the running game will look like next year? Let me know with your comments.

Subscribe to DolphinShout

Multiple Mock Drafts Have The Miami Dolphins Drafting Mark Ingram, But Should They?

Please Tony, Draft Ryan Mallett

Both CBS Sports and Mel Kiper of ESPN have the Miami Dolphins picking RB Mark Ingram with the 15th overall selection of the NFL Draft.
I have been stressing for a few weeks now that the Dolphins need to take a quarterback with their first pick, and I still believe that to be the case. Mel Kiper may be the most informed and intelligent person in the country when it comes to the NFL Draft, but he doesn't know as much about the Miami Dolphins, specifically, which is why I think he is wrong that the Dolphins will get Ingram.

All Kiper sees are Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams leaving, so he figures they should worry about replacing them first. What he may not realize is how much Chad Henne has hurt Miami this year. It is much more crucial for the Dolphins to draft or trade for a quarterback with their first pick. By trading for a quarterback with their first pick, I mean trading the pick to a team like the Eagles for Kevin Kolb.

There will always be good running back talent with high potential available later in the draft, but that isn't normally the case at quarterback. Almost always, the good quarterbacks with the best potential will be taken in the first round, and the Dolphins need to make sure they pick up one of those guys.

My clear favorite candidate of the quarterbacks in this year's NFL Draft is Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett. I would rather Mallett over both Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert. I know many of you will disagree with me on that one, but I am confident that Mallett will be the best NFL quarterback of this draft class.

The reason I would take Mallett over Gabbert is that Gabbert has been in a spread offense in college, and successful spread offense quarterbacks almost never translate into successful NFL quarterbacks.

I would take Mallett over Newton because Newton had to rely too much on his feet in college, which he won't be able to do in the NFL. I understand that he is still a good passer, but I fear that the temptation to run will be too much for him to avoid. NFL athletes are much, much faster and stronger than NCAA athletes, and Newton won't be able to be nearly as explosive because of that. I also just don't get a good feeling about him in the NFL. I know that he is supremely talented, but for some reason I just don't see him doing well in the NFL.

As for Mallett, I think he will be the best QB of this class because of his big arm and intensity. Mallett can make every pass in the NFL that he will ever need to make, hands down. He can make extremely tough passes with immaculate accuracy and make it look easy. He is also an extremely passionate and fiery competitor. His footwork needs improvement, and his decision-making isn't always the best because he is a little too confident in his arm, which is why he is considered #3 in the Draft, but I still think he is better than Newton and Gabbert despite his weaknesses.

As you guys can tell, I love Mallett, and I am thinking that he deserves to be ranked higher than he is. It would be a huge mistake for the Miami Dolphins to pass up him for Ingram with the 15th pick. Not that Ingram isn't a great running back, but I think Miami needs to worry about their quarterback first.

Thanks for reading, and tell me who you think Miami should get as well as your reaction to what I have said, because I know a lot of other people think differently.

Subscribe to DolphinShout

What Will The Miami Dolphins Running Back Position Look Like Next Year?

For those of you who don't know, there is a strong possibility that both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams won't return to the Miami Dolphins next season.

Ricky had a "rant" of sorts complaining about Tony Sparano and his coaching style, and he said that he thought it was time to move on from the Dolphins organization. It would be a shock to me if he does end up playing for Miami again, and we might as well consider him gone.

Ronnie didn't have a rant, but all signs are pointing to him not playing with the Miami Dolphins next season. He never directly said that he wanted to leave Miami, but he does seem to be considering playing for other teams, too.

There are a few other running backs that could be available if they don't return to their teams. Two players that I would love Miami to get are Deangelo Williams and Cedric Benson. Williams is already all but gone from Carolina. Benson still has a chance of returning to Cincinnati, but it there is still a good chance he will be leaving.

Miami could also look in the draft and get a player like Mark Ingram in the first round, but I would prefer them not to because they should use their early draft pick to find a quarterback.

They could try and search for gold late in the draft and find a runner with huge potential, but I am not too confident in Miami's ability to find a player like that late in the draft. After all, we aren't the Patriots. We don't have an immaculate ability to find the perfect players late in the draft like Bill Belichick and his staff, so it might be better to just go after a proven player.

Like always, we will see what happens. Thanks for reading, and let me know who you want Miami to get next year.

Subscribe to DolphinShout

Bold Predictions For The Miami Dolphins - How Ronnie Brown Will Do This Year

Ronnie Brown

Today I am going to start a new "series."

I will make predictions for players on the Miami Dolphins. Some predictions may be stronger than others, but I will stand by whatever I predict.

You may agree, and you may not. All I ask of you is to keep an open mind and respond to what I say with your comments. I enjoy writing a lot, but I also enjoy discussing just as much. You could even make your own predictions if you want.

Now that I have introduced my new series, I will start with my first set of predictions.

Ronnie Brown


1. Ronnie Brown Will Not Have A Single Injury Problem The Entire Season

Yep, I said it. Everyone who knows Ronnie Brown knows he is an injury concern. He missed the end of last season due to a serious foot injury.

