Quite recently, the Miami Dolphins’ running game was considered vibrant, cutting-edge and borderline dominant.

The Wildcat unleashed all sorts of possibilities for Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in 2008. They were an envied backfield tandem. Brown went to the Pro Bowl.

In 2009, with Brown battling injuries, Williams rushed for over 1,100 yards. The Dolphins tied for the NFL lead with 22 rushing touchdowns. They ranked fourth in run offense and eighth in average yards per carry.

Perceptions swung 180 degrees last year. The Dolphins went from a model of rushing excellence to anemic. They ranked 11th in carries, but 21st in yards. Their average carry plummeted 0.7 yards to a measly 3.7. Only the Cincinnati Bengals were worse.

What in the world happened?

A combination of inconsistent offensive line play, creeping age and lack of an offensive identity were to blame. Now, the two running backs many Dolfans thought could run for 1,000 yards apiece in the same season are free agents who might not be wanted anymore.

Before the draft, Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano told reporters at the NFL owners’ meeting in New Orleans he thought Brown and Williams were fine last year.

“I honestly thought both players played well for us,” Sparano said. “I really did. I said it during the season, I didn’t have a problem with how either guy played.”

Even with All-Pro left tackle Jake Long in place and the reliable Vernon Carey at right tackle, Sparano cited the offensive line’s inability to bust holes into the defense’s second level as a serious problem.

ESPN Stats & Information came up with data to back that sentiment. The Dolphins ranked fifth in runs up the middle with 247 attempts, but their average tied for 27th at 3.5 yards. Of their runs up the middle, they scored a touchdown on only 2 percent (tied for 24th) and gained a first down on only 18.6 percent (26th).

No wonder they drafted Florida center Mike Pouncey with the 15th overall pick. The Dolphins also traded up to make Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas their second-round pick, adding him to a depth chart that also includes Lex Hilliard and Kory Sheets, who’s coming off an Achilles injury.

But back to the offensive line for a moment. The Dolphins have been plagued by Sparano’s seemingly uncontrollable tinkering on the interior. Pouncey should become the Dolphins’ fourth starting center in as many seasons. At guard, they’ve shuffled through draft picks, waiver claims and street free agents. Sparano, an old offensive line coach himself, fired his first O-line assistant after just one season.

That’s a significant reason why Brown went from hip to a blip. He’s an now NFL afterthought at 29 years old.

NFL.com senior analyst and former New York Jets executive Pat Kirwan recently rated Brown 31st among all running backs and trending down from there. Kirwan wrote: “Teams seeking a backup for 10 carries and a Wildcat role should value Brown.”

ESPN.com’s fantasy football crew rated Brown the 45th-best running back.

Williams, 34, has a worse outlook. Kirwan didn’t list him at all. In fact, three other Williamses did make the chart, and one of them was Arizona Cardinals rookie Ryan Williams. On the fantasy rankings, Ricky Williams was the 53rd running back.

At the end of last season, Williams took a couple of swipes at Sparano’s penchant for micromanaging. But on Wednesday, Williams tweeted “I’d love nothing more than to finish my career winning a Super Bowl with the Dolphins, but that’s gonna take some cooperation from others.”

“Cooperation,” in this case, almost certainly is synonymous with “lovely contract.”

Maybe Williams’ change of heart has to do with Brian Daboll replacing Dan Henning as offensive coordinator. Daboll oversaw an impressive Cleveland Browns run game that featured Peyton Hillis.

Sparano has said Miami still will emphasize the run under Daboll.

“We’re going to continue to run the football because that’s my nature,” Sparano said. “That might not be popular with everybody, but that’s what I like to do. So we’re going to continue to run the football.”

And they will — with or without Brown and Williams, running backs who were trendy a year ago, but aren’t considered to be much of anything anymore.

When the Miami Dolphins took running back Daniel Thomas in the second round of the NFL draft, it was an indication that the team views Thomas as its running back of the future — and maybe of the present, if Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams don’t return.

But after three years as a backup running back in Miami, Lex Hilliard thinks it’s time people consider him as part of the mix.

