Willis McGahee ineffective on passing downs

Broncos RB Willis McGahee has never been considered a talented passing-down back.  And Pro Football Focus has the numbers to back it up.  Over the past 3 seasons, only 4 RBs have averaged fewer yards per pass route run.  That's a metric that measures per-play effectiveness by simply dividing a player's receiving yards by the number of plays he went out for a pass.  McGahee has been one of the least efficient pass-catching backs in the NFL.  He's also struggled in pass protection, finishing outside the top-25 in PFF's blocking rankings in each of the last 3 years.  McGahee's short-comings both as a pass-catcher and blocker are a concern considering QB Peyton Manning's arrival in Denver.  Manning's Colts offenses required an adept passing-down back, and he'll likely need the same with the Broncos.  McGahee remains the favorite to lead Denver's backfield in touches, but he could lose a significant number of snaps to Ronnie Hillman and/or Knowshon Moreno, who are both better passing-down backs.