Broncos Roster Battles: Kubiak keeping only three RBs?
As Denver Broncos training camp approaches, we’re taking a look at some roster battles and a really intriguing projection from ESPN Broncos writer Jeff Legwold.
Legwold recently predicted the Broncos’ 53-man roster, which featured some really disappointing cuts due to the depth of the team’s roster. Perhaps most disappointing was his projected cut of running back Ronnie Hillman, a third round pick in John Elway’s 2012 draft class.
Hillman was selected out of San Diego State as sort of a change of pace back, one with breakaway speed. We’ve yet to see that come to full fruition in his Broncos career, as Hillman has struggled both with fumbling and injuries, but it seemed as though he may have turned a corner last year.
While the bulk amount of carries he received wasn’t necessarily Hillman’s style or forte, there is no denying the way he rejuvenated the Broncos’ running game from the moment Montee Ball was injured all the way to the emergence of C.J. Anderson.
Hillman came in last season and provided the Broncos with a spark, nothing earth shattering, but it was enough to bolster the running game to a point that it balanced out the offense quite well. It wasn’t much, but in eight games (a career low) Hillman set career highs in carries (106), yards (434), yards per carry (4.1), touchdowns (3), a career long run of 37 yards, and a career-low one fumble (none lost).
That kind of progression, despite playing in fewer games than he ever has, doesn’t lead me to believe Hillman is going to be cut, but that’s what Legwold predicted.
Not only did Hillman set career marks in every rushing category possible, but he also caught 21 passes (also a career high), and another touchdown as a receiver.
The question here might not be so much as why Legwold decided to include Hillman among his final cuts, but the fact that he predicted the Broncos would only keep three running backs and ‘fullback’ James Casey, though we all know Casey is going to do a lot more than just that.
This seems to go against conventional thinking when it comes to how Kubiak likes to run the ball, but is it really that far off? Let’s take a look at the last five teams Kubiak has been part of, and what the roster makeup has been at the running back position…
2014 Ravens
Justin Forsett, Bernard Pierce, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Kyle Juszczyk (FB)
2013 Texans
Ray Graham, Jonathan Grimes, Dennis Johnson, Chad Spann, Greg Jones (FB), Toben Opurum (FB/TE)
(Arian Foster, Ben Tate, Deji Karim on IR)
2012 Texans
Arian Foster, Ben Tate, Justin Forsett, Tyler Clutts (FB), James Casey (FB/TE)
2011 Texans
Arian Foster, Ben Tate, Derrick Ward, Lawrence Vickers (FB), James Casey (FB/TE)
2010 Texans
Arian Foster, Steve Slaton, Derrick Ward, Vonta Leach (FB)
After some research and digging here, it looks like Kubiak prefers a slimmer group at running back. Last year, the Broncos had as many as five at one time on the roster, though they weren’t using a traditional fullback or hybrid FB/TE at the time. Virgil Green played that role some, as did Jacob Tamme.
If a traditional fullback is to be expected on the roster, then I think they’ll look to keep James Casey as a TE/FB as Legwold also predicted.
The reason this is all tough to sort of wrap our heads around is because the Broncos are very talented at running back. The problem is, the rest of the NFL is having no shortage of supply at that position, so teams aren’t going to be necessarily begging the Broncos for help via trade unless there are some significant injuries.
Plus, there are still players like Ray Rice out there, as much as some people hate to think about him getting another job in the league, that’s also a possibility.
There are backs galore in the NFL right now, and the value of the position might be at its highest that it has been in years with the way guys like Le’Veon Bell, Marshawn Lynch, Eddie Lacy, and others have proven their worth recently.
If the Broncos are only going to keep three backs, it would be disappointing to see Hillman’s tenure come to an end the way it has. He appeared to have made his biggest strides as a pro last season, and with another offseason to prepare (a contract year, no less) he could be a valuable piece for the Broncos this year.
Not to mention, this roster prediction also had the Broncos cutting Kapri Bibbs, another fan favorite and player the Broncos have poured a lot of time into over the last year.
We’ll see what training camp brings, but the competition at running back looks like it’s going to be fierce for what could be a third and final spot behind C.J. Anderson and Montee Ball.