Ronnie Brown still has interest in returning to Miami

In what could be viewed as nothing more than an attempt to drum up a little market for himself, running back Ronnie Brown told Jeff Darlington recently that he would still be willing to return to the Dolphins even after the team invested a second round pick in Daniel Thomas.

About being a mentor and teammate of the rookie running back from Kansas State, Brown told Darlington, "I’m open to that. I think he said he has some work to do as far as learning the running back position. It’s going to be tougher for him because of this lockout. He’s going to have a lot of things to pick up fast. It takes a lot more than just athletic ability to be successful and make this transition."

Ronnie cited his personal experience as a rookie coming into the league and how his relationship with Ricky Williams benefited him.

Many thought Ronnie was as good as gone once we learned that the Dolphins purposely kept his carries limited down the stretch to prevent Brown from earning a $500,000 incentive that would have been triggered if he had gained about 20 more yards on the season. But Brown says that is no longer an issue.

I don’t think that’s going to affect my negotiations process. I had a chance to talk to my running backs coach, and we talked through it, Brown told Darlington. "It would have been great to get that incentive...But I’m realistic. The football profession is bigger than just having fun. There’s a business aspect, and their ultimate goal is to make money."

Now I'm as big a Ronnie fan as there is anywhere. But I don't know if Ronnie is an ideal fit to come back. We know that DeAngelo Williams will likely be on Miami's wish list if he's an unrestricted free agent. If Miami can't land him, you have to figure a scat back like Darren Sproles or Ahmad Bradshaw would make the most sense to pair with Thomas.

To me, Brown and Thomas are too similar in their styles to be an ideal duo. So that makes me wonder if bringing Ronnie back would be a good idea?

Perhaps as a last resort, it would make sense. But I see a few players on the market who would make better complements to Daniel Thomas than Ronnie Brown.