The Denver Broncos are officially putting Ronnie Hillman on notice. The former third-round pick has been buried on the depth chart for two seasons, but apparently is not doing enough to get himself into the good graces of the coaching staff. Expected to play a bigger role in the offense after Knowshon Moreno's exit, will Hillman even get the chance to prove himself worthy of more responsibility?
Hillman's first two seasons have practically gone unnoticed. He has 548 yards to his name and two touchdowns. He looked like the future of the ground game until the Broncos drafted Montee Ball last year. John Elway once called Hillman the future Darren Sproles for the team until he fumbled the ball four times and failed to become that third-down X-factor for quarterback Payton Manning. According to offensive coordinator Adam Gase, the Broncos need to see more from Hillman or his time could be up.
"We've talked to him, (running backs coach) Eric (Studesville) and myself, as far as: 'Hey, this is a new start to the year. Whatever happened in the past, you've got to build off it. We've just got to start over,' " Gase said, via the Denver Post. "His goal is to become the best running back he can. I can't say make or break, because I don't know what that is. He's got to work his butt off and make sure he puts himself in a great position to contribute this year."
The issue is that the Broncos do not have a real backup plan to Hillman. They let Moreno walk away in free agency without so much as a fight for the running back that put up career highs last year. CJ Anderson has earned some trust his rookie season, but not enough to step into a bigger role just yet. Many believe the Broncos could be poised to make a move in a trade or free agency if Hillman fails to improve.
The Denver Post notes that the Broncos have been linked to a trade for LaMichael James during recent weeks, but have not started negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers. James is likely on the move sooner rather than later either by release or trade and Denver is just waiting to see what move the team makes before jumping on the young running back for depth.
Michael Bush is the best free agent option at the moment. The former Chicago Bears running back would bring some veteran experience to the backfield that is relatively young for Denver. Bush will turn 30 in June so he would likely sign for cheap, especially if it means getting on with a contending team. He has averaged 4.0 yards per carry over his career, but was limited last season as a reserve.
The Broncos will likely make a move once OTAs and training camp start. Several backs appear poised to get released which means Denver can offer them a smaller contract to help with salary cap space.