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Montee Ball - Surprise Surgery Today


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I got him at #16 in my 12 team standard scoring re-draft league after locking up Jimmy Graham so very happy with that.

 

The problem with handcuffing him is with whom? Anderson or Hillman? I drafted Hillman last year after he was supposed to be the starter and got Moreno nabbed off me before I could draft him so I'm a bit bitter :sad:

Edited by Dolphin_Akie
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I hear ya. I like Demaryius to finish as WR1 this year fwiw. Ball, Murray, and Bell are all equal to me. I'd rather pick DT and then take whichever RB is left after the turn. You can have one of the RBs, Dez, or Gronk. I really like that 6 or 7 spot this year as it's the best slot to end up with 2 studs.

 

 

Bell I could see but I don't like his ability to stay healthy and Murray is nowhere in sight to me

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I meant to say I'm considering DT next to Ball, haven't had draft yet.

 

What health concerns are there with Ball? Young guy, doesn't have much tread on the tires. Because of appendectomy? Don't think that's an issue. And not worried about handcuff necessarily. Seems like Ball is their guy. feel like Denver will go back to giving someone 250+ carries. Just the feeling I get. Moreno was close at 241.

 

If I take DT at 6, I most likely am not going RB coming back; none of those guys stand out to me and are not the "studs" that you talked about BA. I do like the 6 spot the more I look at it. I just would feel more comfortable taking another stud WR, less risk.

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And by risks I mean whatever starting running backs are left on the board. I often get stuck with some doozies. But I consider Montee a doozy. A doozy with a productive offense, but still a doozy. We don't know yet if he can pass block. He fumbles. He's not a great receiver. None of these are good traits to have on a pass-first team that has an old quarterback you want to protect. He is just as likely to be part of a committee as he is to be the starter.

 

 

Fumbling is often an issue with rookies. ..I remember when that was the knock on Deuce McAllister. ... he rarely fumbled after his rookie season. .

Edited by Avernus
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Moreno was not a very successful RB before coming to Denver where he finished as the 5th RB.

 

He was drafted by Denver.

 

michaelredd - Moreno got 241 carries last year. Do you not think Ball will get around that many carries, if not more? If he does, he will be a top 10 back. And if that's the case, he's a 1st/2nd round pick. He surely isn't a 4th or 5th round pick. And he won't be going that late in any league.

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Ball was not the guy last year Moreno was which is why they got him from Miami.

Moreno was not a very successful RB before coming to Denver where he finished as the 5th RB.

 

kept scratching my head at slgseth's comments as well....Moreno was drafted by and played his entire career with Denver until this year. He merely had injury problems in the past. He was not acquired from Miami or mediocre "before he got to Denver"

 

I keep going back and forth on Ball....I feel like Hillman is the guy to own over CJ Anderson. I think Hillman gets rotated in plenty but with the fire power of this offense and Ball getting the majority of the touches he should still easily be a RB1. I think he finishes top 12 if he is healthy but not top 5.

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kept scratching my head at slgseth's comments as well....Moreno was drafted by and played his entire career with Denver until this year. He merely had injury problems in the past. He was not acquired from Miami or mediocre "before he got to Denver"

 

I keep going back and forth on Ball....I feel like Hillman is the guy to own over CJ Anderson. I think Hillman gets rotated in plenty but with the fire power of this offense and Ball getting the majority of the touches he should still easily be a RB1. I think he finishes top 12 if he is healthy but not top 5.

 

Any RB who gets the majority of the carries on a great offense and stays healthy should hover around the top 5....if he doesn't then he shared a lot or was benched.

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I keep going back and forth on Ball....I feel like Hillman is the guy to own over CJ Anderson. I think Hillman gets rotated in plenty but with the fire power of this offense and Ball getting the majority of the touches he should still easily be a RB1. I think he finishes top 12 if he is healthy but not top 5.

 

 

I think this is right. Ball will lead, Hillman will be change of pace, and Anderson is the backup to Ball. I think Hillman could have flex value regardless of Ball's health, but his value will only increase a little if Ball goes down. Anderson is the handcuff.

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I think this is right. Ball will lead, Hillman will be change of pace, and Anderson is the backup to Ball. I think Hillman could have flex value regardless of Ball's health, but his value will only increase a little if Ball goes down. Anderson is the handcuff.