“I’ve got to go out and grab it,” Hilliard told Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. “I’ve been privileged to learn behind Ricky and Ronnie, Patrick [Cobbs], even learn the fullback position playing behind [Lousaka Polite]. Given the opportunity I’m going to put my best foot forward and give this thing a run, give it the best shot I got [aiming for] the starting position. That’s what I want.”

Given the way the Dolphins’ coaches used Hilliard last season, it doesn’t seem like they see him as someone they want with the ball in his hands: He played in all 16 games but never had a single carry and caught just one pass for three yards.

But Hilliard is excited about what he can do in the system that new Dolphins offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is planning to install. Playing in Daboll’s system in Cleveland last year, Peyton Hillis went from an afterthought to a star, and Hilliard has a similar running style to Hillis.

Of course, if the Dolphins thought Hilliard could have a similar impact to Hillis, they wouldn’t have drafted Thomas.

Even though Lex Hilliard plays a position where speed and power are often the traits that lead to success, the Miami Dolphins’ tailback has learned that a dose of patience is a necessary ingredient when charting your course in the NFL.

“Patience is a great virtue to have,” said Hilliard, a sixth-round pick in 2008. “Ricky (Williams) is always telling me be patient, trust your eyes.”

Hilliard realizes patience doesn’t just provide running lanes an opportunity to open up. This former Montana standout is hoping the time he’s invested as a backup with the Dolphins the past three seasons, and his grueling offseason training, will help him earn the Dolphins’ starting tailback spot now that the position appears open.

Because of the lockout Hilliard and Kory Sheets are presently the only tailbacks on the Dolphins roster. But coach Tony Sparano admitted earlier this offseason he has no idea if either can be featured backs in the NFL.

“I feel really comfortable with Lex,” is the strongest endorsement Sparano’s given Hilliard, who averaged 3.9 yards on 23 carries, caught 20 passes for 158 yards, and scored three touchdowns in 2009 when pressed into duty after Ronnie Brown’s season-ending foot injury.

That tease was a respectable showing for the former practice squad member. But when the Dolphins’ running game struggled last year, averaging a dismal 3.7 yards per carry with Brown and Williams as the featured rushers, Hilliard wasn’t given a single carry.

He was strictly used on special teams, and in a backup fullback role, where at time he outperformed Lousaka Polite as a lead blocker. His time as a ball carrier never came.

In hindsight Hilliard admits getting overlooked was a disappointment, but it wasn’t defeating. Neither was the Dolphins’ selection of Kansas State tailback Daniel Thomas in the second round of April’s draft, nor the expectation that this regime will either add another veteran tailback through free agency, if not re-sign Brown or Williams.

None of those setbacks, or competitors added has stopped Hilliard from being inspired by the opportunity that’s in front of him. He views this offseason as his time to establish himself in the NFL as more than a reserve.

“I’ve got to go out and grab it,” Hilliard said. “I’ve been privileged to learn behind Ricky and Ronnie, Patrick (Cobbs), even learn the fullback position playing behind Lou. Given the opportunity I’m going to put my best foot forward and give this thing a run, give it the best shot I got [aiming for] the starting position. That’s what I want.”

Last year Brian Daboll, the Dolphins’ new offensive coordinator, turned Peyton Hillis, a physical one-cut runner like Hilliard, into Cleveland’s featured back, who rushed for 1,177 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. That breakout performance landed Hillis the cover of EA Sport’s 2012 Madden game, and helped Daboll get his new job.

Hillis was selected one round, and 23 spots behind Hilliard. So Hilliard, who concluded his college career with 4,016 rushing yards on 806 carries (5.0 avg.) and scored 52 touchdowns, can’t help but push himself this offseason with the goal of inspiring Daboll to repeat that feat.

During the lockout Hilliard has been working out with teammates and a trainer at a nearby LA Fitness. He’s been participating in the player-only workouts at Nova Southeastern University for months, learning Daboll’s offense. And he’s also been doing Mixed Martial Arts training, which is the new fad amongst NFL players.

