Peyton Hillis

[ToughJ.Riggins]

i just hope a team gives Hillis a legitimate shot to carry the ball this year. any team in the league ... but it doesn't look like Denver will be that team, which doesn't make any sense at all.

The sick thing is that Denver is the perfect system for Hillis. Hillis looked like arguably the best back in the entire league his last two games started (5.9 and 7.3 YPC w/ a TD in each- one that he would have gone all the way from 60 yards). Best case scenario is that Hillis will evenly split carries with another back like Knowshon this year.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Just heard that Denver cut Selvin Young

This is good news for Hillis I guess, but Denver still has a ridiculous amount of guys (no clue why they brought so many in as FAs) some idiotic journalist recently said Hillis may even have to battle for a roster spot.

 

[dwid]

I would hate to see Hillis blocking for Moreno, ridiculous to think that there is a strong possibility that the lead blocker would be faster than the guy he is blocking for

 

[white is right]

Just heard that Denver cut Selvin Young

This is good news for Hillis I guess, but Denver still has a ridiculous amount of guys (no clue why they brought so many in as FAs) some idiotic journalist recently said Hillis may even have to battle for a roster spot.

What drunk came up with that brilliant idea? I'm still not sure Moreno can handle the pounding of a 16 game season. He is only 210. I think Hillis could still get prime Alstott type numbers. I would just hate for the new coach to have a myopic view on Hillis and his abilities.Though I am prepared for Chucky II. The sequel could be just as deflating....

Edited by: white is right

 

[Don Wassall]

The best scenario is for Hillis to be a backfield fixture at FB with Moreno the featured back, and then for Moreno to "lack durability," i.e. the same scenario that played out last season for the Broncos at running back. On the NFL Network they were worrying that Moreno was going to get injured in the NFL because of his running style, in which hewill launchhimself into the air recklessly and otherwise often has his body in vulnerable positions.

 

[green fire317]

didnt moreno and hillis have the same 40 times?

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Hillis actually ran a 4.58 from all the early reports I read after the Combine. Lots of sites still list Hillis's time as 4.58, but a few (like NFLdraftscout) have put it at 4.64. Moreno ran an official 4.63- I believe- according to the NFL network. I think both Moreno and Hillis ran 4.58s at their Pro Days.

Truly both should be used as tailbacks for ideal effect. Hillis should be used like Brandon Jacobs and then Moreno could play a Derek Ward/ MJD type role.Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[Don Wassall]

Just heard that Denver cut Selvin Young

Ryan Torain may be the next domino to fall. From Rotoworld:


Broncos RB Ryan Torain (ACL surgery) has not participated at voluntary minicamps. Torain is just under six months removed from his ACL tear and on the roster bubble. If Denver is going to keep him, he'll likely begin the year on PUP.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


And not that it means anything at this point, but:


The complexity of the Denver Broncos' offense is confounding Knowshon Moreno.


``Running around like my head's cut off,'' he said.


Don't worry, rookie. You're far from alone.


New coach Josh McDaniels' intricate offense is making many heads spin as players try to tackle the terminology. The Broncos received a small sampling of what's in store as they finished a three-day voluntary minicamp Sunday.


The errors were abundant over the three days - just as McDaniels expected.


``They're going to make mistakes for a little while,'' he said. ``That's what these practices are for, to get those kinks out and hopefully come to training camp and not have to iron them all out.''


For Moreno, it was an eye-opening minicamp. He came away with the realization that he needs to bury himself in the books.


``You've got to really study, you've got to be in the playbook at night when you get home, even though it's late,'' said Moreno, who was taken with the 12th pick in last weekend's draft. ``It's tough.''


http://www.rtsports.com/football-news/0800039041

 

[green fire317]

they need to get rid of torain.

 

[white is right]

Just heard that Denver cut Selvin Young

Ryan Torain may be the next domino to fall.  From Rotoworld:


Broncos RB Ryan Torain (ACL surgery) has not participated at voluntary minicamps. Torain is just under six months removed from his ACL tear and on the roster bubble. If Denver is going to keep him, he'll likely begin the year on PUP.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


And not that it means anything at this point, but:


The complexity of the Denver Broncos' offense is confounding Knowshon Moreno.


``Running around like my head's cut off,'' he said.


Don't worry, rookie. You're far from alone.


New coach Josh McDaniels' intricate offense is making many heads spin as players try to tackle the terminology. The Broncos received a small sampling of what's in store as they finished a three-day voluntary minicamp Sunday.


