Don't count Ronnie Hillman out of Denver Broncos running back competition

“Well they have to make room for Joe Don Duncan, so they can’t keep Ronnie Hillman.”

“This is CJ Anderson‘s team now, Ronnie Hillman is the odd man out.”

“There won’t be enough carries to go around to justify keeping Hillman on the roster”

Not so fast. These are all mutterings from fans and media alike i’ve heard about Ronnie Hillman this training camp, that not only appear to be false, but Hillman may have a shot to prove to Gary Kubiak he can be his every down back he’s been looking for.

Before the emergence of CJ Anderson last year, Hillman resurrected a stagnant Broncos running game before getting injured himself last year. Hillman rushed for 376 yards averaging 4.2 yards per carry with 3 touchdowns after becoming the starter in week 5 including two 100 yard performances in weeks 6 and 8 respectively. Over that same span Hillman added 19 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown, catching the ball out of the backfield.

Hillman is having a good camp, and on a couple of occasions has caught my eye for runs where he remained untouched into the second level of the defense he was working against. He has also caught the eye of his head coach. “I think Ronnie is playing really good, the other day I told him he could practice a little better and finish a little better and he’s responded. The last two days I think have been his best days.”

Kubiak said earlier in the week that he is looking for a bell cow running back, or someone who can handle all three downs. He had that last year in Baltimore with Justin Forsett, and he established himself just as a role player. “With Justin, he went in as a role player and all of sudden, it was like, ‘Why are we taking this guy off the field? He was doing everything we asked,” Kubiak told Troy Renck “He earned the right to stay out there.”

Today Gary Kubiak told us Ronnie Hillman has reminded him of the aforementioned Forsett. “I think the thing that impresses me the most with Ronnie is I know when people blitz us I can leave him on the field. He’ll pick up a blitz and he’ll stand in there, you know for his size, reminds me of Justin (Forsett) a little bit. A little bit of the same type of player.”

Running ability aside, with a young inexperienced offensive line, the value of a running back being able to pick up the blitz for a 39 year old Peyton Manning may be of the utmost importance. If Hillman’s strong camp continues, it might be hard for Kubiak to take him off the field.