Peyton Hillis Is Not A Special Teams Guy
July 25th, 2013
Joe gets there a loads of Bucs fans all excited about what running back Peyton Hillis could bring as a complement to Doug Martin.
Joe’s not in that camp of giddy dreamers. Hillis has a long road to even making the Bucs’ 53-man roster, let alone the final 46 on game days. He’ll have to prove he can protect the ball — a problem through his career — and be a great teammate per New Schiano Order rules.
As for what sent Hillis from the top of the NFL three seasons ago into a freefall that landed him out of favor in Cleveland quickly and as a backup in Kansas City, Hillis said that’s a bad time and a fading-fast memory.
“You know what, if I can be completely honest with you, I’d just say I don’t know,” Hillis said today, after being asked how he explains what went wrong with his career.. “Does it feel like a million years ago or just yesterday, you know, sometimes it feels like forever ago and you really don’t remember what happened. That’s the way I kind of look at it now. I’ve been on a couple of teams since, and it just feels like it’s been forever ago.
Hopefully, Hillis can recapture his glory days. But Joe also has learned that Hillis might have an even tougher road to making the Bucs roster. He did not play special teams in Kansas City last season, and not doing that here will cut his odds.
July 25th, 2013 at 12:38 pm
I just can’t buy into Hillis… It seems to me the bucs have had bad luck with “Second Chance” players…
@Joe – LOVE the twitter updates during camp… Great insight! Myron Lewis is in mid season form it sounds like. What a waste of time for the bucs. Was the Giants fan the cops were called on named the_bucs_realist by any chance???
July 25th, 2013 at 12:42 pm
Personally I am on the fence with Hillis, I loved the way he ran in Cleveland. But then it seemed as if he became a head case, I feel if he can pull his head from his anus and just grind. He could contribute to our running game. Imagine a defense tired from chasing Dougy Martin all day having to deal with a fresh power runner like Hillis in the 4th!
The guy needs to keep his head down and do what ever the coaches say and hopefully he can return to form. BITE THE FOOTBALL!
July 25th, 2013 at 12:44 pm
Intriguing title Joe! Except there’s nothing in the article about special teams!
July 25th, 2013 at 12:47 pm
He fumbles less than Blount per touch in his career. Look it up.
Joe loves Blount as a backup but not Hillis? Makes no sense.
Hillis is a more complete back. Yet both are garbage.
July 25th, 2013 at 12:49 pm
Who knows how Hillis will work out. I just dont understand why the hate is out on him already. How about you wait till the games are being played until you form an opinion, good or bad, about him?
July 25th, 2013 at 12:57 pm
@big sir — hillis acted like a punk and his own teammates turned on him so he has to earn the respect back. the hate is justified until he earns respect back. simple as that. also the fumbling is a fact not hate… at least he was not arrogant enough to wear number 40 in tampa…
July 25th, 2013 at 1:02 pm
No hate for Hillis here. He screwed up in Cleveland, but, sometimes guys get terrible advice from their agents.
Either he punches the Schiano clock or he is camp fodder. But, the backup rb situation is improving.
I know one thing, if you have to have 1-2 yards for a first, I’d rather give to Hillis than Blount.
July 25th, 2013 at 1:03 pm
there’s no hate coming from here, but Hillis has a bad rep coming into Tampa and i have a feeling his making the team will be entirely up to how the other 3rd down back, brian leonard, would perform. Hillis’ name is sexy but he is already at a disadvantage from having less time in the organization and we all know how schiano loves his rutgers. Here to hoping we can see some 2010 hillis and get thunder and lightning back in tampa.
July 25th, 2013 at 5:50 pm
I’m excited about the addition of Hillis. His description about the past couple seasons wasn’t too informative or encouraging though. He’s the only back behind Martin, with the experience of being a full time starter, and also has some nice hands. I believe he was originally a full back , so naturally he’s a bruiser and doesn’t have flashy moves. Lorig, Leonard, and Hillis all can play FB. If anything happened to the Dougernaut, I’m glad to have Hillis as an option.
Who else drafted Hillis in the first round of their fantasy draft after his break out season?? I had some malice towards him after that move haha. I kept waiting for him to play and one week it was strep throat then his hamstring, then he would start and not even get the majority of the carries….but, I digress.
I don’t see why his big ass couldn’t be a blocker on special teams lol. He’s out there weighing 250 and was formally a lead blocker for a living and pulling trucks in the offseason, I think he can contribute lol.
Sidebar….no one talks too much about Lorig (or any FB for that matter) but he was the lead blocker for Martin with a patch-work offensive line, and look at the production from Martin.
I hope Hillis can make the team and play a productive role, but if not there isn’t much to lose.
July 25th, 2013 at 6:07 pm
He got #33