The errors were abundant over the three days - just as McDaniels expected.


``They're going to make mistakes for a little while,'' he said. ``That's what these practices are for, to get those kinks out and hopefully come to training camp and not have to iron them all out.''


For Moreno, it was an eye-opening minicamp. He came away with the realization that he needs to bury himself in the books.


``You've got to really study, you've got to be in the playbook at night when you get home, even though it's late,'' said Moreno, who was taken with the 12th pick in last weekend's draft. ``It's tough.''


http://www.rtsports.com/football-news/0800039041

What did Moreno score on his Wonderlic test? I suspect not too high...

 

[Van_Slyke_CF]

I just hope the Broncos keep cutting tailbacks and give Peyton Hillis a lot of carries next year to prove once and for all how much of a talented running back he really is.

 

[backrow]

they just signed Darius Walker, some other scrub...

 

[Thrashen]

I watched Darius Walker alot while he was at Notre Dame. He's a pretty good reciever out of the backfield...but runs the ball like a sissy-boy and is way too slow and small.

Basically, if Walker were white, he would have never played RB at Notre Dame (or maybe even in HS). He's the buffoon who declared early for the NFL draft and went undrafted.

McDaniels is really loading the Brocos with winners. First he signed used-up backs like Buckhalter, and nobodies like JJ Arrington. Then he drafts Moreno, one of the slowest (40 speed) RBs ever taken in the first round.

Not to mention he lost Cutler, and tried to trade Scheffler...who's probably the most athletic TE in the NFL.Edited by: Thrashen

 

[Don Wassall]

This article on the Broncos running game assumes that Hillis will get a fair number of carries, that it won't be Moreno being the workhorse. What's nice to see is the comments below the article, with the fans agreeing and many envisioning a topnotch RBBC featuring Moreno and Hillis. Hillis showed enough before his freak injury that he's going to be hard for even a dedicated Caste coach to bury, and the verdict is still out on McDaniels though his early personnel moves don't inspire confidence. Hillis not only made the offense noticeably better when he was the featured back,Denver's terribledefense was on the field less and was more effective as well.

http://www.milehighreport.com/2009/5/25/886196/running-game-2009

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Great news that the fans like Peyton Hillis Don. But now there is more good news! According to Draftdaddy.com:

The Denver Broncos released recently signed veteran running back J.J. Arrington after he failed his physical.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4210832

I never wish for any RB to have a serious injury and hopefully this is just minor with Arrington. But just maybe- with all these freak things happening- the man upstairs is simply tired of seeing white RBs get screwed. They are being screwed by the cultural Marxist liars who perpetuate the myth that only blacks are good athletes. These stereotypes must be abolished for the races to fully respect each other!

 

[green fire317]

now that arrigton is gone who does denver have left at running back?Edited by: green fire317

 

[StarWars]

I think Moreno and Hillis are the go-to-guys as of now. Hillis should get some good reps in at both halfback and fullback. It is a good thing that the fans are behind him. He should be a power HB in a rotation or a starter but at least he will play. And there is always the possibility that Moreno will stink it up and the fans will cry for Hillis. I hope that is the case. I would love to see Hillis in at HB a lot and averaage over 4 ypc and get 800 to 1000 yards.

 

[White Power]

Agreed Hillis running the football against the Jets on national tv made every white fan watching the game think that they were watching the 2nd coming of John Riggans. That's who Hillis reminds most DWF that have watched him run the football. If Hillis can have a career like Riggans I'll take it in a heartbeat.

 

[Don Wassall]

Check out this brazen lie about Hillis from an article on SI's website today:




Dissecting the depth chart: First, let's remember that Denver went through all of its backs last season thanks to injuries and poor luck. By the end of the year the equipment manager was getting four or five touches a game. This year's cast of ball carriers includes Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, Peyton Hillis and Selvin Young. Denver is deep, to be sure, but none of the above mentioned players has the total package that Moreno brings to the table. Jordan and Buckhalter have a lot of tread on their tires, while neither Hillis nor Young showed last year that they could be a full-time feature back. Moreno will have an opportunity to compete, and fantasy owners should expect he'll exit camp with the starting job.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/fantasy/06/05/knowshon.moreno/
Edited by: Don Wassall

 

[White Power]

Don we all know the worship that the white media has to engage in just to be called legitimate in the eyes of the DWF. Hillis can be a feature back, and a damn good one. However for the sports writer to blatantly say that Hillis should be the starting tail back would be for him to commit journalistic suicide. I know it's sad, but it is what it is unfortunately. Hillis will prove if given the oppurtunity that he is the best back out of the bunch leaving his head coach with no choice except to either play him or trade him either option would be fine by me. Mc Daniels I'm afraid does not have the resume as a head coach to play Peyton at tail back so a trade could be likely.

