tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Hillis Situation Reflects Badly On Browns

This past week, Mike Holmgren indicated that there was nothing new to report on the Peyton Hillis situation. Hillis currently makes $650,000 a year and his contract runs out at the end of the season. He has indicated that he loves Cleveland. He is the sort of players that blue collar Browns fans can relate to and he is the type of back you need on cold November-December days when protecting a lead. Yet, from where I sit it appears that the Browns may be willing to let Hillis go at the end of this year.

Holmgren indicated that the team had no intention of trading the bruising back nor were they thinking about franchising him. He basically said that the Browns would seek Hillis' services but the running back will have the ability to explore all options. To be honest with you I don't get it.

Probably one of the most dominating drive that the Browns have had since they have come back was last year against the Patriots. After New England had scored in the fourth quarter to cut into the Browns lead, the offense got the ball and it would be imperative to run off some time on the clock to leave Tom Brady as little time as possible to mount a comeback. The Browns mounted an 11 play drive which saw Hillis carry the ball 9 times and rip off chunks of yards including a touchdown which put the game away for the Browns. It was the type of running that the Browns have not seen since Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner.

Somehow I'm not so sure that Pat Shurmur is all that enamored with Hillis and Holmgren & Company must feel that he is not a fit for their West Coast offense. An offense that has been putrid this season. If you are ultimately going to let one of your best players go after the season, why not trade him for a draft pick. Certainly the Browns need more talented players. But that's why this whole thing makes absolutely no sense. You have a player who wants to stay in Cleveland. A player who has talent. A player who the fans can identify with yet the team does not seem to be all that interested. I can't understand it. But then again, it's difficult to understand anything that this team has done since 1999.