The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released running back Peyton Hillis, according to Jenna Laine of Sports Talk Florida.
Hillis was signed in the offseason as a backup but he fell to fourth on the depth chart behind Doug Martin, Brian Leonard and Mike James. He didn't play a single snap in the first two games and was inactive for last week's loss to the New Orleans Saints.
A former seventh-round pick with the Denver Broncos, Hillis' best year came in 2010 for the Cleveland Browns. He rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns and made the cover of Madden. It's been all downhill from there--the Browns let him walk after the 2011 season and he was strictly a backup for the Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for just 309 yards on 85 carries. The Bucs were his third team in as many years. Hillis suffered a hyperextended knee in the preseason and rushed 38 times for 147 yards.
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