 

[celticdb15]

<DIV id=article->
courtesy of draft daddy

In baseball, an elite prospect is called a "five-tool" player, due to his versatility, willingness to play other positions, and ability to do all of those things very well.


With two of their last three picks in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos were able to obtain two such players in fullbacks Peyton Hillis is and Spencer Larsen.


Hillis came from the Arkansas Razorbacks in the seventh round of last year's draft, and was selected with the pick obtained from Tampa Bay in the Jake Plummer trade.


When the season began, Hillis was penciled in as the starting fullback, although Denver did not use their fullback in a traditional way.


Starting three games at both running back and fullback, Hillis led the Broncos in rushing with 343 rushing yards, 5.0 yards per carry, and tied for the team lead with six total touchdowns(five rushing, one receiving).


While many may not see his numbers as gawdy or even that significant, Hillis was the team's seventh string and essentially last resort running back.


In only his second start as the Broncos' tailback in week 13, Hillis became the first player to rush for over 100 yards against the New York Jets all season long, earning Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week and FedEx Ground Player of the Week honors.


When the Broncos signed and drafted five new running backs this offseason, Hillis' future appeared to be in some kind of doubt.


Head Coach Josh McDaniels erased that doubt addressing Hillis at the team's offseason activities earlier in the week, by saying that the second year player has lined up as running back, fullback, tight end, and even wide receiver in the new Broncos' offense.


"We're gonna use every skill he has," McDaniels said. "He's kind of like Tony [Scheffler] and Daniel [Graham]: Whatever they can do well, we're going to do it as much as we can do it with them, and he does a lot of things well."


"He can run the ball out of a single back formation, he can certainly catch the ball out of the backfield, he can block in two back sets, you [the press] saw him split out wide all over the place," McDaniels said.


"He's got great hands and a good feel for the passing game. He's a very tough runner to bring down when you give him the ball," McDaniels said, "He'll do a lot of different things for us. Expect him to play a good role in our offense."


With such high praise coming from a brilliant offensive minded coach, as well as the praise he received from former head coach Mike Shanahan, it is a wonder Hillis fell to the Broncos in the seventh round of the NFL Draft.


Likewise, Denver feels it has a gem of a player as well as a person in fullback Spencer Larsen.


Larsen came to the Broncos in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft out of Arizona, and figured to be a special teams "ace" for this team right away.


Little did he know what was to come of his rookie season in the NFL.


For the Broncos in 2008, Larsen started games at both linebacker and fullback, as well as both kick team units, and he even became the first player in Denver Broncos history to start a game at linebacker, fullback, and kickoff team.


Larsen's versatility does not come easy.


"Yeah, you know, just coming in and learning two [systems], I have a lot of information on my plate right now," Larsen said. "As you can imagine, two new systems on offense and defense, I'm just trying to get a grasp on them and learn both of them."


So what is a typical "day at the office" for a guy who plays offense, defense, and special teams?


"Well, I come here and I go to the linebackers meeting, and then I spend some time with the running backs," Larsen said, "[Running Backs] coach [Bobby] Turner has been great, Just helping me out when they can, and they give me just as much information as they think I can handle.


Then, at home with myself I just pick up one book and get as much as I can out of it," Larsen said. "Then I pick up another one and get as much as I can out of it, and go like that, day in and day out."


Outside of the Broncos organization, and possibly some avid fantasy football fans, these two players are relatively unknown, which is unjustified.


When the Broncos celebrate 50 years of football this season, no players will represent the good ole' days better than Hillis and Larsen.Edited by: celticdb15

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Check out this brazen lie about Hillis from an article on SI's website today:
<div> </div>
<div>


Dissecting the depth chart: First, let's remember that Denver went through all of its backs last season thanks to injuries and poor luck. By the end of the year the equipment manager was getting four or five touches a game. This year's cast of ball carriers includes Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, Peyton Hillis and Selvin Young. Denver is deep, to be sure, but none of the above mentioned players has the total package that Moreno brings to the table. Jordan and Buckhalter have a lot of tread on their tires, while neither Hillis nor Young showed last year that they could be a full-time feature back. Moreno will have an opportunity to compete, and fantasy owners should expect he'll exit camp with the starting job.
<div>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/fantasy/06/05/knowshon.moreno/
<div></div></div></div>

Any fan who saw Hillis play (especially his last 2 games out of his 3 1/2 started at tailback)- who doesn't have peanut butter for brains- should be wondering if SI was even watching the same Bronco's team.
The bottom line is- if Hillis doesn't see "AT LEAST" 200 carries next season (if he stays healthy) he has become the next unfortunate white victim of discrimination whose on field play means nothing due to his melanin deficiency.

