March 6
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The Dolphins are taking a fiscally responsible, but risky approach to retaining their own free agents on the eve of free agency's start. On Wednesday the Dolphins voided the final year of Ronnie Brown's contract and placed a first-round tender on the team's Pro Bowl tailback. According to league sources, the team's decision makers also tendered starting tight end Anthony Fasano at $1.176 million at his original draft position, enticing any team that wants the two-year starter to make an offer in exchange for a second-round pick. Outside linebacker Quentin Moses was also given a one-year, $1,101 million tender for his original draft pick, which was a third-round selection. Opting out of the ..."
February 13
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Ronnie Brown is taking things slowly. Nearly three months after Nov. 20 surgery to repair a Lisfranc fracture in his right foot, the Miami Dolphins running back still isn't jogging and isn't sure when (or even if) he might be able to participate in organized team activities. However, Brown says he is "ahead of schedule" and remains optimistic he will be fully cleared by the start of training camp in another 5 1/2 months. "I know I want to be in training camp," Brown said Saturday morning while volunteering at a Habitat For Humanity building project in Rock Island. "I think that's a goal that's very, very attainable." Brown undergoes daily therapy at the Dolphins' training facility in ..."
November 24
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Tampa Bay strong safety Sabby Piscitelli, a former Boca Raton High standout, feels as badly as anyone about the season-ending injury to Miami Dolphins star Ronnie Brown. That's because it was Piscitelli who fell on Brown's right heel while bringing him to the ground during the Dolphins' 25-23 win on Nov. 15, forcing Brown's first fumble of the year and causing the Lisfranc fracture that required surgery five days later. "You never want to hurt anybody in this game," Piscitelli told the St. Petersburg Times. "I feel bad and I feel for him. He's a great player, and I'm sorry to hear about it. I'm sure he'll bounce back." Of the play itself, Brown said last week during his radio show that "it ..."
November 21
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Running back Ronnie Brown underwent surgery Friday morning to repair a Lisfranc fracture to his right foot and coach Tony Sparano said it "went well.'' Brown stayed in Charlotte to have Dr. Bob Anderson, a renowned foot expert, perform the operation on the foot injury he suffered last Sunday in the team's 25-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "Ronnie was a major part of what we were doing. He had his hands on the ball just as much as our quarterback in a lot of situations, maybe more,'' Sparano said. "There was a big part of our offense that needed to be delegated, and we did it.'' Without Brown as the triggerman to the Wildcat, the Dolphins only ran it three times Thursday, gaining ..."
November 21
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Dave Hyde
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Every so often in this crazy business of writing about athletes and seasons and changing rosters, you get to see the human side. Ricky Williams felt awful as Thursday night turned to Friday morning. He didn't feel physically awful from the final touchdown sprint in the win at Carolina or mentally awful for being asked to pick up this team and carry it to a 5-5 record. This was something else entirely. "What an awful week,'' Williams said. He stood in an emptying locker room, reached into his locker for his cell phone and scrolled through several messages congratulating him on his night until he found the one he wanted to see. "Good stuff,'' Ronnie Brown wrote. This was the week Ricky lost ..."
November 20
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown will undergo surgery Friday morning to repair a Lisfranc fracture to his right foot, according Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland. Brown stayed in Charlotte to have Dr. Bob Anderson, a renowned foot expert based in the city, work on the injury he suffered last Sunday in the team's 25-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It's uncertain how long the recovery time will be, but Donald Thomas, the Dolphins starting right guard, suffered a similar injury and began training four months later. Brown, who has rushed for 677 yards and scored six touchdowns this season, was played on the injured reserve, which means he won't be eligible to return this ..."
November 18
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The Miami Dolphins placed running back Ronnie Brown on injured reserve with a foot injury, ending his season. The Dolphins play the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night. Brown, who accompanied the team on the trip, rushed for 648 yards on a 4.4 average in nine games this season. He was also the triggerman of the Wildcat package and threw a touchdown pass. He was injured Sunday against the Tampa Bay, on a play in which he fumbled. Since Nick Saban drafted Brown with the No. 2 overall pick in 2005, the former Auburn star has played in all 16 games only once -- last season. He has played in 60 of a possible 73 games and, by season's end, it will be 60 of a possible 80. His absence means that ..."
