Peyton Hillis

[Taco]

It seems like McDaniels really wants to say that Hillis is an over-achieving, blue collar, team player who's only opportunity is to play is to be a special teams demon. Unfortunately for him everyone knows Hillis is far too talented to be stuck on special teams.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Yeah, a lot of the Denver fans love him, and they know he is far and away their best back.

 

[whiteathlete33]

Hillis should be getting at least as many carries as Alstott was getting throughout his career. He is more than capable of being the feature back but I don't know if the NFL would allow it. The bruvas might protest or something.

 

[dwid]

things are looking good

"With rookie RB Knowshon Moreno still holding out, Broncos fullback Peyton Hillis is the "early star" of training camp.

Speaking of Moreno, he's the Broncos' longest holdout since 1997."

too bad Hester cant get the same chance:

"Chargers rookie Gartrell Johnson ran as the third-team tailback Monday, indicating he may have already passed Michael Bennett."

so that leaves Hester pretty much at fullback i suppose, ridiculous, didnt johnson run like a 4.77? really ridiculous if Hester had to block for him

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/08/04/afc-west-training-camp-one-liners-1/Edited by: dwid

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

this is my favorite part of the article:
<div>

In a one-on-one tackling drill, Hillis levelled Crowder, who stayed down for 90 seconds while waiting for the feeling to return to his arm and the cobwebs to clear his head ...
<div></div>


A day later, Crowder was still somewhat stunned by the blow.


"My point of view was that it was a drill set up for failure for the defensive players," Crowder said Sunday. "They tell (the ball carrier) to make one move, and he didn't make one move. So, I had to throttle down. He got me, he ran me over."

<div>

</div>
<div> </div>
<div>you poor, poor negro ... aww, is baby okay? ... that big, evil, White man trucked your sorry ass ... you poor thing ... do you need to cry on momma's shoulder? 

 </div>
<div> </div>
<div>MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!!! he didn't "make a move" and so that made him harder to tackle? HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! he just smoked your black ass like a beeyatch. deal with it you whiny p.o.s. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Dear Lord, </div>
<div> </div>
<div>may Hillis destroy all who appear in front of him. Amen.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>one more thing, and this is directed at Tough. why do you give so much credit to Moreno? he isn't near the player Hillis is. Moreno is smaller (5-10, 215 compared to Hillis' 6-1, and he played at 250 as a rookie) AND slower: Moreno ran a 4.61 at the Combine whereas Hillis, carrying over 30 more pounds ran a 4.59. furthermore, Moreno can't catch.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>if anything, Moreno should be Hillis' back-up, as he is a smaller, weaker, slower, less talented version of Hillis. other than the skin color advantage, nothing indicates that Moreno should be doing more than carrying Hillis' bags on away trips. </div></div>

JC, I was by no means saying that Moreno is better than Hillis. On the contrary- Hillis has already proved himself at the NFL level by playing at a Pro-bowl level as a rookie and was only getting better. Plus Hillis is perfect for Denver's zone blocking system. He can make that brilliant first cut and pick and slide and then burst through the seam in the line and use his slashing ability and angles on the field to get the most for every run. He is probably the hardest man to tackle in short yardage in the entire league (it often takes 3 men to take him down) and he's a brilliant receiver.

But FYI, I am not naive enough to think that Hillis will be a 300+ carry man next season when they will be signing Moreno to a huge contract as the 12th pick in the draft.

Moreno might be better in certain team's systems with a different type of blocking (I think he ALREADY has more talent than 2/3s of the starters in the league). However, for power formations or for Denver's zone blocking scheme I am very confident Hillis is a top 5 tailback in the entire NFL. Actually, playing for the Broncos, other than AP he might show himself to be the 2nd best back in the entire league. Yes, the caste is very scared of Mr. Hillis!

You're right- Hillis is stronger, slightly faster, probably has a better burst (now that he's dropped 10-15 lbs.) and is probably a better receiver. Moreno's only advantage is when he has to make more than one quick darting cut swiveling through very tight spaces, but that is due to his smaller body frame.