It may sound ridiculous to believe that somebody with injury concerns like Brown has won't be injured, but here is what I am thinking:

The Dolphins will not need to hand the ball off to Brown as much as last year, or any year that Brown has been in Miami.

The Dolphins are now more of a passing team. More so than any other year that Brown has been with them. Brandon Marshall and Chad Henne are the main reasons for that. The Dolphins had been struggling to find a QB, until now. They also haven't had a superstar receiver in a very long time, until now.

Now that the Dolphins have more of a passing threat than ever before, why would they hand the ball off like they have before? If you add the fact that Brown will be splitting carries with Ricky Williams, you can see that Brown won't get nearly as many touches as he is used to.


2. Ronnie Brown Will Rush For 1000 Yards And 10 Rushing Touchdowns

I believe that Brown will reach two milestones this year: 1000 rushing yards (but not more than 1100), and 10 touchdowns (but not more than 12).

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams have both said that they want to get 1000 rushing yard each, and I believe they can both do it. They are both completely fine with sharing carries.

If you look at just Brown's skill level, you can tell that he is capable of having much more than 1000 rushing yards. The problem is his injuries, which is why I don't think Miami will give him the ball too much.

He will do great things when he touches the ball, he just won't touch the ball a whole lot. Between splitting carries, injury concerns, and the Miami Dolphins new passing game I just don't see Brown surpassing more than 1100 yards.

BUT, he will still get 1000 yards. He is capable of it, and with the yards will come the 10 rushing touchdowns.



That is it for now. Let me know what you think. Please leave a comment with your reactions or your own predictions. I would really like to know what you guys think Ronnie Brown will do.

Subscribe to DolphinShout

Miami Dolphins RB Ricky Williams Wants To Return For More Than This Season

Ricky Williams

For any of you that have been following Ricky Williams these last few years since he has returned, you might remember that he had said that he planned on retiring after this season.

Well, in a recent report Ricky said the following:

"I would like to get a year extension with the Miami Dolphins, play this year and next year and then really focus on my schooling"

I don't know how many of you know, but Ricky enjoys a lot other things than football. He does meditation a lot, and cares very much about getting more of an education. It isn't that he doesn't have a good education, either. He just wants to further it.

So, with all that in mind, I wasn't really sure whether he would want to return. He is a very busy man, and I didn't know if he wanted to play longer than this year. To my relief, though, he wants to play an additional year.

Now, it is up to the Miami Dolphins to give him the extension he desires. Technically, they don't have to worry about his contract until next off-season. But, I think it would be a good move for the Dolphins to give him an extension.

Doing so will show Ricky that the teams wants him around. An extra vote of confidence will give Ricky even more desire to play well. He is the type of player who cares about the people around him, so he will definitely want to do well for the team who trusts him.

I know it may sound unimportant to you, but I believe that he really would do better with an extension now.

I, for one, am just glad to hear that Ricky wants to return. He is a valuable player, and we could really use him running the ball. Ronnie Brown is good, but he can't carry the running load himself due to injuries.

So, let us see what happens. Don't be surprised if the Dolphins don't give him an extension, but you should definitely be excited if they do. Ricky is an important part of the team, and I would hope that Miami treats him like that.

Subscribe to DolphinShout

As Good As Miami Dolphins Running Back Ronnie Brown Is, I Would Never Draft Him For Fantasy Football

I was participating in a draft last week, when I saw that Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie was available. I considered drafting him, but then passed him up.

I don't remember who I got instead, but the people I was drafting with were surprised that I didn't get Brown. Partly because I am a Dolphins fan, and partly because they considered him to be better than who I picked instead.

As blasphemous as that sounds, I knew it was better for my team for one reason: Ronnie Brown is a fantasy football nightmare. He could score 5 touchdowns in a game when you don't see it coming and then hardly do anything in another game that you expect him to do really well in.

He is unpredictable, and that is any fantasy owners nightmare.

Fantasy owners look for consistent production week in and week out. That is what Ronnie Brown is unable to do, and that is why he isn't drafted among the best of the backs in the NFL.

As much as I am a fan of Ronnie Brown, his fantasy points are going to decrease even more than last year because Miami now has more of a passing threat. His numbers weren't that great last year, and they won't be any better this year.

Yes, he is a great player and he helps Miami's offense a lot whenever he is in. He just isn't a good fantasy player.

As a matter of fact most Dolphins players aren't great for fantasy football. Let's hope that trend changes for Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall because I have both of them on my team.

I hope you guys like the picture. I am going to try it for a while and see if it works.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to leave a comment.

Subscribe to DolphinShout

Will Kory Sheets Ever Be A Top Running Back For The Miami Dolphins?

The Sun Sentinel just did an article about how Kory Sheets wants to prove that he has more than just speed. He wants to prove he is "an every down back".

I'm wondering: Will he ever be an every down back for the Miami Dolphins.