 

 

Actually I think it's going to be Hillman that's the backup. Reports I've read say he's playing really well and the fact that he held on to the ball and blocked well last night are going to help him stay as the #2.

 

It's interesting that the entire off season and through training camp Ball has been proclaimed the guy. This has never waivered at all. You have to know that the protection of Manning is #1 by far and Ball has really stepped up in that category from what I've read. I hope that is the case and we don't get another surprise this year.

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Actually I think it's going to be Hillman that's the backup. Reports I've read say he's playing really well and the fact that he held on to the ball and blocked well last night are going to help him stay as the #2.

 

It's interesting that the entire off season and through training camp Ball has been proclaimed the guy. This has never waivered at all. You have to know that the protection of Manning is #1 by far and Ball has really stepped up in that category from what I've read. I hope that is the case and we don't get another surprise this year.

 

 

Agreed but also the only surprise last year was Moreno not letting Fox demote him on the depth chart by playing lights out. .. he never gave Ball a chance to step in.

 

Moreno blocked and ran exceptionally well

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Actually I think it's going to be Hillman that's the backup. Reports I've read say he's playing really well and the fact that he held on to the ball and blocked well last night are going to help him stay as the #2.

 

It's interesting that the entire off season and through training camp Ball has been proclaimed the guy. This has never waivered at all. You have to know that the protection of Manning is #1 by far and Ball has really stepped up in that category from what I've read. I hope that is the case and we don't get another surprise this year.

 

As a Denver homer I hear a lot of sports radio. I've heard the comment Hillman has "baby hands" and it's why he fumbles. IMO, Ball is the RB#1 all day, while Hillman is the change of pace RB. If Ball were to get hurt, I think Hillman would continue the same role while Anderson takes over for Ball.

 

I went to the Bronco/Raider game last year and was in the 8th row, so I had a good look at the players. When Hillman was standing next to Peyton, he looked like someone let a little kid on the field. Moreno and Ball are big backs, while Hillman is a different kind of back. C J Anderson is also a big back.

 

Another thing to consider is blowouts. If the Broncos are ahead by 20, do you think they'll risk injury to Ball? I don't think so, as I would guess Anderson comes in to fill for him and Hillman is used the same way when Ball is in. The concussion thing is troubling, but hopefully won't keep him out of the regular season. Having one concussion in a season isn't the end of the world, but if it happens again it may be.

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I just paid for my Huddle subscription, so I took a peek at the rankings. Number 4 for Montee?!?!? Et tu, DMD? How can you put so much faith into a player who may get beat out for the starting job by the time the season starts? And over a guy like Adrian Peterson?

 

who's going to beat him out?

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As a Denver homer I hear a lot of sports radio. I've heard the comment Hillman has "baby hands" and it's why he fumbles. IMO, Ball is the RB#1 all day, while Hillman is the change of pace RB. If Ball were to get hurt, I think Hillman would continue the same role while Anderson takes over for Ball.

 

I went to the Bronco/Raider game last year and was in the 8th row, so I had a good look at the players. When Hillman was standing next to Peyton, he looked like someone let a little kid on the field. Moreno and Ball are big backs, while Hillman is a different kind of back. C J Anderson is also a big back.

 

Another thing to consider is blowouts. If the Broncos are ahead by 20, do you think they'll risk injury to Ball? I don't think so, as I would guess Anderson comes in to fill for him and Hillman is used the same way when Ball is in. The concussion thing is troubling, but hopefully won't keep him out of the regular season. Having one concussion in a season isn't the end of the world, but if it happens again it may be.

 

 

This.

 

Hillman isn't built to do what Denver wants the RB1 to do. He will surely see an incremental uptick if Ball were out, but his role wouldn't change. Anderson would fill in Ball's role, and the role would likely be reduced a little.

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As a Denver homer I hear a lot of sports radio. I've heard the comment Hillman has "baby hands" and it's why he fumbles. IMO, Ball is the RB#1 all day, while Hillman is the change of pace RB. If Ball were to get hurt, I think Hillman would continue the same role while Anderson takes over for Ball.

 

I went to the Bronco/Raider game last year and was in the 8th row, so I had a good look at the players. When Hillman was standing next to Peyton, he looked like someone let a little kid on the field. Moreno and Ball are big backs, while Hillman is a different kind of back. C J Anderson is also a big back.