If Hillis gets 200 carries next season with the way he was playing last year I predict a 1,000 yard rushing season. You heard it right here!

 

[whiteathlete33]

How did Hills not show he could be a full time feature back? He had a few good games in the limited amount of time he received but like always he will be considered a "fullback" by the DWF's. Even faster players like Leonard are considered "fullbacks" by the DWF's.

 

[green fire317]

wasnt he on pace to get 200 yards in the game he got hurt in?

 

[backrow]

another article on Hillis from Denver Post. what's real encouraging are that all of the comments i've read under this piece are very much in his favor, fans absolutely love him!

Mr. Versatility: Broncos' Hillis
Fullback catching coach's eye as runner, blocker, receiver
By Jim Armstrong
The Denver Post
Posted: 06/09/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT


Second-year pro Peyton Hillis has been strong on offense and special teams. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)What, you think Waldo is hard to find? Try tracking down Peyton Hillis at the Broncos' offseason passing camp.

One minute, he's split wide, a la Dallas Clark. The next minute, he's tangling with linebackers as a fullback in two-back formations. And when he finishes that drill, he swings over to tailback in single-back sets.

Oh, and did we mention he's all the rage on special teams? Or that he believes, in his heart of hearts, that he could play linebacker on Sunday afternoons?

Hillis isn't the Broncos' most valuable player, but, with apologies to fullback/linebacker Spencer Larsen, he may well be their most versatile.

So, Peyton, are you a fullback, a tailback or a receiver? Or are you a man for all seasons?

"I don't really know what I am at this point," Hillis said. "I think they're just filling me into different roles to see what I can do. They really haven't come up to me and said, 'You're this or you're that.' They're just kind of putting me in as a piece to the puzzle and seeing what happens."
Most running backs who spent time in the Broncos' backfield, circa 2008, have moved on â€" Selvin Young, Andre Hall, Tatum Bell and Michael Pittman among them. But Hillis remains, and new coach Josh McDaniels likes what he sees. The challenge is to figure out where to use him.

"We're going to use every skill he has," McDaniels said. "He does a lot of things well. He can run the ball as a single back or he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He can block in two-back sets or he can split out wide. He's got great hands and he's a very tough runner to bring down when you give him the ball. So he'll do a lot of different things for us.

"As we tell our players, they all create their own roles. And he's certainly done a good job of taking what we're giving him and doing it very well."

For all the new faces and endless possibilities in the Broncos' backfield, this much is certain: McDaniels didn't use the 12th pick in the draft on

Know-shon Moreno so Moreno could be a backup. He figures to emerge as the starting tailback, with Hillis joining him at fullback in two-back sets.
But what if Moreno gets hurt? Given what happened last season, it's a question that has to be asked.

You remember last season. Hillis began the year as the starting fullback, but, after an injury epidemic in the backfield, he wound up the No. 1 tailback. He led the team with 343 yards rushing, including 129 against the Jets, before a torn hamstring ended his season after 13 games.

By that point, Hillis had become something of a cult hero in Denver. Talk about your unlikely success stories. Who knew a 255-pound fullback drafted in the seventh round would average 5 yards a carry as the Broncos' starting tailback?

"It was exciting," Hillis said. "Last year proved that anything can happen in this league. I had a tough career in college. When I came to the NFL, I was just trying to make the team. If it never happens again, at least I proved that I can run with the best, that I can play ball. That's what means the most to me."

Hillis has dropped down to a chiseled 245 pounds, but it doesn't figure to get him a lot of playing time at tailback â€" not with Moreno and two other newcomers, Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan, on the roster. Doesn't matter, says Hillis. He has come to enjoy this multitasking thing.

"It's all about how I can help the team," he said. "I want people to see I can do a variety of roles, not just tailback. Slot me out, dot me in the I (formation), put me on special teams. . . . Wherever they put me, I'll be happy. As far as my athletic ability, I can pretty much do it all. You can put me at linebacker and I'll do a good job."

Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com

<center>* * * </center>

i like the fact that he dropped down to 245 lbs, should help his explosiveness!

Edited by: backrow