Peyton Hillis

[Don Wassall]

Here's an article from the Denver Post from two days ago that boosts Hillis:
<H1 =articleTitle id=articleTitle>Strength in numbers in backfield?</H1>


Remember the days when the Broncos used to crank out 1,000-yard runners like they were cars coming off an assembly line?


They may not have one in 2009. By design.


Their three free-agent signees at tailback combined for 919 yards last season. Correll Buckhalter had 369, LaMont Jordan 363 and J.J. Arrington 187.


So who's going to be the starter among that group? Conventional thinking has Buckhalter opening the season No. 1. The same Buckhalter who has missed three entire NFL seasons with knee problems.


They may all prove to be valuable contributors next season, but it says here that none of the three is the Broncos' best tailback. That distinction would go to Peyton Hillis, who was the talk of the locker room during his short-lived stint as the starter in 2008.


Hillis has one major obstacle working against him. And no, I'm not talking about the torn hamstring that ended his season. He figures to return from that.


Hillis' issue is that he wasn't drafted or signed by the new regime. He's a Mike Shanahan guy, a Jim Goodman guy. And if Josh McDaniels' first two months on the job have proven anything, it's this: Bad things tend to happen to Shanahan/Goodman guys.


Who knows? Maybe Hillis will get the gig anyway. Or maybe, given the injury history of some of the free-agent signees, maybe he'll get it by default. At any rate, the kid showed enough last season to earn a chance to start.





Follow Jim Armstrong's sports updates on The Jimmy Page during the week. And read his columns on Tuesdays and Thursdays at denverpost.com/jimmy.


He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.


http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11844713<BR style="CLEAR: both"><BR style="CLEAR: both">

 

[Thrashen]

Wow, this article is shockingly honest, especially for Jim Armstrong....who sometimes contributes on ESPN.


It's not often you hearmedia memberssuggesting that whites are better suited,or more qualified that blacks in anything at all...let alone a starting NFL RB.


I suppose it would be far more shocking, daring,and truthful for Armstrong to suggest the "thing working against Hillis" is the most obvious "thing," his godforsaken race.

 

[celticdb15]

Why hasnt shannahan caught on somewhere??!! HE is a good coach!

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

It just seems like white skill players never get a break; it's either a freak injury or their supporter leaving; in this case Mike Shanahan.

Hillis proved he has the skill to be a quality starter.

 

[P-NutLane]

Lets get together and boycott the NFL! Dont watch that garbage no more brothers. We need to be loud and pushy like ********. Demand some fairness.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

i don't know if anyone has seen this or posted it.

but here is a short link talking about Hillis' rehab. more importantly than the short blurb on how hard he's working, the comments section is filled with compliments from Broncos fans. the overwhelming majority seems like they want him to be their starting tailback next year.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Thanks for the link JC:

I'd say about 3 out of 4 of the posters scouting Hillis' role for next season were at least saying Hillis should get Brandon Jacobs level running work (with another back to compliment him). Some were even calling him Terrell Davis or a better version of Mike Anderson. This is an encouraging good sign. I didn't even get angry when some said they can use him as an H-back some b/c of his versatility.

But that one clown who says "Coach please leave Hillis in a HB/FB role and draft an "ACTUAL" RB" is a complete buffoon and not surprising his grammar stunk. He is the epitome of a drunken white idiot fan.

How can someone with an actual brain want Hillis to be used as a blocker after how he played; are they blind? And he's not the greatest blocker compared to most FBs anyway.

Luckily the new Broncos system will be a single back offense and with how most fans are sticking up for Hillis it will be hard for this new clown coach to not at least give Hillis a chance for Mike Alstott level carries, but better- as a HB! Something tells me things will work out better this time.Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[Don Wassall]

Most of those folks realize that Hillis is a running back and not a fullback. I have renewed faith in the DWFs of America after reading those comments. Not a lot, but some.

 

[Don Wassall]

From the Denver Post. I like Peyton's quote, shows some exasperation:


Hillis doing well.


Peyton Hillis, who started games at fullback and running back in his rookie season, said a doctor told him that he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a hamstring injury. Hillis said he expects to be fully recovered in about a month.


Hillis had surgery Dec. 12 to repair the torn muscle, five days after suffering the season-ending injury in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.


Hillis, who said he has been able to do some light jogging, said he is unsure how coaches plan to use him in the new offense. The team added three free-agent running backs this offseason.


"I have no idea. I've been through this so many times,


"I'm just trying to look at it as a positive experience," he said.


http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11928410?source=rss


I found the above article linked from this pathetic blurb from RotoWorld. The anti-white bias never lets up for a second. "Modest success," eh?:


Peyton Hillis is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn hamstring.


Analysis: Following December surgery to repair the hamstring, Hillis expects to be fully healthy in about a month. Despite his modest success as a runner last season, Hillis is not expected to have a significant role in the Broncos' ground attack.


