NFL Trade Rumors: Does Pat Shurmur Want to Keep Peyton Hillis in Cleveland?

Much has been made of Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis, his lack of carries lately and his absence from the field in Week 3.

While I think the situation has been blown out of proportion, since Hillis sat out the team's Week 3 matchup with the Miami Dolphins, he has received much fewer carries than he normally does.

Hillis and the Browns are in the middle of negotiating a new contract, as the Madden 12 cover boy is vastly underpaid, making a mere $600,000 this season.

The 25-year-old is eligible for free agency after the season and if the Browns really don't think they can get a deal done with him, would they consider trading him before the Oct. 18 deadline to do so?

The answer has to be no, and I have to believe the Browns will do whatever it takes to get Hillis the extension he deserves.

While head coach Pat Shurmur may have been punishing Hillis a bit over the past few weeks, on Thursday he strongly stated that his No. 1 running back would get the majority of the carries against the Oakland Raiders in Week 6. Hillis only had 15 touches in a Week 4 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

More carries are a nice step, but getting Hillis inked to a new deal is what will really make him happy. After all, the guy has openly stated that he wants to finish his career with the Browns and along with Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas, he should be a piece the franchise can continue to build around.

Hillis has not started the season the way I'm sure he expected to. In three games played, he has just 197 yards and two touchdowns on 54 carries, to go along with 15 catches for 76 yards.

But last season, the Arkansas product showed what he's capable of, rushing for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns on 270 carries, while hauling in 61 passes for 477 yards and two more scores.

I'm fairly certain Shurmur wants to keep Hillis around, and even though Hillis' carries were cut down in Week 4, I think he'll be pushing the Browns to get his workhorse back locked up with a new contract.