Two years ago the Dolphins incorporated kickboxing and martial arts into their offseason program. As a result there’s a handful of Dolphins doing that type of training during the lockout. Hilliard said his “cage fighting workouts” have been great for his conditioning.

“When I first went in there I was gassed. We had six three minutes rounds [in the cage] and I could barely make it through,” he said. “Now I tackle those six three minute rounds with no problems. Now we’re moving onto 10 rounds. It’s fun. We learn the first minute and the rest of the two minutes it’s hardcore fighting.”

That’s just what Hilliard believes he needs to prepare him for the biggest fight of his career.

okelly@tribune.com Follow him at twitter.com/omarkelly.

The lockout will end eventually.  When it does, every team will have a number of items to check off on their to-do list.   Without much else to write about, we’ll take a crack at each team’s post-lockout priorities.

Up now: The Miami Dolphins

1. Pair a running back with Daniel Thomas.

The Dolphins plan to use Thomas, their second round pick, in tandem with a running back to be named later.  With only Lex Hilliard and Kory Sheets behind Thomas, Miami may add two running backs to the roster.

There has been a lot of DeAngelo Williams speculation, but will the Dolphins pay top dollar when they just gave up so many picks for Thomas?  Ronnie Brown could return if he doesn’t get a better deal elsewhere.

It makes more sense for Miami to target third-down back types. They could be darkhorses for Reggie Bush or Darren Sproles.  Jason Snelling might be a nice, versatile fit.

2. Find competition for Chad Henne.

The Dolphins are talking up Henne as the likely starter, but they have to bring in another veteran.  The question is how good that veteran will be.  We think they make sense as suitors for Kyle Orton or Vince Young, if Carson Palmer isn’t available.  It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Miami aim lower with someone like Billy Volek or Rex Grossman.

3. Quickly establish offensive identity.

The lockout hurts new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s ability to implement his system.  Based on Tony Sparano’s words this offseason, the Dolphins may double up on their ground and pound approach.  Perhaps simplifying things in a shortened offseason won’t be that bad for them.

4. Find depth at guard.

Grabbing Mike Pouncey will help the interior offensive line, but this team still needs more competition at guard.

5. Pick up depth at outside linebacker.

We only listed offensive positions on Miami’s team needs before the draft, and that’s basically all they selected.  Now that we look at the depth chart, it’s worth noting they are very thin at outside linebacker.  Only three players are sure to be back.

By Greg Stoda

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

DAVIE — It smacked of desperation.

The Dolphins were stuck, and then un-stuck themselves Friday at what appears to be considerable cost.

They traded third-, fifth- and seventh-round picks in the 2011 NFL Draft to the Washington Redskins to choose Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas in the second round.

And, yes, Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallet, once apparently under consideration by Miami as a first-round pick, was available.

No quarrel there, though, because Mallett – selected by New England in Round 3 – obviously slipped on every team’s board.

But should the Dolphins have risked spending three picks for one? Can they afford to have done so?

It’s possible that the Dolphins recognized it wasn’t going to be about what they did or didn’t do through the first three rounds as much as it was going to be about what they couldn’t do.

It’s possible Miami recognized it couldn’t push back against the biggest bully in its own AFC East neighborhood without making a move.

Because at one point, New England – the Patriots still rank as a nastier bunch than the recently rejuvenated New York Jets – was positioned to make four selections before the Dolphins made two.

How would that have been for rubbing it in?

But is Thomas worth it? Even with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams soon to become unrestricted free agents?

The Dolphins chose Florida guard/center Mike Pouncey with their first-round pick, and wouldn’t have had another turn at the podium until the third round without making the trade.

Miami had given up this year’s second-round pick as part of the deal in which they acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall from Denver last April. The fact that the verdict remains out on that trade is yet another startling bit of information from the Dolphins’ perspective.

New England, meanwhile, stockpiled early selections … and grabbed Mallett in the third round, too, by the way.

The rich get richer?

The mediocre stay mediocre?

There’s no telling, of course.

The NFL Draft is an inexact science, even to those football scientists for whom study of the exasperating exercise is a life’s work. Anyone attempting to say who among Pouncey, Thomas and anybody the Patriots chose in the first three rounds will have the best career is just guessing.

