Bronson Hill has had a tough road in his NFL career thus far. The running back from Eastern Michigan went undrafted in 2015, and wasn't signed by a team until the Buffalo Bills brought him in for training camp last August. As is the case for most undrafted free agents, he didn't make the team. But, Hill spent time on the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, and New Orleans Saints' practice squads during the season.
After the Bengals lost running backs Terrell Watson and James Wilder Jr., who were both on the practice squad last year, the team was in need of some offseason depth at the running back position and signed Hill after the 2015 season concluded. Hill now finds himself looking for a spot in Cincinnati among a backfield that's already stocked with talent with little room to push a veteran out of the way for a roster spot. Coincidentally, Hill is also the second running back on the roster by that name and the younger player can only hope to be like the Bengals' third year Hill (Jeremy).
Let's get to know Hill and evaluate his (small) chances of making the roster this fall.
Player Info
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 215 lbs.
College: Eastern Michigan University
Position: Running back
Age: 23
Pro Day: 40-yard dash: 4.46 seconds. Vertical jump: 35 inches.
Contract Status:
As you can see below, Hill is getting what you'd expect in a contract for someone who's, at best, a long-shot at making the 53-man roster. According to Over The Cap, he's in an eight-way tie for the lowest-paid running back in the league.
2016 Stock:
They say that competition can bring out the best in someone's performance, so maybe that could be the case for Hill. He has Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard, Cedric Peerman and Rex Burkhead ahead of him in the backfield right now, and he'll probably be fighting for a practice squad spot with Dyshawn Mobley and Tra Carson, so he's got a lot of work to do to find his spot on the roster. If he's someone who likes competition, he's going to have a lot of it this offseason and preseason. Plus, he'll be around a great dynamic duo of Bernard and Hill, so they may be able to help him raise his game.
At the same time, it's hard to get better at something when you don't get many opportunities. With so many players in the backfield, he's going to be sharing reps, and he'll probably have a low usage rate given his spot on the totem pole. He hasn't been able to prove that he's more than a practice squad player in the NFL yet, so it's not likely that the Bengals will be looking to give him a lot of action in the preseason over the guys who have been on their roster for years as well as the rookies who they need to better evaluate.
Chances of making the roster:
While a practice squad spot may be attainable for Hill (and that's not even a certainty), his chances are slim to none at making the 53-man roster. There's at least five or six players ahead of him and he's not likely to move his way past any of them. Hill and Bernard are locks and the future at the position, and Peerman and Burkhead are almost locks to come in behind the dynamic duo at #3 and #4 on the depth chart. And even if Burkhead or Peerman fall, or Burkhead plays more of a receiver role, DyShawn Mobley or Tra Carson would still be the more favorable selections as backs to take on a roster spot.