-by Erick Coleman

Unlike most installments of the Maine Objective, this will be dedicated to threads that I have witnessed on TDMMC’s message boards in regards to Ronnie Brown. One of my largest pet peeves as a sports fan is the bi-polar nature of other fans. Win in week one and Miami is Super Bowl bound, lose in week two Miami is on the clock for the number one pick in next year’s draft. The reality of the situation is simple, in regards to the Miami Dolphins: The offensive line is not good, and unless they improve the Dolphins do not have much of a chance to make a lot of noise this year. Fingers can be pointed at the easy targets such as the play of the quarterback, the defensive secondary, dropped passes by wide outs or the running of a rookie running back. While improved play in all of those areas would certainly be nice, the whole thing centers on the trenches.

It is unrealistic for anyone to think that any rookie can step into the depths of the National Football League and make an immediate impact? Does it happen from time to time? Yes. More often than not almost all players struggle. Quarterbacks that are thrown directly “into the fire” almost always come out worse for wear, reference Joey Harrington and David Carr as two recent examples. Running backs seem to advance more quickly in their development that, say, wide receivers. Being a top pick running back, however, does not ensure immediate success. Initial struggles also do not predict a struggling career as well.

I have read a lot of posts recently commenting on Ronnie Brown, one of those posts went so far as to suggest that Brown was a “bust.” I’ve seen posts speaking of Ricky Williams and his “immediate” impact upon arriving on the scene in the National Football League. This information could not be more false, nor inaccurate. Heading into the 1999 draft, two running backs were debated as the “best” available; Williams and Edgerrin James. The Indianapolis Colts, picking fourth overall, were leaning strongly towards Ricky Williams. Williams, coming out of Texas, was considered one of the best running backs ever in the college ranks. Experts on the ESPN coverage crew, to a man, stated that the Colts made a drastic mistake by taking James over Williams. New Orleans, at that point, traded up to obtain Williams with the fifth pick of that draft.

As with the 1999 draft, most expected Williams to make the larger impact of the two running backs. This draws comparisons to Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown. Brown, judging by most “experts” was a better over all draft choice (although most would agree that a team couldn’t go wrong choosing either back). How did the initial outcome of the 1999 draft pan out? James rushed for an average of 4.2 yards per carry on his way to a 1,553 yards rushing total and an additional 586 yards receiving. James scored a combined 17 touchdowns. Ricky Williams, contrary to belief on some posts I’ve read, did not fare as well. Williams averaged 3.5 yards per carry on his way to 884 yards rushing with 172 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Do rookie year statistics tell the whole story? Of course not. Williams has 6,354 career rushing yards in 70 NFL starts. That’s 1,582 yards shy of James’ 7,936 rushing yards. James also has 13 additional starts at 83 over Williams’ 70 starts. The point? True talent cannot be held down and Ricky Williams brushed off not one, but two, inconsistent and injury plagued years and became the feared running back that most experts believed he would become.

Some Miami Dolphin fans are up in arms over the “slow” start by second over all draft pick Ronnie Brown. Miami must have made a grievous draft error! Carnell Williams, drafted below Brown and playing for Tampa Bay, has 276 yards in two games and averages over 5 yards a carry. Brown, meanwhile, has an embarrassing 92 yards and averages less than three yards a carry. What was Saban thinking when he drafted this bum?

Some Miami Dolphin fans are up in arms over the “slow” start by second over all draft pick Ronnie Brown. Miami must have made a grievous draft error! Carnell Williams, drafted below Brown and playing for Tampa Bay, has 276 yards in two games and averages over 5 yards a carry. Brown, meanwhile, has an embarrassing 92 yards and averages less than three yards a carry. What was Saban thinking when he drafted this bum?

For starters, Saban was looking at Brown’s speed – which is amazing. He was looking at Brown’s 6-foot tall frame with two hundred and thirty two pounds packed on it. He was looking at the character of the player and you would be hard pressed to find a more quality person than Ronnie Brown. Saban, unlike a lot of fans, understands that the Miami Dolphins rebuilding process is a marathon and not a sprint. It will take more than the 2005 season for the Miami Dolphins to fix what could possibly be the worst offensive line in National Football League. Asking a veteran running back like Sammy Morris to find quick holes from time to time with Miami’s offensive line is one thing, asking a rookie that has barely had enough time to adjust to the speed of the game the same thing is another. Comparing Brown’s carries to Morris’s carries, however (as I’ve seen in the message boards) is a drastic mistake.

The best thing that could happen to Ronnie Brown is coming after week five, and that is Ricky Williams. Williams has experience running behind bad lines and will be able to jump-start the running attack while allowing Brown to grow and learn. Can anyone predict that Ronnie Brown will be a star in the National Football League? Doing so now would be the same as declaring Brown a bust now. Make no mistake about this statement; time will tell.

My personal opinion is that Ronnie Brown has the speed, size and talent to become a very good running back for the Miami Dolphins. I feel that if one were to compare Brown’s statistics in five years to Cadillac Williams, they would be very close. It is also my opinion that Brown’s struggles are more a factor of the poor play of the offensive line than any other factor.

And I’m planning on stock piling the negative “Ronnie Brown is a bust” posts and re-posting those when Brown starts to show the real football player that he truly is. Have other running backs started off on a better foot than Brown? Yes. Is it whopping two games into the NFL season? Yes. Can anything be truly decided after two games? No.

Deep breathing helps. Relax. Miami wasn’t going to the Super Bowl this year even had Brown started his career with back to back 150 yard games. What Brown means to this team’s future is the true goal to keep an eye on.

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