My point was simply that the minimum carries Hillis HAS BASICALLY EARNED is around what Brandon Jacobs got last season. However, I'm not naive enough to think he'll be a 300+ carry back this season with Moreno there with the racist caste system. However, maybe we can find some solace in the fact that more than half of NFL teams are using two tailbacks splitting carries. If he does in fact get Brandon Jacobs level reps we should remain optimistic.

 

[Don Wassall]

Here's another pretty good article on Peyton (vote in the poll even though it doesn't have a Hillis as tailback option):

Peyton Hillis: The Next A-Train


Just ask the Bronco's defense how tough fullback Peyton Hillis really is.Don't be surprised if linebacker Tim Crowder is the first to agree. On Saturday during team drills, Hillis brought the wood and put a hurting to Crowder who was still feeling the pain a day later.

The toughness and ferocity that Hillis has shown is truly reminiscent of former Buccaneer running back Mike Alstott. A tough hard-nose runner and blocker, Hillis plays the game old-school.

Even with a packed backfield that includes Lamont Jordan, Correll Buckhalter, and top rookie selection Knowshon Moreno, Hillis should still figure into the equation on offense. During the teams recent OTA's Hillis has been seeing a lot of snaps in one back sets and head coach Josh McDaniels, likes his ability to catch the ball.

Like Alstott did much of his career in Tampa, the Bronco's fullback could serve as a primary blocker in two back sets, but be utilized as the team's primary short-yardage carrier. The dynamic that could prove most useful for McDaniel's offense is Hillis' pass receiving skills.

Last season Hillis caughtfourteen passes for 179-yards, which included seven in Week nine against the Dolphins. The following week, because of an injury to rookie running Ryan Torain, Hillis was moved to tailback. From Week ten on he became the team's primary ball carrier withfifty sevenhandles over the next four weeks, before his season ended with a torn hamstring.

According to McDaniels, Hillis "is a valuable player and versatile and can create some matchup problems for defenses"Â￾ if the Broncos use him right. While at Arkansas blocking for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, Hillis showed his versatility playing fullback, tight end, wide receiver, and special teams, along with tailback. Over his collegiate career he managed over 2,600 all-purpose yards and scoredtwenty threetouchdowns.

There's no question Hillis' presence in Denver is going to upset the fantasy balance of the Bronco's backfield.However the former Arkansas Razorback is making a strong case to see his share of touches. Fantasy owners had better take note; this Hog is demanding the ball and his 504 total yards (329-rushing, 175-receiving) with six touchdowns in his last six games in 2008 should be enough to merit such a demand.

It's a good bet that Hillis won't be the team's starting tailback in 2009, but by the looks of things in Denver he's a shoe-in to be fantasy relevant this season.

By David Ortega

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/234633-peyton-hillis-the-next-a-train/poll_results#poll

 

[Synapse to synapse]

Nice article, Don!

Here's another one that is pretty relevant to Peyton Hillis (despite not being the main focus of the article

):

http://www.nfl.com/trainingcamp/story?id=09000d5d811d8746&amp;template=without-video-with-comments&amp;confirm=true

<div>
<h1>Oft-injured RB Torain released after only one season with Broncos</h1>

Associated Press</span> <div>

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Former coach Mike Shanahan compared him to Terrell Davis, yet Ryan Torain's short and bitter career with the Denver Broncos ended with more injuries than touchdowns.

The
Broncos waived their oft-injured running back Wednesday after he was
diagnosed with a strained knee ligament, the latest in a series of
physical setbacks to dog him.

A
fifth-round draft pick last year after an injury-plagued career at
Arizona State, Torain missed almost all of his rookie season with the
Broncos. He broke his left elbow during training camp and played just
parts of two games before a season-ending left knee injury sidelined
him once again.

After a long rehabilitation, Torain was having a
solid training camp this year but was stuck in the back of a crowded
backfield that includes top draft pick Knowshon Moreno, free-agent signees Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan and holdover Peyton Hillis.

