Doug Williams

The state of Michigan had a bad streak between 1997 and 1998. -Barry Sanders retired -The 1997 co-champ Wolverines started the next season 0-2 -The Pistons were lost in a tail spin of losing in the first round of the playoffs. -Joe Dumars retired -The Tigers had a horrible season after finishing the year before within 3 games of .500. -Days after the Stanley Cup several Detroit Red Wings were in a horrific car accident.

Check it, yo...do you really think Saban was better off assuming Ricky was coming back and then basing his draft on that? When did Ricky turn into Mr. Reliable? How do we know how long he'll stick around? He's basically said he's got two 2000 yard seasons left in him. I take that to mean he's only going to play 2, maybe 3 more years. Also, why dont we wait to see what Braylon Edwards and Ronnie Brown do before we condemn Saban. My understanding is that Brown is an excellent receiver out of the backfield, which adds a dimension that we haven't had in years. And I think thats every bit as important as adding a stud receiver. 785723[/snapback] "Yo," as a team picking with the #2 overall pick, you'd like to take a franchise player who will be in your short term plans for winning and long term plans for sustained excellence. With Ricky back (because he won't be going anywhere else, it's here or no where) the #2 pick is wasted. I know that the draft wasn't exactly filled with sure thing players, but I would have much rather seen the pick used on a player who will make a substantial impact next year, with Ricky back in the fold, Brown is now not guaranteed anything (although, in fairness, neither is Ricky). My point, since it seems to have eluded you, is that if you're going to make Ronnie Brown your franchise back, that's fine, but don't use the #2 overall pick on a back to then go out and try to convince the NFL's version of Benedict Arnold to come back to your team. 785733[/snapback] Son I think you need to go study some football. The best defense in football is having your offense on the field, and nothing keeps your offense on the feild longer then a running game. Now Ricky is going to miss the first 4 weeks of the season, you need someone to carry the rock for that time and that is where Ronnie comes in. Who would you have rather taken at number 2? A wr? Great, so then who would we have to run the ball. When you make a team you start with the offensive line and then the running game. If all you have is a passing game you don't go far. Name me a successful offensive team that did not have a running game? The Rams did. The Pats do. Even the Spurrier "run and gun" did. The 9ers had Watters. Look at the successful teams in the NFL, most of them have prominent running games. Now at the time of the draft we did not know Ricky was coming back, and I don't think Sammy Morris was the answer. So even if Saban knew he was going to get Ricky back, so what? Like I said Ricky is completely worthless until week 5. He is under-weight and who knows if he is going to be successful. Right now he is worthless to the Dolphins. If he comes back for the last 10 weeks of the year, puts up decent numbers as a back up, not only does he keep Ronnie's tires fresher for down the road, he increases his trade value so we can then get something for him. Him coming back will not cost us much, infact he owes us money for last year. We are six million under the cap anyway, far more than Ricky is due. So why not take him back? Team chemistry? Which might I say is over-rated. Winning is what makes team chemistry. How many losing teams do you see that have team chemistry? The first day of camp JT and Bowens will take Ricky out back and have a "talk" with him and that will be that. You think come October when Ricky comes back and his running keept JT, Zach and the crew off the field a couple extra minutes in the south Florida heat that they will be mad at him? After going through a 4-12 season I think they will take all the help they can get, after all Ricky did not lose those games, they did. So the number 2 pick was not a waste even if Saban knew Ricky was coming back. When coming into a new franchise that had a nightmare year last year the first thing you want to do is change the mindset into a winning mind set. And obviously you do that by winning games. Now if you want to change a franchise around from day one do you do that by drafting a guy at WR who will touch the ball maybe at most 8 times a game behind Chambers, Boston and McMicheals, or draft and RB who will pound the ball for you 30 times replacing a guy named Sammy Morris? Its not like the Dolphin's passing game is lacking. They do have Chamber, Randy, David and Marty is pretty decent. If Ricky has a successful year next year after he comes back I say the chances are nearly zero he will be a Fin in '06. And if he comes back and is not the same Ricky then he will be the back up and we'll be happy we at least have Brown. And don't say we should have traded the pick, because lord knows they tried.

I wonder who AhuvaBallers is. :lol 709604[/snapback] That would be me, D. W. .