 

Another thing to consider is blowouts. If the Broncos are ahead by 20, do you think they'll risk injury to Ball? I don't think so, as I would guess Anderson comes in to fill for him and Hillman is used the same way when Ball is in. The concussion thing is troubling, but hopefully won't keep him out of the regular season. Having one concussion in a season isn't the end of the world, but if it happens again it may be.

 

 

Good stuff.

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Good question. But the same thing could have been said last year. Montee failed at pass protection last year and was usurped by a veteran during camp. Peyton's health is too important to risk on blown assignments. Hillman is a veteran, but also is bad at pass protection and he fumbles, so it's hard to see him winning the job outright. Anderson just had a concussion and is young, but still could be a dark horse to win the job if Montee doesn't pass protect. "Reports out of camp" that Montee has improved at pass protection could just be to boost his ego. And losing a couple of weeks of camp won't help his development. Montee will probably be the starter or will it be a committee? John Fox's history has not been kind to young, talented running backs so I'm avoiding the risk. It's hard to consistently make the fantasy playoffs when you take 50/50 gambles in the first round.

 

This is a good point, as J.J Watt is listed at 289 pounds. A stump like Ball or Anderson at least has a chance to block him, but Hillman at 195 (probably 190) just doesn't have the beef to protect Manning. IMO, the Broncos are too thin at RB this year. They rely on the passing game, which means one of the key roles is to protect Manning on non-running downs. On top of that, you can't fumble. Fumbles and Manning on his back will decide who plays. While I like Ball, I agree it's a very risky pick and the doghouse has a short leash.

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Good question. But the same thing could have been said last year. Montee failed at pass protection last year and was usurped by a veteran during camp. Peyton's health is too important to risk on blown assignments. Hillman is a veteran, but also is bad at pass protection and he fumbles, so it's hard to see him winning the job outright. Anderson just had a concussion and is young, but still could be a dark horse to win the job if Montee doesn't pass protect. "Reports out of camp" that Montee has improved at pass protection could just be to boost his ego. And losing a couple of weeks of camp won't help his development. Montee will probably be the starter or will it be a committee? John Fox's history has not been kind to young, talented running backs so I'm avoiding the risk. It's hard to consistently make the fantasy playoffs when you take 50/50 gambles in the first round.

 

 

I think that Peyton's health is too important to them to be playing psychological gangs with a RB who hasn't really improved at pass protection. ....

 

I mean we are talking about a QB who almost had to retire a couple seasons ago because of his neck...I don't see much risk here at all...

 

I just picked up my huddle membership last week also and was glad to see my bias confirmed with Ball ranked 5th....

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Does anyone really think they would allow Moreno to leave if they did not have confidence in Ball? Hillman has two years of proof he is not up to the task. Anderson ended up with seven carries and no catches last year. It seems pretty obvious that they are comfortable with Ball as the starting RB.

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Does anyone really think they would allow Moreno to leave if they did not have confidence in Ball? Hillman has two years of proof he is not up to the task. Anderson ended up with seven carries and no catches last year. It seems pretty obvious that they are comfortable with Ball as the starting RB.

 

 

Exactly, Ball's gonna be a stud.

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I can understand some apprehension with taking Ball in the 1st or early 2nd. He hasn't proven much of anything in the NFL. He did look much improved in the 2nd half of last season, albeit in a backup role.

 

One thing should be understood. Moreno is a mid-level talent. He put up great numbers once he was the unquestioned starter, but anyone who watched closely saw a mid-level talent with good instincts that could pass protect. The reason that people are so high on ball is the history for a PManning back's productivity. It's possible that Ball is the most talented back Manning has had since Edge. Manning's history coupled with Ball's untapped potential makes him have more upside than anyone outside of the top 4 RB's.

 

I think the pass protection issue is being blown way out of proportion. Like others have said, there's no way Denver would go into the season with montee unless they were sure he would would be able to protect manning. Did you notice how much money Den shelled out in FA?

 

I have Charles, Ball and Gio in a 10 player keeper. I have been talking trade the last couple of months and initially I wanted to move Ball, but I have shifted to Gio, I do feel Gio is safer, but the upside of Ball in that offense as a true bell cow RB is just to much to overlook.

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I could agree with especially the John Fox part if the Broncos had another player that resembled an NFL running back. If the bench ball they may as well go 5 wide with no backs because every other one besides ball flat out sucks

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