Denver Broncos: Ronnie Hillman's Struggles Show Battle for No. 1 Back Isn't Over

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columist (@michaelmoraitis)

Ronnie Hillman figured to have the inside edge for the starting running back job with the Denver Broncos in 2013, but now it seems Montee Ball is getting first-team snaps in practice.

According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, Ball was working with the starters on offense while Hillman was watching from the sidelines:

Yes, it was RB Montee Ball working with Peyton Manning's first-team offense. Ronnie Hillman was carrying around a football everywhere.
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) August 26, 2013

Head coach John Fox has been diplomatic in defense of Hillman and has stated he hasn't lost faith in the second-year back, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. That vote of confidence (or whatever you want to call it) came after Hillman fumbled twice in the span of two weeks.

So, is it too early to worry about Hillman at this point before the season begins?

It's understandable for the Broncos to be hesitant to make him the starter. After all, Hillman fumbled two times in 85 carries last season and while that isn't something to panic about in and of itself, it does show Hillman may have a problem on the horizon.

So it makes sense that the Broncos are exploring their options with Ball and Knowshon Moreno. More specifically, the rookie back had 14 carries for 43 yards against the St. Louis Rams in the team's last preseason game, as well as two catches for 27 yards.

While Hillman has slightly more experience, Ball seems to have the potential to be a more explosive back who can catch the ball out of the backfield. Hillman had a great chance to wrap this job up last season, but he only averaged 3.9 yards per carry.

That opened the door for a running back battle during camp and the fact that Knowshon Moreno hasn't been completely healthy this preseason has helped propel Ball to the top of the running back ladder.

Moreno was once thought to be No. 3 on the depth chart as a result of his injury woes, but now he has reinstated himself as a potential starter, or at worst a No. 2 back. Moreno looked great in the matchup with the Rams last week, with five carries for 33 yards to the tune of 6.6 yards per carry.

However, Moreno doesn't have a stunning track record to go by in his past, so he also stands as a question mark as the season opener approaches.

Bottom line: the Broncos running back situation is far from decided and if nobody stands out above the rest in the next few weeks, Denver will have a running back carousel to deal with until someone does.

No matter what, Denver will rely on its elite passing attack to move the ball down the field and the running game will no doubt play a secondary role as a result. But still, Denver needs production from its backs so that it doesn't become a one-trick pony on offense.

Stay tuned, Broncos fans. This battle is far from over with just one game left to go in the preseason. Whoever gets the majority of the reps in Week 4 and does the best could very well win the job right then and there.


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