Brown is back in for ‘07

By Adam Best  |   Monday, July 09, 2007  |  Comments( 22 )

Miami Dolphins
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There's slow-news periods and there's no-news periods. Right now, in between organized team activities and training camp, this is a no-news period for the Miami Dolphins.

Quarterback Trent Green is no longer the new middle-aged man on the block.

Tank Johnson-in-training defensive tackle Fred Evans has been released.

Even the Daunte Culpepper soap opera is on hiatus after the postponement of his trial .

One prominent Dolphin who hasn't been in the news is running back Ronnie Brown. There were a few media grumblings here and there a while back concerning his weight, but those have since subsided. Nonetheless, the news that should be circulating about Brown is that he appears ready to finally break through and become a standout runner for the Dolphins.

Last season, Brown was largely considered a disappointment. That assessment is grossly unfair.

First off, the quarterbacks were a gimpy Culpepper, Joey Harrington and Cleo Lemon. With that trio running the offense, the Dolphins visited the red zone about as often as NASA has the Moon.

The Dolphins' wide receivers and tight ends didn't exactly help matters by stretching the field, either. Marty Booker led the team with a mere 747 receiving yards, a total only good enough for him to rank 36th overall among NFL wideouts.

Additionally, the offensive line was inconsistent at its best, and putrid at its worst. The unit blew assignment after assignment last year.

Brown didn't exactly have much help in 2006, obviously.

Despite all the factors working against him, Brown still ran for over 1,000 yards last season, even though he missed three-plus games with injuries. That total was actually better than his '05 numbers, even though he played two more games his rookie season. He also averaged a respectable 4.2 yards per carry a year ago, which is even more impressive considering the O-line blocking for him. Larry Johnson and Steven Jackson, probably the second- and third-best RBs in the league, averaged 4.2 and 4.3 yards per carry, respectively.

Those numbers paired with significant personnel changes suggest that Brown could finally have his breakout season this year.

New head coach Cam Cameron brings with him an offensive system which Brown could flourish in. In fact, Cameron was the offensive coordinator who called the plays for last year's rushing yardage and touchdown champ -- San Diego Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson. Brown won't be Tomlinson, but only a fool would try to argue that Cameron had nothing to do with L.T.'s success last season. Brown may not be that talented, but he does possess a lot of upside.

Fullback Cory Schlesinger, a 35-year-old-battering ram, will fill the role that Pro Bowler Lorenzo Neal played for Cameron in San Diego. He's a hard-nosed player who could enjoy a fine season after escaping the football Alcatraz known as Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions.

Even though Cameron and Schlesinger will contribute to any success Brown enjoys in '07, the biggest factor could be Green, who knows how to put his running backs in position to score. During his six-year stint as the starting QB for the Kansas City Chiefs, his RBs racked up 145 TDs (24.2 per season), which was tops in the NFL during that period. By comparison, Dolphins RBs had six scores last year. Now, the Chiefs boasted great O-lines and ball carriers during those years, but there is no way they get into the red zone that often without a great quarterback.

If he can stay healthy, Green will get Brown the ball in the red zone.

The offensive line looks as if it could still be an issue, but Cameron and O-line coach Hudson Houck -- who's possibly the very best in the business at what he does -- should have the unit performing at a higher level than a year ago.

Considering that he is older, more experienced and in a better situation, don't be surprised if Brown easily enjoys his best season as a pro in '07.

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