On Location: Miami Dolphins Training Camp: Part II

By David Kaye, NFL Draft Bible

Offensive mastermind and first-year head coach Cam Cameron enters the 2007 season with four extremely talented and explosive running backs who are all qualified to be starters in the National Football League.

The current starter, Ronnie Brown, has been mediocre at best in his first two seasons, Jesse Chatman has not seen game action in two years, but has been effective in camp, rookie Lorenzo Booker brings a resume from Florida State and Patrick Cobbs rushed for 1,154 yards last season at North Texas.

The impression I received from Cam Cameron’s press conference Sunday is that he’s not completely sold on Brown’s ability and will look to feature more of the backups in prominent roles throughout the course of the season.

‘’Ronnie Brown is an ascending player who needs to keep on improving. That’s not what many people want to hear, but that’s the reality,’’ said Cameron. ‘’He’s a young back in terms of carrying the ball with experience. (We) need to give him a chance to develop. The evaluation of Ronnie Brown is far from over, far from over.’’

If Brown is supposed to play an integral part of the Dolphins offense and be their dependable running back who can be counted on in key situations, why would Cameron insist on continuing to give him a chance? Hasn’t the second overall pick in the 2005 draft had a chance to progress and mature over the past two seasons?

It comes a time when a player with that much ability and talent needs to elevate his game to the next level and be regarded as an elite back in the league. To score only nine rushing touchdowns in 28 games is inexcusable and it makes me think if he really is the answer for the Dolphins.

‘’You need at least two good backs in this system. We’re building some depth at that position and that’s exciting,’’ said Cameron. The practical solution in Miami will be to have Brown stay as the starting running back, but it’s very unlikely that he will distinguish himself as a star in this league.