Peyton Hillis

[dwid]

what would it mean for Leonard if Hillis gets a contract? I guess if i had to choose, i'd want Hillis to get a shot since he's younger and already had a great season once, proving he can get the job done. but under current regime in TB? doubtful at best.

It would mean one would block for the other who was running like I used to do in Madden back when I had an xbox.

hah, seriously, unless this guy is trying to create a new Dunn/Alstott, I doubt it means much. He would have to choose between 2 of his "fullbacks" unless he decides one can play te, or of an h-back (like they wanted to do with Hillis way back in the day, and I think he could play similar to a Dallas Clark type role in which he had his last few years), I am guessing he would go with Leonard who he is more familiar with, but I'd like Hillis to get on a roster (and not just because I stupidly decided to trade Jamaal Charles for him last year in fantasy). If any injuries were to happen, Hillis is the more proven, although I think Leonard could do it too. DWFS just like seeing Hillis more because he has a more bruising style that runs people over. People like the Leonard leap but Hillis can do that too. I hate when teams stack up with White talent at one position knowing many won't get playing time, but at this point Hillis just needs to get back in the league, play his role. Apparently last year for the Chiefs was not good enough to redeem himself.

People will speak of fumbles if Hillis ever did wind up with a shot again, but did anyone know this, the "great" Eric Dickerson had 49 fumbles in his first 4 seasons, which is what he is known for, thats around 12 per season, although it is skewed because one season was "only" 10 when he didn't play all 16 games. His high was 14 fumbles.

although, thinking about it, there could be something going on with Doug Martin, maybe they are worried about contract issues, not sure of his contract status. Get both of those guys, let it be like the Gehart situation, give them a few carries here and there. Then if Martin wants to moan and not participate next year because of a contract dispute just tell him that they will "give the ball to the White boys and be fine", which would be a bluff. It worked with AP, he couldn't find a way to stop fumbling, 18 in the 2 seasons before Gerhart, then it drops to like 1 or 2 after.

 

[white lightning]

It's official now. I really hope they give Peyton a fair amount of time to run the ball. He can be a very valuable asset if he remains healthy. They could make a push for the playoffs if they have any kind of aerial game with three good running backs. Time of possesion wins football games again and again. With our luck though(toby gerhart as one example), Doug Martin will get 95% of the carries. I hope I'm wrong. Give the ball to Peyton and get the hell out of the way! It's about time a team finally came to their senses.

 

[Budmademewizer]

Looks like Hillis is officially a Buc now.Unless Martin gets injured this is a bad fit for Peyton,then again the Hillis curse has worked a few times already so maybe it will work out.

Martin is a good young back and probably cemented a starting spot after last years great rookie performance.Hillis is going to be lucky to get some 3rd and short or goal-line work and may not even get that unless Martin needs a break.Even after Martin won the starting spot last year people expected Blount to get the short yardage and goal-line carries but Martin did good in those situations and is a good receiver also.I hate to say it but i think Hillis is screwed in Tampa unless injuries help him get some play time.I also hate to think that this is going to make Brian Leonard even less likely to get any carries.

Two quick questions for anybody that may know the answers.Does Tampa even use a fullback anymore?What is the veteran minimum that Hillis signed for?

 

[backrow]

they used Eric Lorig as a hybrid h-back and blocking fullback at times.

not sure what i think of this... fans may come to love him the way they did love Alstott if he's given half a chance and performs well

i guess it's better than nothing!

Stephen Holder @HolderStephen
The #Bucs are going to give Peyton Hillis a chance at running back and fullback, I'm told. Versatile pickup.

Greg Auman @gregauman
With signing of Peyton Hillis today, Bucs announce they've cut former Temple running back Matt Brown ...

 

[jaxvid]

they used Eric Lorig as a hybrid h-back and blocking fullback at times.

not sure what i think of this... fans may come to love him the way they did love Alstott if he's given half a chance and performs well

i guess it's better than nothing!

Stephen Holder @HolderStephen
The #Bucs are going to give Peyton Hillis a chance at running back and fullback, I'm told. Versatile pickup.

Greg Auman @gregauman
With signing of Peyton Hillis today, Bucs announce they've cut former Temple running back Matt Brown ...

Yeah, stack the few White RB up on the same team, F-U NFL!!

Minnesota will probably trade Gerhart to San Diego.

 

[scroat]

Yeah, stack the few White RB up on the same team, F-U NFL!!

Minnesota will probably trade Gerhart to San Diego.

Doesn't Minnesota have Zach Line? Don't worry Minnesota is already stacked with white RB's.

 

[white is right]

they used Eric Lorig as a hybrid h-back and blocking fullback at times.

not sure what i think of this... fans may come to love him the way they did love Alstott if he's given half a chance and performs well

i guess it's better than nothing!