I think we all can agree his speed is his strength. He is probably the fastest player on the team. In order for him to be more than just an average running back with speed, he has to be able to do more.

He was a great running back in college, but things will be a lot harder for him. In college he was able to run a lot faster than his opponents, where in the NFL his opponents are able to keep up with him more.

One thing that Tony Sparano wants to see more from Sheets is pass blocking. A running back who is good at pass blocking is invaluable because he can be the difference between a sack and a first down.

I am confident that Sheets has a good shot at making the roster, though, because he can be a great kick returner. One thing makes all of the difference for a kick returner: speed. You don't have to be good at your position to be a kick returner as long as you are fast.

Just ask Ted Ginn Jr.

We will see what happens, but I have a feeling it will take Sheets a few years to develop into an every down back like he wants. He may not ever develop into one, we just can't tell yet.

Post a comment below on whether you think Sheets will ever become a top back in Miami. I am interested to know what other Dolphins fans think.

Subscribe to DolphinShout

Calling Miami Dolphins Fans, I Need Your Help!

Everyone hates the offseason in the NFL.

It doesn't matter who you root for, you just want the cold weather to hurry up and come back so you can watch some football.

And just like fans don't enjoy the offseason, neither to journalists and blog writers like me.

So I am asking everyone who reads this, please email me a question about the Miami Dolphins.

It can be anything that has to do with the Dolphins. I will post your question with an answer on my blog.

When you email, give me a format something like this:

Name:
Location:
Question:

It doesn't have to be exactly like that, because I understand I shouldn't be picky. But as long as you ask me a question I am happy.

Email your Miami Dolphins questions to paul@dolphinshout.com, and I may even post your question as soon as tomorrow depending on whether anything new comes out of Miami.


Now, since I always try to add some Dolphin talk to as many of my posts as possible, here is something for you guys to think about:

Should Miami keep Patrick Cobbs?

He is coming off of a season-ending knee surgery last year, and Miami already has a lot of running backs on the roster.

What made me think about it was an article I read saying his knee was getting a lot better.

I'll be honest, I don't know much about the risk of Cobbs being injured. I'm not sure if he gets injured a lot or not, but I do know that he obviously can't be a player who never has to worry about injuries simply because he had a season ending injury.

But, do the Dolphins even need to worry about him?

I don't think so because along with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, Miami has Lex Hilliard and Kory Sheets. Hilliard was able to be successful when he ran the ball last season, and Sheets has a lot of potential. Do we need to worry about holding on to Cobbs when we have good backups like Sheets and Hilliard?

Let me know what you guys think about Cobbs, and don't forget to email me your questions here:
paul@dolphinshout.com

Subscribe to DolphinShout

Why Are The Miami Dolphins Looking At RB Harvey Unga?

Throughout the past couple of seasons, there was always one thing the Miami Dolphins could count on.

That was the running game.

It didn't matter what the passing game or the defense was like, you always knew the running game would come through. In a recent post I discussed whether the Miami Dolphins really needed Ronnie Brown. While I believe that Brown is a really great running back, I also believe that the Dolphins do not absolutely need him.

They have enough talent behind Brown at the RB position led by Ricky Williams. Williams is a great back that should be able to give the Dolphins a couple more great years.

Yes, Ricky is old, but he should be able to last long enough for the Dolphins to find a real starting back, and this is all assuming that Miami doesn't keep Ronnie Brown.

But for now, pretend that Ronnie Brown will not be a Miami Dolphin for much longer and Miami is searching for a back:

According to a report by sunsentinel.com, the Miami Dolphins are among the most interested teams looking at BYU running back Harvey Unga, who would be in the supplemental NFL draft on July 15.

I am wondering why they would be even remotely interested in Unga.

Williams will last the Dolphins for at least another season, which will enable them to pick up a running back in the NFL draft next year if they really need it. Then they could develop that back into a starter.

But, instead they are looking at Harvey Unga who, from what I can tell, isn't all that great of a running back. Sure, he rushed for 3,455 yards and he gained 1,085 receiving yards in three seasons for BYU, but if you watch his highlights he isn't very impressive.

He doesn't really have breakaway speed like most of the most successful running backs. He may be powerful, but that can only get you so far in the NFL. Speed is everything for a professional running back, and he just doesn't seem to have enough of it.

Unga does have a pretty good repertoire of moves that help him get past a defender, but the problem is that once he makes a move the defenders will still end up catching up to him before he scores. That could sometimes be the difference between a field goal and a touchdown.

If anything, Unga is more suited to be a fullback, which the Dolphins don't need right now either.

Maybe the Dolphins staff sees more in him than I do, but I can't really tell what that would be.

I believe that the Dolphins can find a better back than him next year, but I don't even think they will need to next year. Brown will, most likely, come back for the Dolphins and play for many more years. I just see it as unnecessary to even bother looking at the kid.

What do you guys think about Harvey Unga? Let me know with your comments.

I will also post a video of Unga when he played for BYU, so be sure to check that out.

Subscribe to DolphinShout