NFL Trade Rumors: 3 Landing Spots for Browns RB Peyton Hillis

The feeling around the league is that Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis may be traded before the 4PM deadline today, according to ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen. 

The Browns would be wise to trade Hillis if they receive a solid offer from a potential suitor. Hillis may have ran out of gas.

Over the last five games of the 2010 season, Hillis averaged an unimpressive 3.8 yards per carry and failed to make it into the endzone. 

After four games this season (Hillis sat out Week 3 with strep throat...or was it bad advice from his agent?), Hillis' yards per carry have dropped to 3.5 with only two touchdowns to go along with that.

Furthermore, his two scores came against the Indianapolis Colts' swinging gate defense in Week 2.

Browns head coach Pat Shurmur has claimed that Hillis is not on the chopping block. The same was said for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, and we all know by now what happened with Palmer today as he was sent to Oakland. It's just coach-speak. Hillis is available for the right price.

Hillis should pull his truck to one of these three teams...

The Dallas Cowboys Should Rope the True Cowboy

Fragile Felix has done it again.

Dallas running back Felix Jones sustained a high ankle sprain in the game against the New England Patriots last Sunday and will be sidelined for the next 2-4 weeks—Until his next injury.

DeMarco Murray took the reins on the backfield after Jones went out in the second quarter. Murray gained 32 yards on 10 carries. Nothing special. Especially against the Patriots' not-so-tough run defense.

According to Dallas, Tashard Choice is a perennial backup running back. Dallas has never given Choice a true shot at being a primary runner. In fact, there were rumors that Choice was available for trade before Jones went down in Week 6.

Murray would be a solid compliment to Peyton Hillis as a third down or change-of-pace back. Hillis is a 6'2", 250-pound bruiser, while Murray is 6'0" on his tippy-toes and weighs 213 pounds after a buffet. 

Prior to this season, the Cowboys didn't envision Murray as a featured runner, and they shouldn't now. Trading for Hillis would make the Cowboys establish a solid running game; something they haven't had in a long time.

Bengals Should Bump Benson

Let's face it, Bengals running back Cedric Benson is one good weekend away from another suspension. Only the Cincinnati organization wants that type of guy on their roster. 

While the Bengals are a magnet for the character challenged, they shouldn't stand for Benson's cement feet.

In 2010, Benson averaged a plodding 3.5 yards per carry. Sure he reached over 1,000 yards, but it took him 321 carries to get there. The Bengals have a solid offensive line and he should do better.

Well, he's not doing better. This year, Benson is gaining 3.9 yards every time they give him the rock. This, despite playing against some of the worst run defenses in the league.

Benson has faced the 27th, 23rd, 2nd, 29th, 19th and 30th run defenses respectively, and he's done nothing with those opportunities.

Hillis would be an improvement upon the Benson Batterer. 

Hillis to the Detroit Lions

Not only did the Detroit Lions lose the game to the San Francisco 49ers this past Sunday, they lost their dynamic running back Jahvid Best.

Best suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter. This is Best's second concussion this year; suffering his first during training camp. Best also had a severe concussion (if there is a distinction in concussions) in college that knocked him out of the last four games of his senior season.

Picking up the slack for the Lions backfield is Maurice Morris.

Morris is a few weeks away from his 32nd birthday and hasn't shown a burst lately. During the final eight games last year, Morris took over for a hurt Best and averaged 9.8 carries and 40.7 yards per game. 

With the Lions being a true Superbowl contender, they need to shore up their backfield and Hillis is the answer. Defenses would be forced to respect the run and open things up for an already incredible aerial assault.