So do we have enough fullbacks?

[lex]

Im glad we drafted Hillis. But does that not make: Bell, Smith, Sapp, Hillis,...and Shanahans even talking about playing Larsen there with that kind of deadweight on the roster. What do you think about our fullhouse at fullback? Who stays and who should go? What are your thoughts on fullback? I think this coupled with getting a new kicker is an opportunity to purge the roster a little and it might allow us to keep an extra receiver. So, what do you think about our FB situation. Watch Shanahan cut Hillis in preseason.

[BroncoWave]

Im glad we drafted Hillis. But does that not make: Bell, Smith, Sapp, Hillis,...and Shanahans even talking about playing Larsen there with that kind of deadweight on the roster. What do you think about our fullhouse at fullback? Who stays and who should go? What are your thoughts on fullback? I think this coupled with getting a new kicker is an opportunity to purge the roster a little and it might allow us to keep an extra receiver. So, what do you think about our FB situation. Watch Shanahan cut Hillis in preseason.

Don't hold your breath. He'll cut Sapp and or Bell. I think Hillis will be starting in week 1.

[MOtorboat]

Hillis is automatically the No. 1 in my eyes...

[Tned]

While I like Sapp, I think he is odd man out. Possibly Bell and Sapp. The roster could very well look like
Henry
Young
Torrain
Hall
Hillis

[BroncoWave]

Hillis is automatically the No. 1 in my eyes...

Yep. Value-wise, I think he was the best pick we made in the draft. He'll be a very solid player IMO.

[lex]

Yep. Value-wise, I think he was the best pick we made in the draft. He'll be a very solid player IMO.

Yeah, when I graded our draft he and Barrett were the picks I gave an A for. Our 7th round picks were tremendous.

[frauschieze]

While I like Sapp, I think he is odd man out. Possibly Bell and Sapp. The roster could very well look like
Henry
Young
Torrain
Hall
Hillis

Paul Smith will be on the roster as well. :salute:

[r8rh8r]

Sapp isn't going anywhere. He had better contract offers to play for other teams but decided to sign with Denver because he's loyal. Denver wanted to keep him around and he'll certainly be here for at least 2008. Sapp's affinity to Denver is a rare gem. I wouldn't scratch him off your depth chart just yet.

Hillis and Torain were brought in for one simple reason: Denver's power success was an atrocity last year. By taking two power runners, Denver has ensured that they have at least one guy pan out as a short-yardage back. Add Clady's impact into the mix, not to mention D-Jack, and you've got to like how things are shaking out in the red zone for Denver. Now if we can only replace Elam...

Mike Bell is probably the first guy to go; however, don't be surprised if Henry or Hall get the axe. I think the training camp battle for this position will be wide open. I think Sapp and Young are the only ones who's jobs are safe at this point.

[BeefStew25]

We can truly watch the cream rise to the top. Competition is funny like that.

[WARHORSE]

We can truly watch the cream rise to the top. Competition is funny like that.


Nice. For that, I salute you.:salute:

[Tned]

typically he goes with five backs. I would be surprised if 6 make it, considering the number of young linemen he will be keeping. I think Henry would have to play really bad in camp to get cut, I think young is pretty safe, and the two new guys would have to be busts to not be kept. That leaves one spot open for bell, sapp, hall, smith.

Sapp could very well bump hall, but we are definitely going to have some RB casualties coming out of camp.

[TXBRONC]

Don't hold your breath. He'll cut Sapp and or Bell. I think Hillis will be starting in week 1.

Right now I would say the most likely player to get cut is Mike Bell.

[r8rh8r]

typically he goes with five backs. I would be surprised if 6 make it, considering the number of young linemen he will be keeping. I think Henry would have to play really bad in camp to get cut, I think young is pretty safe, and the two new guys would have to be busts to not be kept. That leaves one spot open for bell, sapp, hall, smith.

Sapp could very well bump hall, but we are definitely going to have some RB casualties coming out of camp.

I think Shanahan keeps two FB's and three RB's. If he thinks Henry is the 6th-best RB on the roster, he won't hesitate to cut him. He's already ruled out Henry being an every-down back barring a miraculous training camp. That's not exactly a gleaming endorsement. You'd certainly expect a veteran like Henry to be able to fend off competition from a pair of second-day picks, but no ones ever accused the guy of having a blue-collar work ethic.

[BeefStew25]

Nice. For that, I salute you.:salute:

And I, you, my noble nobleman from the land of pineapples! :salute:

[D1g1tal j1m]

Henry, Young, Hillis, Smith, Sapp & Torrain.

Henry is penciled in as the starter. Young is the change of pace backup to Henry. Hillis is the starting fullback due to his versatility as a blocker, runner & receiver in the flat (which was a staple in Shan's playbook). Smith is the backup FB but earns his money as a special teams standout. Torrain is a younger version of Bell, that's why I thinkg Bell is going to be cut loose. Sapp is versatile enough as a runner to backup both positions.