November 18
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown will miss Thursday night's game against the Carolina Panthers, according to coach Tony Sparano. "Ronnie Brown is out for this game," he said. "He will go see a specialist and we'll see. It's more of a foot injury." The Dolphins also could be without several other starters. Tight end Anthony Fasano sat out Tuesday's practice nursing the hip injury that kept him out of Sunday's 25-23 win over Tampa Bay, and while starting left guard Justin Smiley is working on a limited basis, Nate Garner, his replacement in Sunday's game, remains with the starting unit. Smiley, who is nursing a shoulder injury he suffered on Nov. 8th in the loss to the Patriots, sat ..."
November 16
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Watching Ronnie Brown hobble off the field late in the third quarter Sunday, Dolphins veteran Jason Ferguson feared the worst. "No, no, just … no," Ferguson, the big nose tackle, said when asked what went through his mind. Brown probably won't be able to play Thursday at Carolina, but for now it looks as though the Dolphins dodged a bullet with the injury to Brown's right ankle rather than his surgically repaired right knee. The Dolphins' leading rusher left the locker room on crutches after this 25-23 win against Tampa Bay, but Brown was not wearing a protective boot and suggested X-rays were negative. "I don't feel like it's too bad," Brown said. "Hopefully everything works out. I feel ..."
November 16
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Miami Dolphins tailback Ronnie Brown hobbled out of the Dolphins locker room with the assistance of crutches. The Dolphins leading rusher suffered what appears to be a serious right ankle injury during the third quarter of Sunday's 25-23 win over Tampa Bay, but considering his foot wasn't placed in a protective walking boot it's possible Brown just suffered a sprain. At least Brown, who gained 82 yards and scored a touchdown on his 12 carries against Tampa Bay, thinks it's just a sprain. "We did some X-rays and stuff, but I don't feel like it's too bad," said Brown, who suffered the injury while he was being tackled at the end of the 9-yard run that ended with him fumbling. "Hopefully ..."
November 14
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Study, steal, repeat. If you're an NFL coach, that doesn't make you a thief or unique. It's your duty, particularly if your team has a talent deficiency, to investigate any innovation that could give you a better shot to succeed. So what if someone else thought of it first? So Tony Sparano does that, sure. The Dolphins coach does it often enough that he deems himself "a pain in the neck" to his assistants. He watches tape of opponents, sees "all these teams doing a bunch of things," identifies interesting wrinkles that might "marry something that maybe we've done," and pesters his staff with them. But Sparano and his staff have done more than the NFL norm. They haven't merely borrowed a ..."
November 9
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Eighty-six yards to go. 218 ticks left. No timeouts. (Remember that.) One touchdown behind. "As an offensive player that's what you look for," receiver Greg Camarillo said. "An opportunity to come win the game." Instead, they failed to go very far, again looking overwhelmed in a tight spot. The Dolphins managed just one positive play, an acrobatic 20-yard sideline grab by Davone Bess, overcoming pass interference. The other six? --A 2-yard Ronnie Brown rushing loss, even though Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden said, "They kind of surprised us when they ran the ball.""
November 9
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Man, they worked for those seven points. They really worked. It started with the coaches deciding a few weeks back to install an option offense. That took guts. Some players' jaws dropped when told. Then, last week, you should've heard the assistants argue with coach Tony Sparano about using the option against New England. He wasn't for it initially. "They won,'' Sparano said after New England's 27-17 victory. Then came the drive itself to start Sunday's second half. Three players were quarterbacks. The Wildcat, the option and conventional formations were used. The offense huffed, puffed and meticulously worked 66 yards in 16 plays in a 10-minute masterpiece. No penalties. Only one play of ..."