Stephen Holder @HolderStephen
The #Bucs are going to give Peyton Hillis a chance at running back and fullback, I'm told. Versatile pickup.

Greg Auman @gregauman
With signing of Peyton Hillis today, Bucs announce they've cut former Temple running back Matt Brown ... Hillis wasn't brought in to replace the pre-training camp cut, Brown as Brown was a water bug type 165 pound CFL type tailback. He is probably going to fill the Blount role and Leonard will do what he did in Cincy and to a lesser extent in St. Louis be the 3rd down utility back/safety valve.

Hillis wasn't brought in to replace the pre-training camp cut, Brown as Brown was a water bug type 165 pound CFL type tailback. He is probably going to fill the Blount role and Leonard will do what he did in Cincy and to a lesser extent in St. Louis be the 3rd down utility back/safety valve.

 

[forty-four]

i guess it's better than nothing!

Exactly

 

[backrow]

Hillis wasn't brought in to replace the pre-training camp cut, Brown as Brown was a water bug type 165 pound CFL type tailback. He is probably going to fill the Blount role and Leonard will do what he did in Cincy and to a lesser extent in St. Louis be the 3rd down utility back/safety valve.

i don't think this guy was implying it, he was simply "twitting" that with this signing, they decided Brown was redundant.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Happy to hear that Peyton is on another team. I just hope he gets a real opportunity to run the ball.

 

[Leonardfan]

Glad to see Hillis has been signed. It's a catch 22 since Leonard is already on the team but its better than nothing.

Hopefully Glennon is starting by mid season for the bucs as well.

 

[dwid]

I have the slightest bit of hope for Hillis, it gets him back in the league and leaves a small chance for him to get an opportunity to be a rb, maybe not this year but perhaps another team. The thing I think spelled out the end for any chance for Leonard to get a change as a rb is when he got no reps at rb behind some mediocre backs in Cincinati. So far Hillis has only been a backup to Jamaal Charles and Doug Martin, both considered top backs. The thing with BLount last year is that he just became lazy once he wasn't the featured back and didn't look so good in those few opportunities, couldn't pass block or catch very well. Now Hillis didn't look great last year either, maybe it was the nagging hamstring issues or losing heart after finally realizing that e is going to be treated differently as a White rb but he did put up that 100 yard game rushing towards the end of the year.

about Leonard, sucks but no team views him even as an emergency runningback now and I do see fantasy sites mentioning that Doug Martin will not hold up with the workload he had last year, although in a negative twist from fantasy sites it said "and no Hillis is not an option", sugguesting over the hill guys like Willis McGahee and Michael Turner for the Bucs.

 

[backrow]

Hillis is having a great start to a trining camp, he clearly didn't let himself go

http://www.buccaneers.com/multimedi...baac8e12#b53535c4-6368-45ab-841f-690eac711023

rotoworld reports that Leonard is seen as a third down back and Hillis will spell Martin on short yardage and throughout the game.

 

[Leonardfan]

Glad to see Hillis kept in shape. It's really hard to get to optimistic but it would be nice to see both Leonard and Hillis make the team. Looking at their depth chart both of them look like obvious candidates to make it.

Hillis could get 7-10 carries a game. If he could end the year with 500 yds rushing and 5 or so TDs I would consider that a victory. He is also going to have some of the nostalgic Alstott factor going for him as well which well make a him fan favorite.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

This really does appear to be purposeful stacking or slotting of similarly positioned Whites onto the same team where they often end up cancelling each other out like some nightmarish algebraic equation. Lord have mercy I hate the caste system! :angry:

 

[Don Wassall]

Tampa has signed Spencer Larsen to go with Lorig, Leonard and Hillis. Very strange, esp. considering how black they are among starters, including a possible all-black o-line.

The best scenario would be if the fullbacks are White, Leonard is the third down back, and Hillis backs up Martin. Martin was the bellcow last year and will be again this season unless he's injured. But some or most of these guys could be cut, you never know with the Caste System. It's hard to have any faith in Schiano or the Bucs executives.

 

[sport historian]

This really does appear to be purposeful stacking or slotting of similarly positioned Whites onto the same team where they often end up cancelling each other out like some nightmarish algebraic equation. Lord have mercy I hate the caste system! :angry:

Funny thing, 45-50 years it was said blacks were the victims of "Stacking," especially at running back positions.

The 1968 Sports Illustrated series on "The Black Athlete" I referenced on the Forum years ago repeatedly complained about blacks being stacked at the same position.

 

[white is right]

Funny thing, 45-50 years it was said blacks were the victims of "Stacking," especially at running back positions.

The 1968 Sports Illustrated series on "The Black Athlete" I referenced on the Forum years ago repeatedly complained about blacks being stacked at the same position.

The last time 4 white backs broke training camp for team has to be around 40 years ago? I don't think Tampa will keep two fullbacks, but both Hillis and Leonard probably have the inside track to make the team at tailback.

