Ronnie Hillman - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Bolt, Hillman, Dolphins, Dak

September 24th, 2016 at 4:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Track stars have enjoyed a steady history of NFL crossovers or being sought-after commodities, but Usain Bolt has created his own tier in that sport and resides as an all-time great athlete. However, he did not want to follow in the footsteps of Bob Hayes, Willie Gault, Renaldo Nehemiah or Michael Bates by converting into an NFL player.

Offers came his way, however.

“I used to watch [the NFL] when I was younger,” Bolt said on the Dan Patrick Show, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “The hits guys would take kind of turned me off. I never thought about going but I’ve gotten offered and people have asked.”

The 6-foot-5, 207-pound Jamaican did not specify which teams offered him or what kind of interest surfaced as he made his historic ascent over the past eight years, but given how much faster he is than other nations’ best sprinters, he could have displayed a different level of pure speed on the gridiron. That said, the lankier sprinter peaks after around the 50-meter mark, blazing by competition in the second halves of 100-meter dashes, so his otherworldly gifts might not be best suited for the short-area bursts football requires.

However, much like the alternate reality of a potential LeBron James NFL path, the 6-foot-5 Bolt creates an interesting what-if scenario due to his stature. Although, despite being a nine-time Olympic champion and owner of the world record in each of the three events in which he competes, Bolt has never played football. The Cavaliers superstar excelled at the game until becoming a one-sport athlete after his junior year of high school.

Here’s more from around the league amid Week 3.

Newly signed running back Ronnie Hillman‘s deal with the Vikings is a one-year pact worth the prorated league minimum of $760K, and contains no guaranteed money, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). The Broncos owed Hillman $400K in guaranteed salary when they cut him three weeks ago, but his contract with them had offset language, per Mike Klis of 9News. That means the Broncos won’t have to pick up the tab if Hillman’s on the Vikings’ active roster for nine weeks.
John Fox‘s team enters a Sunday-night Cowboys tilt at 0-2, but the second-year Bears coach didn’t second-guess his team for passing on fourth-round pick Dak Prescott in the draft. “Truth be told, I don’t know how much we would be talking about Dak,” Fox said, via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “A lot of it in this case has been the opportunity, and he’s made the most of it. I’m not downgrading what he’s accomplished, but it’s how a lot of guys make their mark. Everybody starts off as a nobody, they get an opportunity, they have success, and now everybody’s aware of them.” Prescott enters Week 3 having completed 63% of his passes for 519 yards in relief of Tony Romo. He’s yet to throw a touchdown pass
As they did through most of an offseason that began with Lamar Miller joining the Texans, the Dolphins are again scrambling at running back now that Arian Foster suffered another injury. This has led to scrutiny of Miami’s ground game. “I understand what they’ve done with that offensive line down there; it makes sense in a lot of ways,” one NFC personnel man said this week, via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, “but I see good, technically sound pass protectors. Which one of those guys is a [butt]-kicker? Which one of those guys buries people? And they’re relying on Arian Foster. He’s injured this week, right? Is that a surprise? I don’t know about all that coming together.” The Dolphins are currently playing once-projected No. 1 overall pick Laremy Tunsil out of position at left guard, and Mike Pouncey is out due to injury. The Fins rank 27th in rushing through two games and will now go with a committee in all likelihood to replace Foster while he’s sidelined.

Connor Byrne contributed to this report.

Vikings Sign Hillman; Kalil To IR

September 21st, 2016 at 11:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings announced that they have signed running back Ronnie Hillman in the wake of Adrian Peterson‘s potentially season-ending injury. Meanwhile, starting tackle Matt Kalil will have season-ending hip surgery and will be placed on IR.

While Hillman will join Minnesota’s running back group, he will not be the primary back. Coach Mike Zimmer confirmed that Jerick McKinnon will be the team’s starting running back while Peterson is out. Matt Asiata also figures to be in the mix and Hillman, for now, figures to be the No. 3 RB on that depth chart.

Hillman, a 2012 third-round pick, was cut loose by Denver in early September. The move somewhat surprising after he led Denver in offensive snaps (524) during the 2015 regular season. He also led the team’s rushers in starts (11), attempts (207), yards (863) and touchdowns (seven). However, Hillman wasn’t exactly integral during the Broncos’ Super Bowl-winning playoff run and he was bumped this year in favor of Devontae Booker and Kapri Bibbs.

Peterson’s injury will garner all of the headlines today, but Kalil’s injury is also a difficult one for the Vikings. Minnesota’s offensive line was already underperforming and it will only get worse without the former No. 4 overall selection. The injury is also bad news for Kalil on a personal level as he is in his contract year. After a strong rookie season, Kalil has not impressed and he was hoping to improve his stock before hitting the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chargers Meet With Ronnie Hillman

September 20th, 2016 at 4:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Workout Tuesday has brought us yet another high-profile visit. The Chargers hosted running back Ronnie Hillman on a visit today, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter).

Hillman, a 2012 third-round pick, was cut loose by Denver in early September despite notching the most offensive snaps, carries, starts, yards, and touchdowns of any Broncos tailback in 2015. This summer, the Broncos preferred Kapri Bibbs for his kick return ability and rookie Devontae Booker for his upside. All in all, Denver felt it would be best to cut Hillman loose and save $1.4MM of his $2MM contract.

