Former Badgers With The Most At Stake During NFL Training Camp

Oct 5, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos running back Montee Ball (28) runs the ball during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Montee Ball, RB, Denver Broncos

I hate to use the b-word, but let’s face it. Montee Ball has been a bust so far. In his rookie season, Ball was disappointing, often riding the bench due to a case of the fumbles. In his second year, Ball was riddled with injuries, appearing in only 5 games. When he did play, he was clearly one of the weakest starting running backs in the NFL.

Wisconsin Badgers

Unlike many, I’m confident he can turn his career around. He has too much talent and heart to produce so little in the NFL. But if he’s going to become a force in the league, it is going to need to start with a strong training camp performance.

As of now, C.J Anderson is the favorite to win the starting running back job. Ball, along with veteran Ronnie Hillman, is close behind. If Ball has a good training camp, he can win the starting job from the less talented Anderson.

With an aging Peyton Manning, the Bronco’s will run the ball a ton. If Ball wins the starting job, he can easily rush for over 1,000 yards and reignite his career. Even if he loses the battle to Anderson, being the back-up on a run heavy team isn’t the worst thing in the world.

However, if injuries and fumbles continue to hinder Ball, he could fall behind Hillman on the depth chart. If that were to happen, he would probably be cut. So I’m not exaggerating when I say that his training camp performance will make or break his career.

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