Hillman is in danger of losing his roster spot, 9news.com reports.
Hillman was clearly a part of Denver's 2016 plans back in mid-April when he signed a one-year, $2 million contract that included $500,000 in full guarantees -- pretty good money for a backup running back. There actually hasn't been any indication that the team's opinion of Hillman has changed since that time, but he did catch an unlucky break when Devontae Booker fell to the Broncos at No. 136 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Broncos might have even drafted Booker earlier if they didn't already have Hillman on the roster, as GM John Elway said the former Utah standout was the second-ranked running back on his team's board. Unfortunately for Hillman, the fourth-round rookie has lived up to the Broncos' lofty expectations during training camp, emerging as the favorite to serve as C.J. Anderson's top backup. While the Broncos may have valued Hillman at $2 million when he was expected to be the No. 2 running back, his cap hit is rather hefty for a third-stringer, even if the team thinks he's good enough to be the No. 2 on most teams. With $1.4 million of his contract not yet paid and not guaranteed, Hillman is competing for a roster spot against 2014 UDFA Kapri Bibbs, who has a cap hit of just $525,000. The only good news for Hillman is that his (possible) release would appear to be motivated by cap concerns rather than performance issues, which could make it easier to catch on with another team. He might also consider accepting a pay cut to stay in Denver.