Edited by: Don Wassall

 

[green fire317]

I hope that after Hillis' and Fox's careers are over they come out and talk about how they were discriminated against. Edited by: green fire317

 

[Van_Slyke_CF]

Here's an article from the Denver Post from two days ago that boosts Hillis:
&lt;H1 =articleTitle id=articleTitle&gt;Strength in numbers in backfield?&lt;/H1&gt;


Remember the days when the Broncos used to crank out 1,000-yard runners like they were cars coming off an assembly line?


They may not have one in 2009. By design.


Their three free-agent signees at tailback combined for 919 yards last season. Correll Buckhalter had 369, LaMont Jordan 363 and J.J. Arrington 187.


So who's going to be the starter among that group? Conventional thinking has Buckhalter opening the season No. 1. The same Buckhalter who has missed three entire NFL seasons with knee problems.


They may all prove to be valuable contributors next season, but it says here that none of the three is the Broncos' best tailback. That distinction would go to Peyton Hillis, who was the talk of the locker room during his short-lived stint as the starter in 2008.


Hillis has one major obstacle working against him. And no, I'm not talking about the torn hamstring that ended his season. He figures to return from that.


Hillis' issue is that he wasn't drafted or signed by the new regime. He's a Mike Shanahan guy, a Jim Goodman guy. And if Josh McDaniels' first two months on the job have proven anything, it's this: Bad things tend to happen to Shanahan/Goodman guys.


Who knows? Maybe Hillis will get the gig anyway. Or maybe, given the injury history of some of the free-agent signees, maybe he'll get it by default. At any rate, the kid showed enough last season to earn a chance to start.





Follow Jim Armstrong's sports updates on The Jimmy Page during the week. And read his columns on Tuesdays and Thursdays at [COLOR=#0066cc">denverpost.com/jimmy[/COLOR">[/url].


He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or [email="jmarmstrong@denverpost.com"][COLOR=#0066cc">jmarmstrong@denverpost.com[/COLOR">[/email].


[url="http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11844713"]http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11844713&lt;BR style="CLEAR: both"&gt;&lt;BR style="CLEAR: both"&gt;&lt;!--subtitle--&gt;&lt;!--byline--&gt;

A pretty good article until the writer claims the "biggest obstacle" Hillis has to overcome is not his season-ending hamstring injury, but that he was a "Shanahan guy."

No, the biggest obstacle he has to overcome is that he is a white running back.

 

[green fire317]

any word yet whether peyton could be the starting back?

 

[backrow]

and now, he might be joining Tony Scheffler on the trading block, which might not be the worst thing for him...

Denver Post article

 

[Don Wassall]

Peyton is healthy and participated in mini-camp practice at both tailback and fullback:


Running backs.


When it comes to tailbacks, the 2009 minicamp started much like the 2008 season ended. That is, with as many players in the training room as on the field.


Only Correll Buckhalter, Lamont Jordan and Peyton Hillis participated in practice Friday. J.J. Arrington, Selvin Young and Ryan Torain all are still recovering from injuries.


"They split everything today in the one-back sets," Mc- Daniels said, adding that Hillis also worked as a fullback.


http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_12169239

 

[green fire317]

i saw an article on yahoo saying that hills expects to get more carries and that all of the running backs have a fair shot. Edited by: green fire317

 

[Don Wassall]

Here's an AP article in which Hillis is again portrayed as "humble" and will be "happy" if he moves back to fullback. These articles are really more accurately described as propaganda scripts. Notice how Hillis's quotes are used to enforce and justify the racially based slotting of his role.


Denver's Hillis counting on carries


ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- Peyton Hillis understands why the Denver Broncos brought in a bushel of tailbacks this winter.


The Broncos' backfield was hit by an injury epidemic last season with seven tailbacks ending up on injured reserve, including Hillis with a torn hamstring.


One of new coach Josh McDaniels' priorities in free agency was tailback, and he signed three of them.


Still, Hillis is counting on getting the ball plenty next season.


He was an integral part of the Broncos' backfield last season, bringing a toughness to the position that was sorely missed after he got hurt and Denver stumbled down the stretch to miss the playoffs for the third straight year.


Hillis, who is almost fully recovered, made a good impression on the new coaching staff at this weekend's voluntary minicamp.


"He's a versatile player, so we're going to try to use him in different roles," McDaniels said. "He's going to do a lot of things."


Hillis is vying for snaps with newly signed free agents Correll Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington and LaMont Jordan, along with holdovers Selvin Young and Ryan Torain, both of whom are still recovering from injuries from last year.


"Everybody's going to get a legitimate shot," Hillis said Saturday. "It's just going to depend on how I respond to this offense, how fast I learn it."


That's where Jordan considers himself ahead of the others. He played in New England last year, where McDaniels was offensive coordinator.


