Ronnie

Brown

It appears the two sides have agreed on length- five years. The Dolphins would love to get him in camp after their second preseason game this weekend.

As holdouts go, this one wasn’t costly. Brown still has enough time to play three preseason games. Brown will still carry the load in Miami to open the season. He could lose 5-10 touches a game when Ricky Williams returns - if Williams is still on the roster.

No official word on the terms of the agreement yet. It’s believed to be a five-year contract with guaranteed money around $19.5 million.

Sammie Morris saw the brunt of the carries for the starting unit. He’ll share the reps with Ricky Williams.

''I think we’ve made a good offer,’' Saban said. ``We’ve put our best foot forward to try to get the guy here. We’re trying to make a good situation for any player but also we have to be conscious about the future of the organization in terms of what we do with a pick this high. So I think that’s been handled well organizationally.’'

It pays to be a rookie. Veterans like Edgerrin James and Shaun Alexander couldn’t dream of earning that much guaranteed money. This should help push Cedric Benson in camp.

The Dolphins are juggling their offensive line, trying to find the right mix. Brown should be a top-five PPR back in 2006.

It’s a good fit for both teams. Harrison played well as Shady McCoy’s backup in Philly last season, and the Lions were desperate for a bigger back to pair with a brittle Jahvid Best. Brown will likely handle inside runs and short-yardage work once he gets up to speed in Scott Linehan’s shot-gun heavy offense. He’ll have more open spaces to operate in Detroit. We suspect Maurice Morris will remain the primary ball carrier for this week’s game against the Falcons.

Birkett expects Ronnie Brown to be active if Best sits out, but it may take him a week or two to carve out a more substantial role. Birkett also believes Brown will only have a major impact this year if Best’s concussion issues are worse than the Lions have let on. “Jahvid’s still the guy,” says Birkett.

So one day after being sent to the Lions for Harrison and a 2013 seventh-round pick, Brown will remain an Eagle while Harrison stays in Detroit. It’s a blow for the Lions, who were seeking a bigger back than Harrison to fill in while Jahvid Best is sidelined with a concussion. Brown now goes back to waiver-wire fodder in fantasy leagues, while it’s unclear whom might fill in for Best this weekend. Keiland Williams and Maurice Morris shared first-team practice reps Wednesday. Harrison was a (supposedly) healthy scratch in Week 6.