In a season that has been out of the ordinary for Eagles running back Ronnie Brown, Sunday afternoon's game in SunLife Stadium will provide Brown with some familiarity. After the Dolphins selected him with the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, Brown played six seasons with the Dolphins, rushing for 4,815 yards, third on the franchise's all-time list.
So how will Brown feel about returning to his old stomping grounds?
"I just look at it as I've moved on and I was able to get this experience here," he said on Eagles Nightly. "It was a great experience while I was in Miami, I enjoyed it and I was appreciative that they drafted me and the things that I was able to do there. Besides that, it's just another football game. I'm an Eagle now, let's go out and win this game."
One of the toughest adjustments for Brown has been the decrease in touches he's seen compared to his days in Miami. With the Dolphins, Brown averaged 188 carries a season, topping 200 carries four times in six seasons. Despite playing in all 12 games this season, Brown is only on pace to finish the season with 25 carries.
"The preparation process, obviously when you're going in and you're not getting actual reps, you're getting mental reps, I think that's the tough part about it because when you get thrown in you have to sort of adjust on the run and get a feel for things as you go in," he said. "That's different, but besides that it hasn't been too much different, coming in and doing what I'm supposed to do and doing things the right way, just trying to be a professional."
But, Brown added that he's fine with his relative lack of carries because of what LeSean McCoy is doing with the ball in his hands.
"I've really enjoyed playing with Shady, the way he comes to work to prepares himself and he's always an upbeat guy. He's ready to compete but he's ready to learn at the same time. He enjoys the game of football, he comes in and he takes it seriously," Brown said. "He's always trying to find a way to get better. I think the sky's the limit for him and in his ability to read blocks and set up blocks, plus his vision and he's fast."
As for for how much Brown can contribute to the gameplan this week against his former team, the running back said that he's not too familiar with the current iteration of the Dolphins offense, as Dolphins offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is in his first season on the job. But Brown did provide a brief scouting report on a defense that has allowed only 10.8 points per game over their last five games.
"I'm kind of familiar with those guys and the way they kind of play things and the way they play certain techniques," he said. "Just don't take these guys lightly because they're a very talented football team and they go out and compete and that's one of the things they take pride in. With (head) coach (Tony) Sparano, that's what he really prides hisself on, making sure his team competes and they do that, especially on the defensive side of the ball."
