Peyton Hillis to workout for Tampa Bay Bucs

Remember when Peyton Hillis was the “next big thing” as a running back for the Cleveland Browns?

It seems like just yesterday that Hillis was running for nearly 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2011 with the Browns, but after coming out of virtual obscurity (he was a pure fullback at Arkansas, playing alongside Darren McFadden and Felix Jones), he has returned to such invisibility in the two years following his breakout campaign.

Hillis was unsuccessful in an attempt to secure a long-term deal with the Browns, and as such, he was quickly run out of Cleveland. In the two seasons following his breakout, he has rushed for a total of just 896 yards and 1 touchdown, but his shortcomings have leaned heavily on a lack of health versus faulty on-field performance.

It seems as if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are banking on a clean bill of health for Hillis, as Jenna Laine of SportsTalkFlorida.com is reporting that the team will bring Hillis in for a tryout on Tuesday. The Bucs have an “open” roster spot in the aftermath of the Eric Wright disaster, and after Doug Martin, the team isn’t terribly deep in the backfield.

At his best, Hillis presents a dynamic, versatile player who can play fullback, catch the ball out of the backfield, and perform effectively in short yardage situations. However, this could be his final chance to be a legitimate NFL contributor, and he would be wise to make the most of this sudden opportunity in Tampa Bay.