New England quarterback god Tom Brady, it’s worth remembering, was a sixth-round pick once upon a time

But it’s nevertheless difficult to ignore how many holes the Dolphins need to fix, and how they gave up several tools they might have used to try to fix them during the Thursday and Friday night shopfests.

The Dolphins now face pressure to do excellent work in the remaining rounds. They hold single picks in the fourth and sixth rounds and two choices in the seventh round.

It can happen, and Miami’s own roster is proof.

They got defensive tackle Paul Soliai in the fourth round four years ago.

They got wide receiver Brian Hartline in the fourth round two years ago.

They got safety Chris Clemons in the fifth round of the same draft.

They got safety Yeremiah Bell in the sixth round in 2003.

For now, though, Miami’s worksheet consists of Pouncey, who’ll join Jake Long and Vernon Carey as first-round picks on the offensive line, and Thomas.

If it helps to have a sense of humor about the Dolphins’ prospects, Pouncey, at least, seems to have a comedic bent.

His impression of Miami coach Tony Sparano?

“I think all Italians are born angry,” Pouncey said. “I’m looking to be coached hard.”

On being a minute older than his twin brother, Maurkice, who was a star center for Pittsburgh last year as a rookie?

“I can’t tell him that,” Pouncey said. “Because any time I say I’m older, he says he forced me out to see if everything was clear out there.”

Funny.

But giving up three picks to get Thomas isn’t.

“It makes me want to show they didn’t make a mistake trading up to get me,” Thomas said.

It also makes any debate about Mallett moot.

AP

Tony Sparano’s Dolphins can’t seem to put it all together.   Their running game dominated in 2009, but the defense collapsed. Their running game fell apart in 2010, while the defense played well.  Both seasons finished at 7-9.

The constant on those teams: A mediocre passing game which lacks big plays.  Miami is up next in our team needs series.

G/C:  Sparano is a former offensive line coach, so the failure of this group is damning.  Starters at center and right guard could both be replaced as Miami was pushed around way too often last year for a “smashmouth” team.  Florida guard/center Mike Pouncey could be a consideration in the first round.

RB: Sparano says the Dolphins will remain a run-first team.  At this point, they have no legitimate options on the roster with Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown headed for free agency.  It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Miami doesn’t draft a running back in the first three rounds.   If they draft a third-down type, they’ll have to find their starter in free agency.

QB: The team’s lack of a second round pick really hurts here.  Miami may basically have to decide between choosing a quarterback to develop for the future or a running back that can impact the team right away. Chad Henne remains the favorite to start, and we suspect his competition will be a veteran, not a first-round rookie.

TE: Just call this need “playmaker.”  They could use speed at tight end or wide receiver.

DL: They are very deep here, but need to plan ahead.  Nose tackle Paul Soliai is on a one year deal.  Defensive ends Kendall Langford and Phillip Merling are free agents after 2011.  Tony McDaniel, an effective sub, is a free agent.  A run-stuffer would make some sense if the value was right.

Overview:  Other than safety, this group is deep with talent on defense.  The offense needs more speed at the skill positions, but they may have to find it in free agency.

With an emerging young defense and some cornerstones on offense (Jake Long, Brandon Marshall), Miami isn’t that far behind the Patriots and Jets if they can somehow improve their quarterback play.

Unfortunately, they’ve been trying to do that since Dan Marino retired.

Let’s see if I have this right: The only NFL team over the past decade to expend three first-round draft picks on running backs is the popular choice of mock drafts to use a fourth top pick on one?

On what planet does this make sense?

Doesn’t anyone listen to the great historians say those who don’t study history are bound to keep missing the playoffs and drafting running backs in the first round?

Surely, the Dolphins’ front office sees the obvious problem here. Surely, they’re smarter than a bunch of mock drafters, who at this time of year are a scourge on the earth, like locusts or fantasy-league baseball players.

Surely, the Dolphins won’t draft Alabama running back Mark Ingram at No. 15, which is far different than saying they couldn’t use him. They don’t have one starting-caliber running back right now. They need two to play in today’s NFL.

