Monte Ball, we hardly knew ye.
OK, it’s not like the Denver Broncos cut their former second round draft pick, but he’s slipped from starter last season to No. 3 on the depth chart now. That slippage hasn’t been all Ball’s fault; after starting three games in 2014, his torn groin sidelined him and at the same time, C.J. Anderson took off.
Anderson exploded as the Broncos’ best back, rushing for 849 yards and eight touchdowns over the second half of last season. His 5-foot-8, 224-pound frame makes Anderson nearly impossible to tackle without diving for his legs. He’s a bowling ball, rolling over any opponent who dares get in his way. Anderson also caught 34 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns last year.
Despite there being a change in coaching staffs and offensive philosophies, Anderson has risen to the top as the cream of the crop.
Ball was No. 2. But, then Ronnie Hillman started running like a man with his NFL career on the line.
Hillman, who was an electric kick returner and running back at San Diego State University, hadn’t proven that speed is NFL-worthy until this preseason. In the first two preseason games of 2015, we’ve seen Hillman rushing for big gains of yards, over and over again. His vision has improved in this, his fourth NFL season, and that zone-blocking scheme is helping him too.
“I just kind of was seeing how I fit,” Hillman said Monday of Kubiak’s offense. “I feel like I fit in any kind of offense, but this one, especially in the zone scheme, it just fits my abilities a lot more than other ones would.”
In Week 1 it was eight carries for 66 yards, followed by eight carries for 54 yards in Week 2. Hillman remains that back who is best suited to bounce the ball outside, while Anderson has shown an ability to run inside the tackles with power.
“In this offense, they want you to stretch and then go downfield as fast as possible,” Hillman continued. “I think that ties in when you’re kind of fast and everybody thinks that you’re going to the edge, and then you just go right up the field.”
Where does that leave Ball? As the No. 3 running back on the depth chart.
Of course, the depth chart is a fluid entity with the ability to change at any time. Ball knows this, as do Anderson and Hillman as they all continue to push one another in the search for a starter.
If the season kicked off today, we’d see a lot of Anderson, some Hillman and likely none of Ball in a game. How much Gary Kubiak wants to go running-back-by-committee remains to be seen, but he’s said one main back would be ideal.
Hillman’s time to shine was this offseason. Much like with his 2012 NFL Draft mate Brock Osweiler, this was a make-or-break preseason for the running back. He’s making coaches notice and it’s clear he wants to make the active roster.