"As far as knowing Josh's personality and knowing what's going to be expected of us, I have a leg up, yes," Jordan said. "I'm a true believer that if I'm at my best, then I'm one of the best backs in the league. We all think we can be dominant running backs in the NFL."


The Broncos had a revolving door at tailback last season. That's why Hillis had a feeling a bevy of backs were going to be ushered in during the offseason.


"When you put the injured tag on somebody it's kind of hard not to get some guys in reserve," Hillis said. "We've got a lot of good veterans, guys that have played the game. I think they're going to do good things here."


Hillis had a remarkable rookie campaign, leading the team with 343 yards rushing in his short stint before getting hurt.


He was promoted to tailback out of necessity and flourished, becoming the first Denver player since Floyd Little in 1968 to record both a 100-yard rushing game and a 100-yard receiving game in the same season.


Still, if he's asked to switch to fullback again, that's fine with him.


He's used to playing second fiddle, serving as lead blocker for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones at Arkansas.


"I've always said of myself I can do mostly anything if I put my mind to it," Hillis said. "It's a new offense, new scheme, new coach, new staff. So, I guess I'm going to play where they put me -- and be happy."


Hillis brings a unique skills set to the field -- reliable hands, trustworthy blocking and tenacity.


That's why Hillis' torn hamstring last season might have triggered a domino effect of destruction that ultimately cost the Broncos a playoff spot, coach and franchise quarterback.


A weighty burden?


Not for the ever-humble Hillis, who has a Southern twang, a hankering for Hank Williams tunes and a friendly demeanor.


What Hillis can't control he lets roll right off him.


"It could be a lot of different things or situations there that made us not go to the playoffs," Hillis said.


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/04/18/hil lis.broncos.ap/index.html?eref=si_nfl Edited by: Don Wassall

 

[Jack Lambert]

Damnit! When will we ever get a white guy to carry the ball in the NFL?

That is trash. Hillis is by far the best back on the team. I'd like to know if Hillis really wants to be a FB again or if that trash is what Don says, propaganda.

 

[green fire317]

wasnt buckhalter involved with drugs or something?Edited by: green fire317

 

[whiteCB]

Good points Don. The Associated Press loves to try and angle a story a certain way to give off a perception to the reader. In this case its good 'ol humble overachieveing whitey trying to hang with the "athletic" brothers. Not one word was used throughout the article to describe anything athletic about Hillis. In fact just by reading the article you'd assume Peyton is just "scraping by" with his limited set of skiils. Also the term "trustworthy blocker" had me laughing. Really, trustworthy? Lord knows they could only pull off that line when describing a white RB, especially considering when the RB's job description primarily involves letting others block for them. I've never heard a black RB praised for his "trustworthy blocking". Chalk it up! A new word for the caste football dictionary!

 

[celticdb15]

It's funny how Denver was on my lists of favorite teams thatdefied the caste systemandnow they have dropped considerably to mein less than a year.

 

[Thrashen]

Josh McDaniels also went from being one of my favorite NFL coaches to just "one of the gang."

The "Turd-Boy Genious" traded Jay Cutler, demoted Hillis by signing several black scrub RB's....and then tried desperately to trade the most athletic TE in the NFL, Tony Scheffler.

 

[Don Wassall]

For whatever it's worth:
<H3>Saints shopping for backfield help?</H3>


Upon the release of Edgerrin James earlier this week, the New Orleans Saints were mentioned as a possible destination, given the Saints' current backfield situation: somewhat untested Pierre Thomas looking to build on his 129-carry 2008 season, and electrifying yet injury-prone Reggie Bush as the X factor.
There's another option if the Saints don't land James, that being a trade. In his Diner Morning News column today, Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post throws out the possibility that the Saints could be calling teams around the league to assess the availability of some superfluous runners. In particular, Lombardi mentions the Denver Broncos, who have a veritable army of backs on the roster after a free-agency bonanza and the drafting of Knowshon Moreno; the Dallas Cowboys, a team that will begin 2009 with a three-headed monster in the backfield if no changes are made; and the New York Jets, who have yet to appease Thomas Jones with a new deal.
Of those three, the most likely deal would be made with the Broncos. The new management duo of coach Josh McDaniels and Brian Xanders has proved it doesn't let emotional ties get in the way of improving the team, as franchise quarterback Jay Cutler was first denigrated in the media and then traded away to the Chicago Bears. To this end, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Broncos trade away some other holdovers from the previous administration, and either Peyton Hillis, Ryan Torain or Selvin Young could be had on the cheap.


The Saints don't have much to spend under the salary cap - some estimates have them about $2 million under the cap number after signing their rookie class - but that could be enough room to sign Edge to an incentive-laden deal. Failing that, a trade would seem quite likely.


http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/features/rumors

 

[celticdb15]

Saints would be great!

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

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.

 

[Animalmuther0]

Just heard that Denver cut Selvin Young