October 9
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Ronnie Brown has a different look this year, Dan Henning says, but it's not the one in his eye. Oh, motivation is part of it, a big part. But conditioning might be an even bigger factor in Brown's No. 3 standing on the NFL rushing list this season. "When I stand behind him the day of the game and he's got those white pants on and I see that powerful engine, I say to myself, 'That guy is ready to go,' " says Henning, the Dolphins' well-traveled offensive coordinator, spreading his hands the width of Brown's waist. " He's worked hard. When we came to camp, he was in better condition. He could run longer. He was stronger. I just knew he was going to be in position to do well this year." ..."
June 14
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Dave Hyde
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There can come a moment if you're living the dream, a hard moment, when you realize it's only a dream. It's not what you thought. That moment came for Ronnie Brown after he asked the Dolphins' video team to assemble his 2008 plays on a disc so he could self-evaluate himself. That tells you something about Brown right there. It tells you he wants to improve. He wants to be a great running back. That's why he sat in his home watching his 2008 season flash by, play after play, game after game, with no announcers talking over the action. No crowd noise. No one else in the room. It was just Brown and the voice in his head that wouldn't go away. "You weren't explosive to the hole on that play …" ..."
May 29
Miami Herald
columnist Armando Salguero
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If the conversation is about the NFL's best active running backs, the names Adrian Peterson, DeAngelo Williams, Clinton Portis and LaDainian Tomlinson have to be mentioned. Ronnie Brown? He was the NFL's 19th-leading rusher a season ago, and his professional résumé includes only one 1,000-yard season, that coming two coaches and seemingly a lifetime ago in 2006. But Brown, 27, who is about to embark on the most important season of his career, already believes his name belongs with the league's elite runners. ''I definitely do,'' Brown said Thursday after the Dolphins finished their latest organized team activities session. ``You got to have confidence on this level and, you know, if I ..."
February 12
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Running back Ronnie Brown was named the winner of the Dolphins' 2008 Ed Block Courage Award, the team announced today. The award is given annually to a player from each NFL team who displays extraordinary courage in the face of adversity. Brown's 2007 season ended after seven games because of an ACL injury. He returned this past year to play in all 16 games as he earned the first Pro Bowl berth of his four-year NFL career. The Dolphins' first-round pick and the second overall selection of the 2005 draft, Brown led the team in rushing in 2008 with 916 yards and 10 touchdowns on 214 attempts, as he became just the second player to lead the Dolphins in rushing in four or more seasons, joining ..."
November 2
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Dave Hyde
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Here are three things that make Ronnie Brown angry, in case you ever wondered if there were any: 1) Dishonesty; 2) Drivers who pull out in front of him and then turn a block later; 3) Disrespectful attitudes. "I've been in restaurants and someone doesn't like how something is cooked, and you hear how they talk to the [waiter]," he said. "There's a way to say there's a problem and be respectful at the same time." But that's it. Yep, that's the entire list of things that make the Dolphins' running back mad in life. Ask if he gets upset at traffic — always a safe bet in South Florida — and Brown says it doesn't really bother him. Ask if there's a TV show he doesn't like and he says, no, that ..."
November 2
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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From where running back Ronnie Brown stands in the Dolphins' offense, one hand washes the other. The Wildcat formation gave the running game a spark earlier in the season, prompting teams to crowd the line of scrimmage. Defenses stacking the box with eight defenders wound up benefiting the passing game, which has risen to sixth in the NFL in yards per game. Now that teams must respect the passing game, Brown is hoping he and Ricky Williams can find a little bit more room to run. "Obviously, I think I need to work on some things. We're not running like we want to," said Brown, who is averaging 3.0 yards on 40 carries in the past three games. While Brown is pointing at himself, coach Tony ..."