"That
was really rough for me," Hillis said of Torain's release. "Torain's a
great guy and a great person and a good friend to me. He was the only
one left besides me (who was in the Broncos' battered backfield last
season). It's tough to see him go. I really hope he gets picked up
somewhere."

Jordan said he was certain the NFL hasn't seen the last of Torain.

"I
know R.T. was battling through some things, and he's a guy that tries
really hard," Jordan said. "It's unfortunate that he got released, but
I think he's going to wind up somewhere. Once he gets himself together,
healthy, I think he's going to wind up on somebody's team, and he's
going to be good.

"I'm going to miss R.T., but I know that he's going to wind up somewhere, and I wish him nothing but the best."





Torain's elbow injury a year ago cast a pall over the
Broncos, who went through a bevy of running backs on their way to an
8-8 season that cost Shanahan and several players their jobs.

Inactive
for the first seven games, Torain made his first and only career start
Nov. 6 at Cleveland and rushed 12 times for 68 yards and one touchdown in the first half before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that ended his season.

New Broncos coach Josh McDaniels was curt and unsentimental in discussing Torain's release after Wednesday's practice.

"Ryan
Torain has been released. That's the update," McDaniels said. "He was
waived/injured. ... It wasn't about (him fitting into the team's)
plans. It was a roster decision that we made, and we're moving on."

The Broncos signed running back Marcus Thomas to take Torian's spot on the 80-man roster.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press </div>
</div>
Edited by: Synapse to synapse

 

[Don Wassall]

Update on Moreno's injury. Notice how Hillis isn't mentioned as being in the equation, even after shining (again) last night.

A league source tells Profootballtalk.com that Knowshon Moreno's MRI revealed only a sprained MCL. An original diagnosis of "knee sprain" can often turn out to be a torn ACL, so the Broncos can let out a huge sigh of relief over their prized rookie. It's not yet known if the MCL sprain is Grade I or Grade II. Moreno could be anywhere from day-to-day to out four weeks. If it's the latter, he's going to be behind Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan to start the season. Aug. 15 - 2:39 pm etSource: Profootballtalk at NBCSports.com

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Purposeful ignoring of white athletes by the media is one of their most and best used ways to minimize the presence of whites in the league. If Moreno is out for 4 weeks, I bet Peyton will be in the mix, despite what this Caste

clown says.

 

[dwid]

I wish that football torrent site would release the Broncos 49ers game to download, they have every other preseason game up except this one. I wanted to make a highlight of every White player that did well in preseason this year and see how many get to actually get a real chance in the regular season. At least I got to see Hillis play in the second half on some streaming website. But I would like to add to his compilation of runs already posted on youtube.

Last year my roommate had some Satellite plan and I could pick up stations from other cities and watch/record. It was really nice, especially on Saturdays. Now im stuck with watching NFC SOUTH and SEC. SEC is boring besides Tebow.

 

[backrow]

i was reading comments on Denver Post about yesterday's game and Peyton. fans really love him and most think Moreno is a luxury and Peyton should at the very least have a huge role in their game plan.

they also criticise McDaniels heavily for tradng Cutler away and bringing scrub FAs.

Edited by: backrow

 

[pistol pete]

best case scenario: Hillis starts this year and dominates. However, the Broncos really struggle and get the first pick in the draft.

The Broncos select Tim Tebow.

Tim Tebow and Peyton Hillis dominate the NFL for the next decade.

 

[white lightning]

Wow. What a combo that would be. Even in a perfect world, it's not going to happen. We can dream though.Edited by: white lightning

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

in his mailbag, the Denver Post's Mike Klis seems to think Hillis is not worthy tocompete withthe real affletes on the roster.

I am all behind Josh McDaniels as the new head coach. I like the attitude, and it takes time to build a team, so I can be patient for long-term results. However, if he is true to his word on open competition, shouldn't Peyton Hillis and Chris Simms be getting reps with the first team this week in practice and the next game?
-- Jonah, Viroqua, Wis.


