Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman must improve to make the team

[Denver Native (Carol)]

Ronnie Hillman is No. 2 because of four.

The latter represents his number of fumbles over the past two seasons, sending him from training-camp darling to a player whose hands have him white-knuckling a roster spot.

Offensive coordinator Adam Gase made it clear improvement is needed.

rest - plus other stuff
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_25785515/broncos-rb-ronnie-hillman-must-improve-make-team

[Northman]

I dont think he will make it but we shall see.

[HORSEPOWER 56]

The real problem is, you can't really make a big assessment on Hillman in TC because of minimal contact. I think he can be a decent 3rd down back, but unless Gase talks to JDR during team drills and intentionally targets him by having the defense make every attempt to strip him, I don't know if it proves anything. There really aren't full speed, game-type hits in TC.

I'd like to see plenty of carries in preseason for Ronnie, too. He should get a lot of touches vs opposing defenses to see if he can hold onto the ball during contact. I have a feeling he won't be the fastest RB in camp this year and Bibbs will give him a run for his money.

If Bibbs flashes speed in the preseason like he did at CSU, he probably won't make the practice squad even if we want him too. That means he's Hillman's #1 competition for a roster spot.

[LTC Pain]

The DP article Carol referenced above is by Troy Renck. Is this a new sports columnist for the DP?

Regardless, I'd say he's right about Hillman. If Hillman runs downhill , picks up the blitz and shows consistent ball security then yes he makes the roster.

[broncohead]

I think with Hillman is it comes down to ball security and pass blocking. Being the size he is and the way he runs, the FO knows hes not the type of back to run effectively between the tackles or after contact. He's a 3rd down/change of pace guy. Improve on the 2 things listed above and he'll be the #2

[Denver Native (Carol)]

The DP article Carol referenced above is by Troy Renck. Is this a new sports columnist for the DP?

Regardless, I'd say he's right about Hillman. If Hillman runs downhill , picks up the blitz and shows consistent ball security then yes he makes the roster.

Renck is not new with the DP. He has covered the Rockies since 2002, and is now covering the Broncos

http://blogs.denverpost.com/rockies/2014/03/24/goodbye-baseball-hello-broncos-new-writing-challenge-begins-april/16909/

[TXBRONC]

The real problem is, you can't really make a big assessment on Hillman in TC because of minimal contact. I think he can be a decent 3rd down back, but unless Gase talks to JDR during team drills and intentionally targets him by having the defense make every attempt to strip him, I don't know if it proves anything. There really aren't full speed, game-type hits in TC.

I'd like to see plenty of carries in preseason for Ronnie, too. He should get a lot of touches vs opposing defenses to see if he can hold onto the ball during contact. I have a feeling he won't be the fastest RB in camp this year and Bibbs will give him a run for his money.

If Bibbs flashes speed in the preseason like he did at CSU, he probably won't make the practice squad even if we want him too. That means he's Hillman's #1 competition for a roster spot.

Preseason games is where they'll find out if he can hang onto the ball.

[underrated29]

He will make it. We heard it from gase. He said he doesn't know if this is a make or break year because he doesn't know what that is. BS.

Gase knows exactly what that is but won't say it. Hillman will NOT be cut this year. So his sorry ass better step it the eff up!

[Cugel]

Since John Elway drafted him, he stays until he proves he's no good, and possibly then some. Knowshon would still be here if Elway had drafted him!

Frankly, I grit my teeth every time he touches the ball. "Don't fumble! Don't fumble! Whuh! He didn't fumble. OK. Next play. Don't hand it to Hillman. Urrrgh! They gave it to Hillman! Don't fumble! Don't fumble! Don't. . . . Oh Christ! He fumbled again!" :mad:

He's just a little guy and defensive players rip the ball out of his hands all too often. You just can't trust him!

[Mike]

Who?

[G_Money]

Since John Elway drafted him, he stays until he proves he's no good, and possibly then some. Knowshon would still be here if Elway had drafted him!

