Oakland Raiders Free Agency Preview: Running Backs
By Austin Gayle
Ronnie Hillman
Coming off a Super Bowl victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman will very likely be starting the next phase of his career with a new team, and the Oakland Raiders are a possible landing spot.
Hillman, a very quick, elusive back, has had success in this league as a change of pace back that is capable of turning a limited amount of opportunities into big plays. In 2015, Hillman earned 863 yards and seven touchdowns on 207 carries, as he split carries with C.J. Anderson for a majority of the season.
In the postseason, Hillman struggled to get things going on the ground, as he had just 54 yards on 32 carries. Anderson shined past him with 234 yards and two touchdowns on 54 carries in the postseason, capping it off with a 90 rushing yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl 50.
Look for Oakland to capitalize on Hillman’s disappointing postseason by offering him a relatively low-end deal during free agency. Hillman, 24, would still split carries with Murray as the lead back, but he still has time to grow into a productive player in this league in either a third-down back role or even as a feature back if Oakland puts the work into developing his technique as a runner.
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