NFL Rumors: Is Ronnie Brown a Good Fit with the St. Louis Rams?

The St. Louis Rams have been attempting to find a backup running back for workhorse Steven Jackson since the lockout ended. Ronnie Brown is the front-runner to fill that void after his name was linked to the team late last week. Brown has played all six years of his career with the Miami Dolphins.

Jim Thomas of stltoday.com updated the possibility over the weekend:

"

After a hectic Friday in which the Rams agreed to terms with four veteran free agents, the St. Louis Rams haven't put down the phone on Saturday.

The team is expanding its search for a backup running back behind Pro Bowler Steven Jackson. The Rams are talking with Miami running back Ronnie Brown. They are believed also to be talking with Indianapolis running back Joseph Addai. Atlanta's Jason Snelling remains on the radar as well.

"

Since that blog was posted, Addai was re-signed by the Indianapolis Colts, while Snelling is rumored to be leaning toward the New York Giants. That leaves Brown as the sole survivor, and although things can always change, it looks like he'll be joining the Rams sometime this week.

Brown is coming off the least productive season of his career, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and 7.3 yards per reception. These stats could point to Brown losing some explosiveness after more than 1,300 touches in his career.

The Dolphins have obviously seen something in Brown that led them to decide they would rather draft a running back (Daniel Thomas) than bring back the 29-year-old veteran.

If Brown does migrate north to St. Louis, he will be the clear No. 2 behind Jackson. Jackson has received at least 230 carries in six straight years and more than 320 carries three times over that span. Despite the heavy workload, he has never missed more than four games in any season during his seven-year career.

That said, Jackson's usage could decrease to about 220 carries with the arrival of Brown. That would allow Jackson to stay fresh while leaving about 130 to 140 carries for the Auburn University product.

For fantasy purposes, Jackson would likely gain about 950 yards and score the majority of the rushing touchdowns for the Rams. He would still be the go-to back on third down as well and should total at least 40 catches.

As for Brown, his fantasy relevance would take a pretty big hit. He would become a case of being more valuable to the Rams than to a fantasy squad. He could end up gaining about 650 total yards while chipping in four or five touchdowns.