Frankly, I grit my teeth every time he touches the ball. "Don't fumble! Don't fumble! Whuh! He didn't fumble. OK. Next play. Don't hand it to Hillman. Urrrgh! They gave it to Hillman! Don't fumble! Don't fumble! Don't. . . . Oh Christ! He fumbled again!" :mad:

He's just a little guy and defensive players rip the ball out of his hands all too often. You just can't trust him!

I'm not a huge Hillman booster - I've been somewhat critical of the pick since the day we made it.

His biggest problems are:

1) Holding on to the ball (4 fumbles with two of those lost in 140 rushing attempts)
2) Pass protection as a little dude
3) Getting yards between the tackles

You can't fumble the ball every 35 touches. Just can't. Moreno fumbles once every 105 attempts for his career. Even early when ball security was a problem for him, it was a 1:86 ratio.

Montee Ball fumbled twice in his first 31 carries, then went the rest of the year without fumbling (89 carries). He started his college career with 655 carries without putting it on the ground. He knows ball security, or should at this point.

Hillman had better learn it. I dunno if he'll ever really be able to pass protect, and moving Franklin inside might open bigger creases for Hillman to hit and gain yards through, but none of that will happen if he can't hold on to the rock.

------------

Not sure about the crack that Elway doesn't cut dudes he drafts, though. There are several guys who are no longer here that he's drafted, and who wants to cut contributors?

2013 draft:
Sly Williams - rotation player
Montee Ball - #1 RB
Kayvon Webster - nickel back, saw a lot of play last year before injuries
Q Smith - on IR all year
T King - gone
Vinston Painter - practice squad
Zac Dysert - Ha

2012 draft:
Derek Wolfe - rotation player, nominal starter before injuries
Oz - QBOTF (in theory)
Hillman - bubble boy
Bolden - see: Hillman
Blake - gone
Malik - rotation player, got a lot of reps near the end of the year
Trevathan - starter, displaced the defensive Captain

2011 draft:
Von - starter
Moore - starter before horrific injury, now we'll see
Franklin - starter
Irving - special teams, potential starting Mike (tho I doubt it)
QC - bubble boy
Julius - starter
Green - special teams, backup
Mohamed - gone
Beal - gone

The guys who might get cut off that list will prove out this year (in theory) or hit the road, and the guys who shouldn't be cut are definitely still succeeding for us, some of them in very big ways. None of the early picks seem wasted (don't be wasted, Oz, Neckbeard is a bad role model) and some of the later-round picks have come through in a big way.

When you HAVE a lot of late-rounders coming through with time and patience, I would think you'd want to have at least a little patience with the guys who haven't yet succeeded.

Still, if Kapri or whoever is better than Hillman, and Ronnie can't seem to fix his fumbling problem, let's hope we don't get roster nepotism just because John drafted some and threw tiny signing bonuses at others. If you can play, you can play - John's time with Rod Smith and Shannon Sharpe should have made an impression about draft status vs. league viability, and he certainly doesn't seem to try very hard to keep the riff-raff of the undrafted bloke off his teams for sure.

~G

[BigDaddyBronco]

I hope Hillman can fix his fumbling problem. The guy made some pretty good runs before he started dropping the ball. With his speed he can get around the edge and get 7 to 12 yard runs on a regular basis. He isn't much of a blocker or an inside runner, so I don't know if he'll ever be anything more than a 2nd string back. Still, if he can find a way to hold onto the rock, he could be a nice change of pace type of guy.

[G_Money]

Hillman has a good initial burst. I would bet money that Bibbs is faster than him in a dead sprint in pads, but Hillman can certainly do more around the edge than Ball can. Like you said, it will be a good change-of-pace if he can actually do it without dropping the ball. I expect Hillman to make the squad, but maybe not as the #2. Anderson might be #2, Hillman and Bibbs could toss it up for the change-of-pace back. Either Bibbs or Thompson will likely be on the PS, with the other making the team. Juwan's special teams prowess might get him the nod, unless Hillman really can't fix his issues.

Hillman has a leg up because he knows the system and what's expected of him. He's at a disadvantage because he can't outwork the rookies (who do not have the limits on their OTAs that guys who have already been pros do). If the undrafted runners show really well in the early going, then Hillman will have to do the most he can in training camp to prove he's improved as well. Any slippage could cost him big-time.

~G