So the issue isn’t Ingram. The issue is if a running back is the best play with the 15th overall pick.

In a word?

No.

In two?

James Starks.

He was the Packers’ sixth-round rookie who started for the Super Bowl champs by year’s end after the two running backs ahead of him got hurt. But don’t just take that one example of the risk of injury and the small difference between NFL-quality backs.

Here are three more examples: Houston’s Arian Foster, Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles and Atlanta’s Michael Turner. They were the leading rushers in the league last year. Foster wasn’t drafted. Charles was a third- and Turner a fifth-round pick.

That’s not enough evidence? Well, the New England Patriots’ leading rushers last year were both undrafted: BenJarvus Green-Ellis (1,008 yards) and Danny Woodhead (547).

Sooner or later, everyone has to realize the value of a running back isn’t what it was in your daddy’s NFL. Hopefully, the Dolphins realize it sooner.

Dave Wannstedt traded the Dolphins’ No. 1 picks in 2002 and 2003 for Ricky Williams. Nick Saban used the second pick overall in 2005 to take Ronnie Brown.

You could go crazy asking how a team that needed a quarterback kept using its top picks on running backs.

This isn’t a knock on Williams or Brown. Both were very good to, in Ricky’s case, great at times. So the issue isn’t about evaluating them so much as evaluating the evaluators who took them. And wondering what’s next.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper says Ingram is a “good fit” for the Dolphins at No. 15. Sports Illustrated’s Don Banks says Ingram is reminiscent of a “young Emmitt Smith.”

On and on goes the mock draft with Ingram.

The New York Jets showed a more pragmatic model to find a running back tandem. They drafted Shonn Greene in the third round, then added veteran LaDainian Tomlimson. That was enough.

Why not go that route? Veteran free-agent DeAngelo Williams has talked about coming to the Dolphins. Then use the third-round pick on one of a stable of runners to complement him.

And the first pick? They have to look at quarterback. If General Manager Jeff Ireland thinks Ryan Mallett or Christian Ponder is a franchise quarterback, he has to make one of them the pick no matter the pressure to win now. As this franchise has shown, everything’s pointless without one.

If Ireland isn’t sold, then a guard like Mike Pouncey looks like a better choice than a running back. He’ll last longer. He’ll play every down. On an interior line with expensive misses, it’s time to find a long-term answer.

Plus, look at the way the NFL is going. Three defensive tackles are slated to be taken before the Dolphins pick. Why? Because more teams are finding the way to pressure quarterbacks up the middle. Which puts guards at a premium.

No matter what, running backs aren’t a premium in today’s NFL. The only thing stranger than using three No. 1 picks in the last decade on running backs would be using a fourth.

dhyde@tribune.com

The Miami Dolphins are up next in SB Nation’s 2011 NFL mock draft picking 15th. Their needs range from quarterback to interior offensive line to receiver to running back. They can make a case for any of those positions and SB Nation’s The Phinsider has opted for running back picking Alabama’s Mark Ingram.

I’m definitely not a huge fan of first round running backs but they’re potentially losing Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to free agency so there’s a significant hole. There’s not a sure-fire quarterback at the 15th spot, and it seems a little high for a guard or a center. The top two receivers are off the board and the next one may not go until late in the first round. 

That leaves running back, which makes sense from that perspective. SB Nation’s Mocking The Draft notes that it’s possible a quarterback comes off the board here.

This would also be a spot to watch for quarterbacks Jake Locker or Christian Ponder coming off the board. It’s early for both, but it wouldn’t be a surprise.

It wouldn’t be a major surprise but I don’t expect it at this point. That said, if you’re going to reach for a position, it’s probably quarterback.

For the full explanation of the pick, check out Mocking The Draft. 

15. Miami Dolphins- Mark Ingram, Alabama Crimson Tide

As our NFL mock draft rolls on, we arrive at the fifteenth overal pick for the Miami Dolphins. Miami had a bit of a disappointing season with a 7-9 record, especially since only two of their wins came in front of their home crowd at the newly made Sun Life Stadium. The Dolphins are in a spot where the most talented players for the positions they need are either already taken or will probably still be around in later rounds, so the best option the ‘Phins have is running back Mark Ingram from Alabama. 

