Ricky Williams Gets Contract Extension

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After his tumultuous past, I never thought I’d see this day. But so happy are the Miami Dolphins with running back Ricky Williams, they signed him to a one-year contract extension through the 2009-10 season yesterday. Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland said the team wanted to extend Ricky’s deal so he didn’t become a free agent after this season:

“I wasn’t here in the past so I don’t really know if he had a lack of dedication in the past. I mean, I know what I read and I know what circulates in NFL circles. But when we sat down coming here, we said, ‘We’re going to give this guy every benefit of the doubt. And he’s got to show us that he is dedicated.’ And he’s done everything that we’ve asked him to do. And we feel very good about our decision to extend him.”

With RB Ronnie Brown still on the mend from a torn ligament in his right knee, Ricky’s the number one running back on this team (according to the team’s depth chart) with something to prove. And I believe he’s up to the challenge. Ronnie will need sufficient time to heal and Ricky’s recent good play will allow Ronnie to return at a somewhat slower pace. For the preseason, Ricky tied for the team lead in rushing with 29 carries for 123 yards and one touchdown and had two catches for eight yards. But even with a recent thumb injury, Ronnie is not backing down. He had 12 carries for 47 yards and one touchdown against the Saints in last week’s final preseason game. Ricky Williams or Ronnie Brown? Right now it’s all good news for the Dolphins.

Sources: MiamiDolphins.com, Yahoo! Sports, Photo: Newscom