Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

In Arizona, wide receiver Bryant Johnson was the team’s third option behind Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. In free agency, he was seeking to become any other team’s second receiver. And he accomplished just that today by signing a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers where he’ll most likely start opposite Isaac Bruce. Add do-it-all RB (and leading receiver) Frank Gore plus receivers Darrell Jackson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle to the mix, and the 49ers have a ton of offensive potential. Of course, the key word here is potential. Darrell and Ashley were disappointments in ‘07, but Arnaz (who might just “battle” for one of the top two spots) more than held his own with 50 catches for 600 yards and five TDs.

So, the 49ers haven’t exactly assembled a dream team of available free agents, but they sure have upgraded last year’s promising roster. I spoke with TE Vernon Davis just a couple weeks ago and he was excited about the offensive improvements at that point — new OC Mike Martz, Isaac, RB DeShaun Foster and OL Justin Smiley. I think the Niners have met their wide receiver needs (they also have speedy Jason Hill who was hurt for much of last season) and can now focus on other positions in the Draft — unless, of course, they get a tremendous opportunity with the 29th pick in the first round.

I think the most interesting part of this upcoming season for San Francisco will be the quarterback competition between Alex Smith and Shaun Hill. Alex was drafted to be the face of this team, but he’s in serious danger of losing his starting spot without being injured in the process. In fact, my money is on Shaun Hill coming into camp ready to lead this team. Last season Shaun completed almost 70% of his passes in three games. He had five TDs with only one INT and a 101.3 quarterback rating. He’ll be entering his seventh NFL season (with NFL Europe experience) and could be primed for a breakout season with the additional weapons around him.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Bryant Johnson Agrees to Terms With 49ers

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

By the time Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown walks into training camp this summer, he might think he’s in the wrong place. So much has changed in South Florida, it’s hard to recognize the 1-15 Dolphins. And that’s a good thing. There’s nothing like a nearly winless season to inspire change.

One of the few bright spots for the Dolphins in 2007 was the development of Ronnie Brown. Though his season ended after seven games with a torn ACL (trying to make a tackle after an interception, no less), Ronnie’s string of four consecutive 100-yard games had proven what Miami Dolphins brass strongly suspected when they selected him with the second overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft — that he was the real deal. At six feet and 232 pounds, Ronnie’s built like a brick wall. And his ridiculous 40-time at the ‘05 NFL Scouting Combine wasn’t a fluke. The guy can move with the football in his hands. Factor in his pass catching ability and you’ve got all the makings of a workhorse, every-down back that 29 other teams wish they would’ve traded-up to get.

How good was Ronnie’s 2007 season before he messed up his knee trying to run down New England Patriots CB Randall Gay after an interception? He was leading the entire NFL in yards from scrimmage. But at the time of the injury, he wasn’t sure how serious it was or if or how long it would sideline him. His questions would soon be answered with bad news, though. “It felt a little weird and then once I actually went off the field, the doc told me he thought it was my ACL,” Ronnie explained. “Later on when I was in the shower and then also when I was trying to ice it, it felt weak and unstable. At that point, I kinda thought maybe it was a little more serious than I originally imagined.”

And that’s the worst feeling for an NFL player — the reality of an injury that prevents you from doing your job. Which, for some players, could lead to not having one. But Ronnie had surgery right away and after a period of rest, he’s been improving rapidly. “I’m four months out of surgery and everything seems to be going really well,” Ronnie said. “I’m actually running and doing some things on the field that I’m excited about after being cooped-up for so long. But I’m just excited about the upcoming season and I’m trying to get back and hopefully pick up where I left off last season.”

Where he left off was among the best in the NFL at his position. In six and a half games, Ronnie had piled up 602 yards on 119 carries. Yeah, that’s 5.1 yards per carry. It was sickening to see his promising season end so early, but always the consummate professional, he kept a positive attitude and was ready to deal with the challenge. “At that point, I felt pretty good about my conditioning and health,” Ronnie admitted. “I think EAS supplements have been a big advantage for me. I have a great opportunity working with EAS to hopefully help myself come back faster than I might normally if I wasn’t using the products.”

Ronnie’s regimen includes his favorite Phosphagen Elite™ (a flavored creatine powder that acts as a buffer against the lactic acid that limits exercise power); Athlete’s Defense™ multi-vitamins (designed to support an athlete’s immune system by increasing antioxidant defenses); and Myoplex® shakes for workout recovery. “I think they all play a big part in my being able to come back,” he said.

When he does come back, he’ll see what appears to be a brand new team. The Dolphins have been extremely active so far in free agency, adding OL Justin Smiley (49ers), DT Randy Starks (Titans), LB Reggie Torbor (Giants), WR Ernest Wilford (Jags), TE Sean Ryan (Jets) and former Cowboys DT Jason Ferguson via a trade. Plus they’ve hired a new head coach in Tony Sparano. And NFL living legend Bill Parcells was hired as the Director of Football Ops. “I was excited about Bill Parcells for the simple fact that everyone knows the things he’s done with other programs,” Ronnie said. “As far as him coming into Miami, I think it’s something we needed as an organization and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to a change and looking forward to us turning things around.”

As far as seeing so many new faces in the locker room, Ronnie admitted to feeling a little uncertain. “It’s a little weird,” he said. “In college, everything pretty much stays the same. I’m working on my fourth year in the NFL now and it’s a little different here, but everyone knows it’s part of the game and changes do happen. It’s one of the things you just have to work with and overcome and hopefully we can add some key guys and everything can come together as an organization and get this headed in the direction it’s supposed to go.”

In this current NFL, a team can completely turn their misfortunes into fortunes. Sometimes in just one season. And Ronnie feels the Dolphins are a prime candidate to do just that despite their previous one-win season. “We have a great opportunity here with the pieces we already have and the people that have been brought into the organization,” he said. “If we can continue to do the things we’ve done to improve over the past few months, I think we’ve got a good chance to be a pretty good team this year.”

This was the second consecutive year I interviewed Ronnie from the “EAS Experience” at the Arnold Sports Festival Expo and the fourth time overall. Visit Ronnie online at RonnieBrown23.com or his Team EAS page.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

EMQB Interview: Ronnie Brown