[silkamilkamonico]

Hillis isn't much of a blocker right now. He showed he could block at times during the senior game workouts, but he rarely blocked at Arkansas because they ran the wildcat formation so many times, and he was basically used as an inside runner.

I personally think he will be practice squad material for a year and that's ok, but if he does make the roster RB is going to be an interesting position, because Shanahan will also keep one of the other FB's.

If Hillis does make the team, someone will be the odd man out.

Shanahan will likely only keep 5 backs from the following; 3 RB's and 2 FB's

Travis Henry
Selvin Young
Cecil Sapp
Andre Hall
Ryan Torain
Anthony Aldridge (likely practice squad)
Peyton Hillis
Paul Smith
Mike Bell
Steven Jackson (likely cut)
Marquis Weeks (likely cut)

[BroncoWave]

Hillis isn't much of a blocker right now. He showed he could block at times during the senior game workouts, but he rarely blocked at Arkansas because they ran the wildcat formation so many times, and he was basically used as an inside runner.

I personally think he will be practice squad material for a year and that's ok, but if he does make the roster RB is going to be an interesting position, because Shanahan will also keep one of the other FB's.

If Hillis does make the team, someone will be the odd man out.

Shanahan will likely only keep 5 backs from the following; 3 RB's and 2 FB's

Travis Henry
Selvin Young
Cecil Sapp
Andre Hall
Ryan Torain
Anthony Aldridge (likely practice squad)
Peyton Hillis
Paul Smith
Mike Bell
Steven Jackson (likely cut)
Marquis Weeks (likely cut)

I've talked to several Arkansas fans and they all said he was a great blocker. I'm not sure where all this "Hillis isn't a good blocker" talk came from. He's a very good blocker.

[Bronco9798]

Mike Bell is all but done. He might not even make it to camp. I look for Torrain to completely battle Henry for the starting job. Young is a very safe bet. If Henry can hold off Torrain then good for him, if not, he could be let loose. It's going to be a good battle in camp at the RB position. Hillis will be starting week 1. Going to be real tough to keep him off the field. The dude can flat out play and has a motor for a FB. Have to love his hands as well.

[TXBRONC]

Hillis isn't much of a blocker right now. He showed he could block at times during the senior game workouts, but he rarely blocked at Arkansas because they ran the wildcat formation so many times, and he was basically used as an inside runner.

I personally think he will be practice squad material for a year and that's ok, but if he does make the roster RB is going to be an interesting position, because Shanahan will also keep one of the other FB's.

If Hillis does make the team, someone will be the odd man out.

Shanahan will likely only keep 5 backs from the following; 3 RB's and 2 FB's

Travis Henry
Selvin Young
Cecil Sapp
Andre Hall
Ryan Torain
Anthony Aldridge (likely practice squad)
Peyton Hillis
Paul Smith
Mike Bell
Steven Jackson (likely cut)
Marquis Weeks (likely cut)

I think it's reasonably safe to say that Henry and Young will make the team. We still have a lot of money tied up in Henry and Young pretty explosive when healthy.

[silkamilkamonico]

I've talked to several Arkansas fans and they all said he was a great blocker. I'm not sure where all this "Hillis isn't a good blocker" talk came from. He's a very good blocker.

He rarely blocked in college. Ever. Arkansas ran a misdirection offense, most times out of the Wildcat formation, without a lead blocking FB. The only times he did block was when McFAadden went out of the game, and his blocking consisted of handoff or fake handoff up the middle, with the sweep to Felix Jones on the outside. I've been an Arkansas fan for the last 2 years because of McFadden.

He's a great talent at the FB position no question, but if people are expecting a true blocking FB like Howard Griffith, they are going to be very disappointed.

[Ziggy]

I'll wait to see how it all shakes out in training camp. Paul Smith was brought in to be a terror on special teams and try to make FB. The best he could do was 3rd string FB last year. I wouldn't be surprised to see him and Bell gone, and Hillis and Sapp as our FB's.

[BroncoWave]

He rarely blocked in college. Ever. Arkansas ran a misdirection offense, most times out of the Wildcat formation, without a lead blocking FB. The only times he did block was when McFAadden went out of the game, and his blocking consisted of handoff or fake handoff up the middle, with the sweep to Felix Jones on the outside. I've been an Arkansas fan for the last 2 years because of McFadden.

He's a great talent at the FB position no question, but if people are expecting a true blocking FB like Howard Griffith, they are going to be very disappointed.

I'm not saying he's a blocking specialist, I'm just saying that when he was asked to block at Arkansas, he did a pretty good job at it.

[Tned]

If you want to know about Hillis, here is the place to go and read or ask a question. http://www.hogville.net/yabbse/

It's a huge Razorback message board.

[silkamilkamonico]

Paul Smith was one of the 7 players cut to make room for the UDRFA's, so we can take him off that list.