The Chargers, of course, are looking for replacements after losing Danny Woodhead for the season, but they already inked Dexter McCluster earlier today. It remains to be seen whether McCluster took Hillman’s spot or if the Chargers could still be in the market for another tailback. The Chargers’ RB group currently consists of Melvin Gordon, Kenneth Farrow, McCluster, and former Giant Andre Williams.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Broncos To Release Ronnie Hillman

September 3rd, 2016 at 3:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos have released running back Ronnie Hillman, tweets Mike Klis of 9NEWS.

Hillman, a 2012 third-round pick, paced Denver’s running backs in offensive snaps (524) during the 2015 regular season. He also led the team’s rushers in starts (11), attempts (207), yards (863) and touchdowns (seven). Hillman wasn’t exactly integral during the Broncos’ Super Bowl-winning playoff run, though, as he rushed for 54 yards on 32 carries in their three victories. C.J. Anderson had as many carries (54) in that stretch as Hillman did yards, and the former racked up between 72 and 90 yards in all three games.

Denver will save $1.4MM of the $2MM contract it handed Hillman this offseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Broncos, Hillman, Solomon, Jets

September 2nd, 2016 at 2:56pm CST by Zachary Links

When asked about Ronnie Hillman‘s trade value, two NFL GMs told Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he doesn’t have much because he doesn’t play special teams. The Broncos running back is said to be on the bubble as the 53-man deadline approaches.

Denver has already handed Hillman $600K through a signing bonus and workout bonuses, but his $1.4MM base salary is non-guaranteed. By most accounts, Devontae Booker and Kapri Bibbs have leapfrogged the one-time Broncos starter.

Here’s more from around the NFL on this busy day:

Former Cleveland outside linebacker Scott Solomon recently worked out for the Chiefs, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Solomon appeared in just two games last season before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury. He was a restricted free agent this offseason and Cleveland initially picked up his $1.671MM tender. Less than one month later, however, he was cut.
Jonathan Freeny‘s two-year extension with the Patriots is worth $4.1MM, including a $1.3MM signing bonus, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. He’ll bring cap hits of $1.74MM in ’16, $1.87MM in ’17, and $2.03MM in ’18.
The Jets worked out former Harvard center Anthony Fabiano on Thursday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
Long snapper John DePalma is working out for the Seahawks today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). DePalma was previously in Philly.

AFC West Notes: Lynch, Hillman, Childress

August 21st, 2016 at 7:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The quarterback battle rages on in Denver, as Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak hasn’t yet named a starter for the club’s third preseason game, tweets James Palmer of NFL.com. And while Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian have been viewed as the only competitors for the No. 1 job, Paxton Lynch is still a candidate for the starting role. “He’s always been in the mix,” Kubiak told the media, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “I just told you guys that he’s behind the other two from a knowledge standpoint, but we’ve been out there competing every day. Everybody is in competition to play.”

Let’s take a look at more out the Mile High City and the rest of the AFC West:

Kubiak said last week that running back Ronnie Hillman is in a “hell of a battle” with Devontae Booker and Kapri Bibbs and intimated that Hillman might not make the Broncos‘ roster, and Mike Klis of 9NEWS has taken that sentiment a step further, writing that it’d be a “surprise” if Hillman is with Denver come Week 1. Denver has already handed Hillman $600K through a signing bonus and workout bonuses, but Hillman’s $1.4MM base salary is non-guaranteed, and it doesn’t appear the Broncos are likely to pay it.
The Broncos may need to scour the free agent market for an addition at offensive guard, according to Klis. Darron Weems looked like he was going to be the club’s starter on the right side, but he suffered a concussion during Saturday’s preseason game. Ty Sambrailo is also dealing with an injury of his own, while rookie Connor McGovern isn’t ready to play immediately. One option for Denver might be Ravens lineman Ryan Jensen, per Klis, though it’s unclear whether the 9NEWS scribe is reporting or simply speculating.
Veteran wide receiver James Jones is likely to make the Chargers‘ final roster thanks to his ability to play both in the slot and outside, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. San Diego is dealing with several minor injuries among its receiving corps, so the club might be forced to keep more pass-catchers on its roster than it normally would. The only downside with Jones is that he doesn’t play on special teams, which could force to keep another receiver active on gamedays simply to play teams.
Brad Childress was ready to retire after last season, but the longtime NFL coach had a change of heart after being promoted to Chiefs co-offensive coordinator, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Childress was also a candidate to join former Kansas City coach Doug Pederson as the Eagles’ play-caller, but Andy Reid bumped Childress up to OC, where he’ll team with Matt Nagy and run the Chiefs’ offense.

Ronnie Hillman Might Not Make Broncos

August 17th, 2016 at 8:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Running back Ronnie Hillman has been a productive member of the Broncos’ offense during his four-year career – particularly over the previous two seasons – but he’s currently fighting for a roster spot, according to Mike Klis of 9News. With C.J. Anderson entrenched as the Broncos’ go-to rusher, the speedy Hillman is left to vie for playing time with fourth-round rookie Devontae Booker and third-year man Kapri Bibbs. Booker seems like a lock to make the team, which could force one of Hillman or Bibbs out of Denver.

