Peyton Hillis: The Trade Value of the Cleveland Browns Running Back

When Josh McDaniels traded Peyton Hillis to the Cleveland Browns, there wasn't a lot of complaining in Denver. In fact, of all his hated roster moves, McDaniels' jettisoning of Hillis was probably one of the most well-received. After all, it netted Brady Quinn, a still-young, former first-round pick who just hadn't been given a fair shake.

Of course now, Broncos fans curse the move after watching their offense melt down in the red zone without any sort of physical rushing attack. Which is exactly the kind of punishment Hillis inflicted on opposing defenses in 2010 when he ran his way right onto the cover of Madden NFL 12. 

But after gaining only 211 yards through six weeks of the 2011 season, a pace that would give him roughly 675 yards on the year, the move is once again looking like a decent deal. Even if Quinn is the only backup quarterback in the league who's actually third string. 

Hillis has his excuses though. He's dealt with strep throat this year, and he's been anything but shy about his dissatisfaction over his contract situation. He's scheduled to become a free agent next season, and that's just not acceptable for a video game model. Never mind the fact that he's averaging just 3.5 yards per carry or that he's scored only twice.

Now the talk is turning to trading Hillis once again, and like the first time, it's starting to look as if the fans won't mind much. Still, fans don't make trade decisions, and the lack of spectator buzz around Hillis won't have much of an effect on his value in NFL eyes.

What that value is remains to be seen. Hillis certainly looked every bit the part of a feature back in 2010, racking up 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns despite earning fewer than 15 carries in seven games. He has plenty of tread on his tires after sharing a college backfield with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones and pulling more than 70 carries only once during his four-year NFL career.

But he hasn't been the same this season. His unhappiness with his current contract has certainly played a role, but if a guy won't perform when he's being paid too little, what evidence is there that he'll step up after being paid a ton? And outside of one season of production, he hasn't ever proven he can shoulder the load in the backfield. Even in his banner year, he wore down over his final five games, gaining over 100 yards only once and failing to score a single touchdown during that stretch.

There's no shortage of NFL teams in need of a stronger running game, but not many are still serious playoff contenders, and none seem to be desperate for a largely unproven back who's looking for a pay day.

If the Browns are willing, some team will offer up a few picks or maybe a talented receiver looking for a second chance. But the pick traded shouldn't exceed a third-rounder at best, and the hypothetical receiver better have exhausted his chances with his current team.