Peyton Hillis: The Cleveland Browns' Newest Weapon

Peyton Hillis is becoming a very solid running back for the Cleveland Browns.

He's posting strong numbers every week and is a major reason the Browns have beaten the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots in back-to-back games.

Hillis came from relative obscurity to lead the Browns to becoming a football team no one wants to play. So, how did he get to where he is today, and what's his outlook for the future?

College

Hillis went to college at the University of Arkansas, where he was very versatile in the backfield. In addition to returning punts and kickoffs his freshman year, he scored eight touchdowns from his fullback position, tied for the most touchdowns for a freshman in the SEC that year.

During his sophomore season, he was more of a feature back, accumulating nearly 1,000 all-purpose yards and scoring seven touchdowns.

Then, during his junior year, his duties shifted drastically, as the Arkansas backfield became crowded. Hillis became mostly the lead blocker for rising stars Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

Hillis again was primarily a blocker in his senior season at Arkansas, as McFadden and Jones both rushed for over 1,000 yards for the second straight year.

But, he was also utilized more as a receiver, accumulating over 500 yards during the 2007 season.

Early NFL Career

Hillis was drafted in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.  He immediately became the starting fullback, and, after a rash of injuries hit the Broncos' running backs, he became the starting tailback.

He looked promising, putting up two touchdowns in his first start and posting his first 100-yard game soon thereafter.

But, then he tore his hamstring and missed the rest of the 2008 season.

Following a coaching change, Hillis became buried on the Broncos' depth chart and didn't accumulate any meaningful stats in the 2009 season.

The Trade

On March 14, 2010, the Cleveland Browns acquired Peyton Hillis from the Denver Broncos for backup QB Brady Quinn. The Browns also received a sixth round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and a conditional pick in 2012.

The Present

Now, Hillis is doing his best to make that trade look like highway robbery.

Quinn hasn't taken a snap for the Broncos all year, while Hillis is looking like a Pro Bowler. He's already racked up 644 yards and seven touchdowns at the halfway point of the 2010 season.

His large frame serves as a battering ram, and no defense wants to have to deal with him barreling towards them.

Plus, the Browns are actually receiving draft picks as part of this deal. The Broncos should be the ones receiving picks. This could end up going down as one of the worst trades in Broncos history.

The Future

Hillis' 6'1", 240 pound frame is built to dish out punishment to any would-be tacklers, so as long as he stays healthy, he'll have a solid NFL career.

He'll most likely finish this year with over 1,000 rushing yards and 12 or so touchdowns, good numbers for any running back.

While he'll probably never be an "elite" running back, he's got enough talent to remain a starter for years to come, as there's no one on the Browns' depth chart at running back who is likely to take that starting job away from Hillis.

He's making the most of his chance with the Browns, proving they were smart to bring him in to Cleveland.