“He’s in a hell of a battle with Kapri and Booker right now,” head coach Gary Kubiak said of Hillman. “There’s no way around that. I’m just being honest with you.”

How Hillman fares on special teams during the preseason, including in their upcoming tilt against the 49ers, could determine whether he sticks in Denver.

“Special teams will be really important,” stated Kubiak. “Ronnie is going to play a lot this week and he’s going to play some special teams, so it’s a very competitive situation.”

That will represent a new challenge for Hillman, who was only on the field for two of the Broncos’ special teams snaps last year and none in 2014. On the other hand, the 2012 third-round pick paced their running backs in offensive snaps (524) during the 2015 regular season (notably, Bibbs finished with zero). He also led the team’s rushers in starts (11), attempts (207), yards (863) and touchdowns (seven). Hillman wasn’t exactly integral during the Broncos’ Super Bowl-winning playoff run, though, as he rushed for 54 yards on 32 carries in their three victories. Anderson had as many carries (54) in that stretch as Hillman did yards, and the former racked up between 72 and 90 yards in all three games.

In the offseason, Anderson signed a four-year, $18MM offer sheet with the Dolphins as a restricted free agent, but the Broncos matched it. A month later, they re-upped Hillman on a one-year, $2MM deal with $600K in guarantees. That modest contract won’t be remotely difficult for the Broncos to escape if they want to, and it appears that could happen in the coming weeks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Contract Details: Hillman, Browner, Heath

April 21st, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are the details of some recently-signed contracts:

Ronnie Hillman, RB (Broncos): One year, $2MM. $600K guaranteed, including $400K of base salary. $100K signing bonus, $100K workout bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
Brandon Browner, CB (Seahawks): One year, minimum salary benefit. $428K split (Twitter link via Wilson).
Jeff Heath, S (Cowboys): Four years, $7.761MM. $1.8MM signing bonus. Annual $100K workout de-escalator. $500K NLTBE playtime incentives in 2018 and 2019 (Twitter links via Wilson).
Josh Brown, K (Giants): Two years, $4MM. $1MM guaranteed. $750K available via playtime incentives and escalators (Twitter links via Wilson).
Greg Zuerlein, K (Rams): One year, $1.25MM. $675K guaranteed, including $275K of base salary (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
Chase Reynolds, RB (Rams): One year, $862K. $200K guaranteed. $87K roster bonus (Twitter link via Thomas).

Broncos Sign Ronnie Hillman

April 18th, 2016 at 6:23pm CST by Luke Adams

6:23pm: The Broncos have announced the deal, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

5:18pm: Hillman’s one-year deal is worth $2MM, with roughly $600K guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

4:12pm: After letting them become free agents last month, the Broncos have now re-signed each of their top two running backs from their Super Bowl team. According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS (via Twitter), the Broncos have agreed to a one-year contract with free agent back Ronnie Hillman.

Hillman, 24, will return to Denver to pair with his old backfield mate C.J. Anderson, who signed a four-year offer sheet with the Dolphins that was ultimately matched by the Broncos. While Anderson may be first in line for carries going forward, given the length and worth of his contract, Hillman was the Broncos’ leading rusher in 2015, totaling 863 yards and seven touchdowns on 207 regular-season carries.

While Hillman had a solid regular season for the Broncos, his free agent stock may have been negatively impacted by his postseason performance. With Anderson carrying the majority of the load, racking up 234 yards and two TDs on 54 carries, Hillman had just 54 yards on 32 playoff carries (1.7 yards per attempt), and failed to reach the end zone.

The Packers were reportedly “poking around” on Hillman (and other running backs) near the end of March, and he was believed to have a few other potential suitors as well, but he’ll return to Denver for at least one more season.

The Broncos have also officially brought back kicker Brandon McManus, who signed his ERFA tender, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Broncos, Ronnie Hillman Progressing In Talks

April 17th, 2016 at 2:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Contract negotiations between the Broncos and free agent running back Ronnie Hillman are “heating up,” according to Mike Klis of 9News, and Denver is hopeful that it can re-sign him. Hillman has spent the past four years — the entirety of his NFL career — with the Broncos.

Klis first reported last week that Hillman and Denver had exchanged contract proposals, but no signing has appeared imminent since that time. Hillman, who is still only 24 years old, hasn’t drawn a ton of interest around the league since he entered the free agent market over a month ago. The Packers were reportedly “poking around” on Hillman (and other running backs) near the end of March, and a few unnamed clubs apparently expressed interest at the beginning of April, but for the most part, news surrounding Hillman has been non-existent.

If Hillman does re-sign with the Broncos, he’d once again team up with C.J. Anderson to form a one-two punch in the Denver backfield. Anderson, of course, was retained by the Broncos after signing a four-year, $18MM offer sheet with the Dolphins, which Denver then matched. In 2015, Hillmn rushed for more than 800 yards and scored seven touchdowns, and also added 24 receptions.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.