"Ronnie Brown struggled to get through the Dolphins' first practice of fall camp Friday, but it had nothing to do with the broken right foot that caused the running back to miss the final seven games last season.

"Nah, more about the sun," Brown said of the afternoon heat, dropping to one knee in mid-response to catch his breath.

Not that Brown was complaining. The heat was just fine for Brown, who has been anxious to get back on the field since breaking his foot against Tampa Bay on Nov. 15 and undergoing surgery a few days later.

Brown was enjoying his best year in five NFL seasons when he was injured while trying to make a tackle against the Bucs.

"I try not to think about the foot," Brown said. "It's one of those things that happens. Trying to get over it ... trying to get it out of (my) mind."

Brown hoped that a breakout 2009 season would translate into a multiyear contract offer from the Dolphins, but the injury foiled that plan. Instead, the team offered Brown a one-year deal worth $3.97 million. Brown revealed Friday that he recently signed the contract.

At 29, Brown will have to prove he's capable of surviving an entire season in order to cash in next year. He's played in only 60 of a possible 80 games and has played a full season only once. Brown, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, has topped 1,000 yards in a season just once - 1,008 yards in 2006 - mostly because of injuries and sharing time with Ricky Williams."