According to DraftTek.com’s team needs matrix the biggest needs for Miami are QB and WR, but seeing that the best first round options at both of those postions are already taken, I figure the next best thing the Dolphins can do is shore up their running game with a pro-ready player like the Heisman Award winning Ingram. Ingram is not going to burn you with his speed, but his low center of gravity and hard-knock running style will compliment Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams very well, that is if either are brought back as free agents. If they aren’t the Dolphins will still have a decent running game with Ingram at the helm. 

Here’s what ESPN’s Todd McShay had to say about Ingram and the Dolphins:

The Dolphins need to upgrade their interior offensive line but there isn’t a guard or center worth drafting this high. [Ingram] is the kind of back who could give Miami a huge boost in the running game, even as part of the rotation. The Dolphins could then look for a quarterback and interior offensive lineman in the next two rounds. 

The need for talent can not go unnoticed by the Dolphins with this pick, and for what they need and where they’re drafting, Ingram is the best and most logical choice for them here. I see Ingram becoming a Frank Gore like workhorse for Miami, and hopefully they do too. 

I’ve fought the Mark Ingram selection for long enough, pointing out that every mock draft which has the Miami Dolphins selecting the Alabama tailback in the first-round was lazy.

But the truth is….that pick fits like a glove. That’s what I learned after spending three days trying to make this selection for The NFL Network’s On The Beat Mock.

I involved you guys and we broke it down to Ingram or Florida’s Mike Pouncey. The reason I went with Ingram is because I believe he has a greater change of becoming a dynamic player, a Pro Bowl caliber player than Pouncey does. Ingram has a higher draft grade than Pouncey, and if you stick to the take the best player available approach this selection simply fits.

I’m not thrilled with it, but I’m comfortable with Ingram. If my name is on it I’ve got to be comfortable with it, and I’m pretty sure General Manager Jeff Ireland feels the same way. If you don’t have a conviction one way or the other go with the highest rated guy.

Here’s what I submitted to the NFL Network folks.

“Hi, I’m Omar Kelly from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. With the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select Alabama running back Mark Ingram.”

Why will the team pick Ingram? 

The Dolphins would like to trade down to pick up a second-round pick, but if they can’t find a partner General Manager Jeff Ireland and coach Tony Sparano will stick with their select the best player approach. Ingram is the top rated tailbacks in a deep class, and he clearly fits a team need because both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are free agents. It came down to Ingram or Florida center/guard Mike Pouncey, and I went with Ingram because I don’t view Pouncey as an elite draft prospect. He’s good, but he’s not his brother, Maurkice Pouncey, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie with the Steelers.

What needs do the Dolphins have?

The Dolphins need to add a quarterback who can push Chad Henne for the starting spot (and that player might be a veteran), a tailback or two, a seam threat tight end like Arkansas’ D.J. Williams and a receiver who has sub. 4.5 speed that can stretch the field, a nose tackle to develop, and the Dolphins must find help at the interior line spots (center or guard).

Would it be a reach to draft Ingram here?

It would indeed be a reach to draft Ingram at No. 15 because the Dolphins prefer the tailback-by-committee approach. That means Ingram will share snaps with another back, probably a draftee or a free agent. This regime would prefer to select two running backs in the later rounds, but at 15 they are trying to get the best value. Ingram’s also the type of player this regime can sell to the fan base, and at this point the Dolphins need all the help they can get in the marketing department.

Have you heard anything specific coming from the team or around the team to why they might target Ingram?

The team’s front office figures sat down with Ingram earlier this week, going over film and getting to know him. The Dolphins plan to add a tailback through free agency (DeAngelo Williams, Darren Sproles) or the draft, and Tony Sparano specifically said he’s looking for a scatback type who can take a screen pass and turn it into a touchdown. Ingram showed a little of that during his Heisman Trophy winning season in 2009.

How will Ingram fit into the team? Could there be any more roster changes as a result of this pick?

