With an estimated 15 pounds of muscle added this offseason, Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman told NFL Network he believes he can handle being the primary rushing option this season ahead of veteran Knowshon Moreno and rookie Montee Ball.
"Of course you hear [criticism]," Hillman said about being too small to handle the amount of reps a starting running back gets. "I'm not going to sit here and say I don't hear what they say, but you just got to let it go. Obviously, getting 22 carries in negative-13 degree weather against the Ravens (in the divisional playoffs), they shouldn't have much else to say about that if they're paying attention."
Hillman noted that he's actually younger than Ball and that the coaches would prefer he slim down 5-10 pounds. Perhaps the weight issue is because the team doesn't want him to trade his explosiveness for his bulk.