Dolphins sign RB Williams to one-year extension

Aug 31, 2008 - 9:58 PM DAVIE, Florida (Ticker) -- Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams signed a one-year contract extension on Sunday.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Speaking publicly for the first time in months, Miami general manager Jeff Ireland was more than willing to praise the talented, yet controversial star.

"You guys see it out there, we see it out there; he's done an excellent job in the weight room, in the meeting rooms," Ireland said. "He's come out there, he's jumped out at us on tape, he looks good in the preseason.

"Everything we've seen since we got here - and it was zero-zero when we got here, Tony (Sparano) said that in the first press conference - he's done everything we've asked him to do. He's a player that's shown he can play; he showed us that he can play so we didn't want him to make the free agent market."

The 31-year-old running back who failed the league's substance abuse test five times and sent a perennially winning franchise into a spiral is being looked upon to improve a team which finished 1-15 last season.

Speaking of last year, Williams carried the ball six times for 15 yards and fumbled before tearing a chest muscle against the Pittsburgh Steelers, ultimately ending his campaign.

This year, the former Heisman Trophy winner was to be paired with Ronnie Brown in the backfield, which provided some reason for hope in South Florida.

But it's the past that plagues Williams, including being suspended for the entire 2006 season after violating the league's substance abuse policy for the fourth time. Previous positive tests were for marijuana, which Williams acknowledged using.

Known for his interesting and complex nature off the field, Williams has rushed for 7,112 yards in seven seasons since being picked fifth overall by the New Orleans Saints in 1999. The Saints traded eight picks to the Washington Redskins for the right to select the former Heisman Trophy winner.