Ingram could/should become an immediate starter, which is what ever team wants from their first round pick. If given a workload that features 250 touches Ingram should be able to contribute 1,000 all-purpose yards. With a tailback in hand the Dolphins can use the rest of their draft picks to fill the team’s other needs.

Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said Tuesday that his team needs to add a running back to upgrade an offense that finished second to last in scoring in the AFC last season.

Such an addition likely will come from the outside. That’s because although running backs Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams could re-sign with the team after becoming unrestricted free agents, both probably won’t be in Dolphins uniforms this season.

Brown led Miami in rushing last season with 734 yards but averaged just 3.7 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns. Although Williams had a better average at 4.2 yards per carry, he gained only 673 yards and scored just two touchdowns.

“It’s going to be a position we’re going to have to address one way or another,” Sparano said Tuesday after the NFL owners meetings concluded. “You need two guys because it’s such a physical position. Ideally, you’d like them to complement each other and be a little different. In a perfect world, one guy would be a big, downhill runner and the other would be a speedy runner who can catch the ball off of the backfield.”

Sparano said he’s also like to see more stability on the offensive line, which featured multiple combinations last season.

“That’s something I’d prefer to avoid,” he said. “We need guys to settle in and not have questions about what we want to do because we’re not satisfied with the level of play.”

An improved running game should make it easier for the Dolphins to pass downfield, which is another of Sparano’s priorities.

“Where we haven’t done it is down the field with big plays,” he said of the passing game. “We need to advance the ball down the field better. That’s something we’ve been working on this season.”

He said creativity and speed will be instrumental toward accomplishing that. Creativity will fall on new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, the former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator hired to replace Dan Henning.

The speed part of the equation could come from second-year player Marlon Moore, an undrafted free agent that Sparano says “might be the fastest guy we have.”

He said the Dolphins will continue to run the football “becuase that’s my nature.”

“That might not be popular with everybody but that’s what I like to do,” he said. “When it comes time to open some things up, I think we’ll be able to do some more things and challenge them. I think we’re going to be a little more vertical.”

Johnny Depp returns for his fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film this summer, but the world-famous movie star is far more interested in Dolphins than Buccaneers when it comes to his football passions.

“I’m a huge fan,” said Depp, who lived in South Florida and attended Miramar High long before the NFL franchise moved to its current stadium just down the road and across the county line.

The 47-year-old Hollywood star has the No. 1 movie in America this week with the animated feature “Rango” and recently bought a 17th century palazzo in Venice to go with his villa in south of France and the island he owns in the Bahamas. But during a recent Los Angeles visit he sounded like a sports-radio caller dialing in from Pompano with aqua-and-orange angst.

“I was down there just before Christmas; I went to a Dolphins game,” Depp moaned during a recent interview with a Los Angeles Times reporter who also grew up in Miramar. “Just like you, I watched them get trounced. I remember it painfully well.”

Despite his presence, the Miami Dolphins fell to the Buffalo Bills, 17-14 on Dec. 19.

Depp was hungry for information about the Dolphins backfield, where Ronnie Brown and/or Ricky Williams may be leaving the squad and breaking up one of the premier tandems in the AFC. “What are we going to do? Do you think they’ll keep Ronnie? Is Ricky gone? Man, if they lose both…the two together was as close to, like, Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris as we’ve had, just in quality.”

Depp, who was born in Kentucky but spent a meaningful chunk of his youth in Miramar, didn’t get much time to wander around his old stomping grounds during his fleeting visit as a football tourist. He saw enough to know that, like sandcastles on the beach, the Broward landscape is in constant flux and barely resembles his memories from the 1970s and early 1980s.

“I was in the vicinity of Miramar and it looked different, just real different in every way,” Depp said. He laughed at the notion that that he was being interviewed by a 1987 graduate of Miramar High – a school that Depp dropped out of earlier in the decade so he could pursue a music career with his band The Kids. That rock ‘n’ roll dream led to Los Angeles and, eventually, Hollywood superstardom.

“Nobody, nobody, is from Miramar, let alone Miramar High. It’s like this other land that we thought existed.”