 

[backrow]

from buccaneers.com

[h=3]Veteran RB Peyton Hillis is focusing on the present and learning a variety of jobs in the Buccaneers' backfield as he attempts to win a spot on the regular-season depth chart behind starter Doug Martin

Watch: Peyton Hillis discusses his new opportunity in Tampa[/h]TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Former 1,000-yard rusher Peyton Hillis is hoping a change of scenery will help him get a once-promising NFL career back on track.
The sixth-year pro signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month and is competing for a job to play behind Pro Bowl running back Doug Martin .
Hillis rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and scored 13 touchdowns for Cleveland in 2010, however he hasn't been nearly as productive over the past two seasons with the Browns and Kansas City Chiefs.
Martin ran for more than 1,400 yards as a rookie in 2012, but the Bucs don't have an established backup. They are giving Hillis, another veteran Brian Leonard and rookie Mike James a chance to earn the role.
"I'm here, trying to do the best that I can," Hillis said. "I've been humbled over the past couple of years, and I'm just happy to be in a place they want me to be and a place where I can try to produce again."
Hillis entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick in 2008 and started eight games in two seasons with the Denver Broncos. He moved to Cleveland three years old ago and flourished in a featured role with the Browns, rushing for 1,177 yards and catching 61 passes for another 477 yards.
The 6-foot-2, 250-pound running back became a fan favorite during his breakout season and was selected to appear on the cover of the next year's Madden video game.
His career has been in decline ever since.
Injuries have been a factor. And at least one former teammate, Cleveland offensive tackle Joe Thomas, was quoted last season as saying Hillis' performance with the Browns slipped after the running back - eager to capitalize on his success from the previous year - put his desire for a new contract before the team.
Hillis said his focus is on the future, trying to earn a job with the Bucs - not what happened in Cleveland in 2011 or last year in Kansas City, where the 27-year-old played behind three-time 1,000-yard rusher Jamaal Charles and averaged a career-low 3.6 yards per carry while running for 309 yards and one TD.
"Some things in life there's no rhyme or reason. I just try to take one step at a time and try to re-evaluate the situation," Hillis said. "I can't go back to my past and change things. I can only move forward. That's what I'm going to do."
Hillis is listed behind Martin, Leonard and James, a sixth-round draft pick, on the depth chart for Thursday's preseason opener against Baltimore.
Coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik were drawn to the running back's size, as well as the success he enjoyed with Cleveland. Hillis started 23 games over two seasons with the Browns, rushing for 1,764 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns - 14 of them on the ground.
"I liked the way he played, and so did Mark. We felt like he was a good fit for us right now with our running back and fullback situation. He's a guy who brings some versatility to the position. He can be the ball carrier, I think he can block. He's a bigger back," Schiano said.
If he makes the team, Hillis could wind up playing a role similar to one filled a year ago by another former 1,000-yard rusher, LeGarrette Blount, who carried 41 times for 151 yards as Martin's backup.
Blount was traded to New England this spring, leaving the Bucs in the market for a big back such as Hillis, and even the 225-pound Leonard, who signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent after spending the past four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
"He's done it in this league, and I think we needed to create quality depth," Schiano said. "We have our guy in Doug, but we need to create quality depth and we need to create competition as well."
Hillis, who's still learning the playbook, is excited about the opportunity.
"I'm out here learning a little bit of everything - tailback, fullback ... a little bit of everything," he said. "Hopefully I will be able to establish myself and help this team win."

 

[backrow]

Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports passed along preliminary word that the injury wasn't thought to be serious, said it was just a bruise and a scare.

 

[Leonardfan]

The pussy CB dove right for Peyton's knee when he tried to tackle him. He did not try to wrap him up at the legs. Hopefully he is out for a couple weeks which would mean that he avoids further injury in the preseason. I am pretty sure he will make the team over the other black RB.

 

[backrow]

latest report

Ian Rapoport
​

Little scare for #Bucs RB Peyton Hillis last night. He left the game limping. But I'm told its just a hyperextended knee. Minor.

 

[Thrashen]

New England and Tampa Bay have been practicing together this week and will be playing each other on Friday, Aug 16. Anyway, it seems that Hillis has returned to practice already after his minor knee injury. Here is a blurb from a “Patriots.com” article concerning yesterday’s session…

Peyton Hillis put Jeff Tarpinian on his back, running over the linebacker during late “opportunity” reps.

I don’t like that he embarrassed Tarpinian, a white LB attempting crack New England's 53-man roster, but it's great to know that Hillis didn’t miss much time from injury.

 

[forty-four]

Hillis has been released. :angry:

 

[Budmademewizer]

This really sucks for Hillis.If they had done it earlier in the week he could have had a shot at the Browns job even if he didn't care to go back there.The conspiracy theories are really starting to sound normal now.