Ronnie Sign Your Tender!

The NFL Draft is down to hours away instead of days.  For Ronnie Brown and the Miami Dolphins, it may be one day and some hours.  Ronnie has yet to sign his tender offer and until he does he can’t be traded.  So I’m asking…no, I’m begging, Ronnie…sign your tender.

I like Ronnie Brown.  In fact, I like him a lot.  I find him to be class on and off the field.  Even despite his recent run in with the wrong side of alcohol.  Ronnie has taken some hits and he has given some, but the truth is, Ronnie is no longer a long term answer in Miami.  Not now and not before the trade rumors surfaced.

Brown is set to become a free agent at the end of this season and the Dolphins will not sign him to a long term deal that will secure him financially.  Not even if he makes it through the whole season unscathed.  See Ronnie is approaching 30 and is in a contract year and is coming off an injury and is…get the picture?

The real reason I want Brown to sign his tender is for Ronnie Brown.

If Ronnie gets injured this year playing for Miami, he will hit the free agent market more tainted than he is now.  He will be like Ladainian Tomlinson who just can’t be relied upon for the full load.  Brown is basically taking a big risk that his body will hold for the season and that he will hit paydirt in the next free agency period.  That likely won’t happen.

By signing his tender now, he will allow himself to be traded and therefore be in a position to negotiate a longer term deal.  Again, something he won’t get from the Dolphins.  This is where his financial security is.  With someone else.  He will either play elsewhere this year or next year.

The obvious question is what kind of compensation he would be worth.  Frankly, Brown is worth at best a 3rd round pick and at worst a low 4th but I would likely say no to anything less than a 3rd.

I know, what the hell am I talking about?  You have to put down the allegiance to Brown and realize that a 2nd is way too much.  Injury prone?  Yes.  Coming off an injury?  Yes.  Contract year?  Yes.  Over 30?  Soon to be.  Impact player?  Not quite.

I know I raised some eyebrows there but in reality Brown is a good runner, not a great one.  Most of his damage in the past 2 years has come in the “Wild Cat” formation and his only Pro-Bowl appearence was also a result of his running in the WC.  He is not a bruising RB but yet he is not a finesse back either.  He dances a little too much and doesn’t hit the hole with immediate force.

Would you pay for that?

Brown has until Friday night to sign his tender as he won’t likely be part of any day 1 trades.