If you live in west Miramar, you just might have a special connection to the actor who has played Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Donnie Brasco and, now, a bug-eyed cartoon lizard named Rango.

“I remember when Miramar started pushing west and pushing west,” Depp said. “I guess they keep doing that. I used to work construction down there and I built a bunch of those houses, you know, I worked on those places as they pushed west.”

Johnny Depp returns for his fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film this summer, but the world-famous movie star is far more interested in Dolphins than Buccaneers when it comes to his football passions.

“I’m a huge fan,” said Depp, who lived in South Florida and attended Miramar High long before the NFL franchise moved to its current stadium just down the road and across the county line.

The 47-year-old Hollywood star has the No. 1 movie in America this week with the animated feature “Rango” and recently bought a 17th century palazzo in Venice to go with his villa in south of France and the island he owns in the Bahamas. But during a recent Los Angeles visit he sounded like a sports-radio caller dialing in from Pompano with aqua-and-orange angst.

“I was down there just before Christmas; I went to a Dolphins game,” Depp moaned during a recent interview with a Los Angeles Times reporter who also grew up in Miramar. “Just like you, I watched them get trounced. I remember it painfully well.”

Despite his presence, the Miami Dolphins fell to the Buffalo Bills, 17-14 on Dec. 19.

Depp was hungry for information about the Dolphins backfield, where Ronnie Brown and/or Ricky Williams may be leaving the squad and breaking up one of the premier tandems in the AFC. “What are we going to do? Do you think they’ll keep Ronnie? Is Ricky gone? Man, if they lose both…the two together was as close to, like, Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris as we’ve had, just in quality.”

Depp, who was born in Kentucky but spent a meaningful chunk of his youth in Miramar, didn’t get much time to wander around his old stomping grounds during his fleeting visit as a football tourist. He saw enough to know that, like sandcastles on the beach, the Broward landscape is in constant flux and barely resembles his memories from the 1970s and early 1980s.

“I was in the vicinity of Miramar and it looked different, just real different in every way,” Depp said. He laughed at the notion that that he was being interviewed by a 1987 graduate of Miramar High – a school that Depp dropped out of earlier in the decade so he could pursue a music career with his band The Kids. That rock ‘n’ roll dream led to Los Angeles and, eventually, Hollywood superstardom.

“Nobody, nobody, is from Miramar, let alone Miramar High. It’s like this other land that we thought existed.”

If you live in west Miramar, you just might have a special connection to the actor who has played Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Donnie Brasco and, now, a bug-eyed cartoon lizard named Rango.

“I remember when Miramar started pushing west and pushing west,” Depp said. “I guess they keep doing that. I used to work construction down there and I built a bunch of those houses, you know, I worked on those places as they pushed west.”

Read More: Miami Dolphins

Last week, the Jake Locker to Miami campaign began to gain some traction. SB Nation tied the two together for the first time I’d seen in its 2011 NFL mock draft, using the Miami Dolphin’s deficiencies at the quarterback spot as the reasoning. It made sense, and Locker would fit well in the Dolphin’s system while getting an early opportunity to make an impact.

A week later, SB Nation is standing by the Locker to Miami pick, locking him in as the Dolphin’s choice at No. 16 in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Dolphins have just one pick in the first two rounds and with Chad Henne merely being used as a stop-gap, it’s likely the Dolphins snatch a quarterback midway through the first round.

Chad Henne remains Miami’s starter, but rather than being the club’s long-term answer, he’s now merely the bridge between 2011 and whenever a rookie can take over. Minus a second-round pick, the Dolphins may very well reach a little for a high-upside QB like Locker in Round 1.

At the very least, Locker will have a season to develop, which many scouts agree he needs. Locker showed improvement at the NFL Combine, quieting a bit of the buzz about his lack of accuracy and footwork. His athleticism is off the charts, making him a good fit for a Dolphin’s offense that makes liberal use of the wildcat while putting the ball in its playmakers’ hands.

Could a backfield of Ronnie Brown and Jake Locker be a possibility? It would be an intriguing fit, and appears to be realistic enough.

For more on Locker and the draft, check out our 2011 NFL mock draft StoryStream.