Jonah - Let's start with Hillis. He clearly ran more effectively than LaMont Jordan against the 49ers. In fairness to Jordan, he had been out with a leg injury going into the game. Even if the leg was fine, it appeared he had some lingering mental effects. It even looked like he stopped as the tacklers closed in during one carry up the middle. Jordan ran much harder in the practices Sunday and Monday.


Hillis never stops. He may miss a hole to the left or the right. But he is the definition of a north-south runner. His style is what makes him so popular among the masses, in my opinion.


In the practices following the 49ers' game, Hillis got his usual first-team carries at fullback, but was the No. 3 tailback -- behind Jordan and Darius Walker (Correll Buckhalter is nursing soreness and Knowshon Moreno is injured). And Simms continued to work with the second team even though he clearly outplayed Orton against San Francisco.


Coaches have to proclaim "open competition" to help keep their players motivated. But the reality is nobody wants Champ Bailey to lose his cornerback position if he has a bad day of practice.

and people claim there is an anti-black bias in the media ...

 

[Freethinker]

3rd string behind Darius Walker (WHO?)

The sick racial & social experiment known as the NFL continues to disgust and annoy me.

 

[dwid]

behind Walker? that guy looked terrible in the preseason game. I dont know who he is but I remember watching Hillis and he looked good and then some guy Walker was carrying the ball who looked like he would be lucky to be on someones practice squad. Ridiculous that Hillis is behind him. Screw McDanielsEdited by: dwid

 

[green fire317]

walker cant run the ball at all.

 

[P-NutLane]

My the broncos lose until they play the best players.

 

[Jack Lambert]

So much for this so called "whiz kid" Josh CasteDaniels. On a depth chart I saw, Hillis was the backfield battering ram, hands of stone Gaffney was ahead of Stokely, and loser Daniel Graham was over Schefler. I hate this guy. He hates white players. Every time he gives one a comment, I know he doesn't want to. He'd rather say they're unathletic, stiff-hipped overachievers. He has an all-black defense to boot.. Can it get any worse with this guy? He doesn't play the best, he plays the blackest. May Denver lose until this loser is out, or he wises up and uses the best players.

 

[whiteathlete33]

Schefler is one of the top tight ends and Graham starting over him is disgusting.

 

[DWFan]

SCHELFLER isn't starting? This is so far over the line, I can't even describe it. This is completely insane.

I hope the Broncos don't win a game this year.

 

[backrow]

Scheffler never started for Broncos though. for some reason they listed other TEs ahead of him.

i reserve my judgement tili see how he uses Hillis and how many passes are thrown to Tony.

 

[Jack Lambert]

I'm just basing my judgement on the fact the he signed 3 backs, in addition to drafting Moreno. Also he brought Gaffney over as well. If McDaniels turns out to be different, I'll respect him, but he's looked like a caste guy so far in Denver. I'll judge him again at season midpoint. That'll give him more of a chance to plays Hillis.

 

[WHITE NOISE]

In order for Hillis to run the ball in the regular season there has to be a certain criteria met. It will take not one, not two, not three, but four black brothers getting injured and maybe a meteor strike in Denver before Payton ever gets his hands on the ball.

 

[backrow]

there will be an enormous fan pressure to play Hillis, i mean outside of Moreno they have NO backs that can match him, just a few mediocre players.

btw, on topic of Tony Scheffler:

from rotoworld:

With Brandon Marshall out of the wide receiver rotation for three practices over the past two days, TE Tony Scheffler emerged as one of Kyle Orton's favorite targets.

Scheffler's numbers are expected to take a hit in Josh McDaniels' tight end-unfriendly offense. But if Marshall moves on or isn't on the field for some reason, the Broncos would need to use Scheffler as a big, athletic target for Orton. For now, we're staying away from Scheffler on draft day.
Source: Denver Post

PS read some of the comments below this article. fans will ask for his head if he doesn't get it right and play Hillis. let's hope Moreno will fall flat on his face!Edited by: backrow