October 6
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Ethan J. Skolnick
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Formations don't kill defenses. The players executing them do. Talk all you will about the Wildcat. More impressive: the bull running it. That bull ran wild against the Chargers. "I'm loving it," Ronnie Brown said of the formation, from which he scored again Sunday, giving him six touchdowns on the season. He was still smiling as he left the locker room. His trademark smile may be the reason that many have underestimated his desire. For a guy who was drafted second overall, Brown has sure had his share of doubters. Those doubters have come from inside the organization as well as outside, and from three different coaching regimes. Even Nick Saban, who drafted him, privately questioned his ..."
September 28
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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When the Dolphins host the Chargers next week, two of the game's most productive passers per attempt will be on the field — and they're not quarterbacks named Chad Pennington and Philip Rivers. Trick question? Well, trick plays have dominated Internet message-board discussions since Ronnie Brown's one-game highlight reel against the Patriots last week. Brown accounted for all five Dolphins' touchdowns, including a halfback-option touchdown pass for 19 yards. OK, so Brown is just 1 of 2 as a passer with a touchdown. Even he knows he has a long way to go to catch Chargers running back LaDanian Tomlinson, who has completed 8 of 11 passes for 143 yards with seven touchdowns for a near perfect ..."
September 26
Miami Herald
columnist Armando Salguero
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Ronnie Brown is still the subject of a debate. Some folks still don't think he has lived up to his draft pedigree because he has yet to become the greatest running back in NFL history to wear the name ''Brown'' on his jersey. Others believe he has arrived because, well, he had some good games last year and another good one last week. The debate is admittedly a struggle between extreme views of the same player. And it might surprise you to learn Ronnie Brown is more likely to agree with the skeptics than the admirers. ''I'm pretty tough on myself,'' Brown said this week on the day he was named the AFC's Offensive Player of the Week. ``I know some people don't think I'm where I need to be ..."
September 25
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for five touchdowns in Sunday's 38-13 victory over the Patriots. Brown rushed for 113 yards on 17 carries and scored four touchdowns, including one of 62 yards, the second-longest run of his career. It was his third career run of 60 yards or longer, becoming the first Dolphin to achieve that feat. Brown also threw a 19-yard option touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano, as Brown became just the second player in NFL history to score four touchdowns and throw for another in the same game. The first to do it was Paddy Driscoll, who accomplished it on Oct. 7, 1923 as a member of the Chicago ..."
September 22
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Beaming with pride over Ronnie Brown's five-touchdown performance against the Patriots, an over-exuberant linebacker Channing Crowder called the Dolphins tailback his best friend. The touching moment inspired players on the defensive side to fill the visiting locker room with an "Awwwwww" in unison. Realizing he'd just exhibited vulnerability in a testosterone-filled atmosphere, Crowder, the Dolphins' resident comedian, quickly played into the laughter by screaming across the locker room, "I love you Ronnie. I love you." A heartfelt "I love you too" was immediately sent back Crowder's way."
September 22
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter was right. Finally. New England's novice quarterback Matt Cassel is no Tom Brady and beating the Patriots wasn't that hard. At least not Sunday. Not even the smack-talking, ever-confident Porter could have predicted that a Dolphins team that had lost 20 of its past 21 games, including 11 in a row on the road, would walk into Gillette Stadium on a beautiful September day and emerge with ear-to-ear grins after easily thrashing the mighty but Brady-less Patriots 38-13. Porter said they'd "throw the kitchen sink'' at Cassel, who was making his second NFL start, and they did as the Patriots' NFL-record 21-game regular-season winning streak went down the drain. ..."
September 22
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Dave Hyde
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The surprise began on the forever flight home from Arizona a week ago. Coach Tony Sparano turned to quarterbacks coach David Lee after as embarrassing a loss as their Dolphins could have. "We've got to think of something," Sparano said. That something had quarterback Chad Pennington moving to receiver in Sunday's first quarter against New England. Running back Ronnie Brown shifted to quarterback. Running backs Ricky Williams and Patrick Cobbs were also in out-of-position positions. Suddenly, the lovely sound of confusion came from the Patriots' defense. "Hey, you gotta move over there!" one defender yelled to another. "No, no, go here!" the other said. "No, you take him!" a third voice ..."