Denver Broncos: Matching offer for C.J. Anderson was a must
By Nick Ziegler
The Denver Broncos were able to win the Super Bowl in 2015 with a great run in the playoffs, but they have had a few big hits this offseason.
Peyton Manning was a shell of himself for most of the 2015 season, but he was able to win his second Super Bowl behind a great Broncos’ defense, which shut down the Carolina Panthers in the big game. Manning made the right decision to hang up the cleats after the win against the Panthers, as his best days were clearly behind him.
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The Broncos thought they had their future quarterback in Brock Osweiler behind Manning, but as a free agent this offseason, he cashed in with the Houston Texans and left the Broncos without a quarterback. With limited options in the offseason, the Broncos made a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire Mark Sanchez. With the New York Jets, Sanchez was able to find success with a great defense, and he will try to do the same in Denver.
With a few key players being free agents this offseason, the Broncos nearly saw the projected starting quarterback and running back leave in the same offseason. The Miami Dolphins offered restricted free agent, C.J. Anderson a deal that they thought would land them the 25-year-old running back to replace Lamar Miller. Instead of letting him go to the Dolphins, the Broncos matched the offer the Dolphins made to retain the running back.
After the loss of Osweiler, the Broncos had no choice but to match the offer made to Anderson, who has been a sparkplug for the Broncos down the stretch the last few seasons. In 35 games with the Broncos, Anderson has totaled 338 carries, 1,607 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 4.8 yards per carry average.
The numbers aren’t massive for Anderson, but he has played his best when the Broncos have needed him most. In 2014, Anderson took control of the starting running back job at the mid-point of the season, and then had a terrific season half of the season. After Week 10 in 2014, Anderson totaled 648 rushing yards in six games and helped the Broncos make the playoffs. Even though the Broncos lost to the Colts in the playoffs, Anderson played well with 80 rushing yards on the ground.
It was a relatively quiet season for Anderson in 2015, but he once again got it going at the end of the season, as he finished 73 rushing yards on nine carries in Week 16, and then 95 rushing yards in Week 17. With Manning being limited in the playoffs, the Broncos needed Anderson to be an effective running back in the playoffs, and he was able to do just that.
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In three games in the postseason, Anderson totaled 234 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and a 4.3 yards per carry average. Anderson totaling over 70 rushing yards in all three playoff games was key to helping them secure a title.
The four-year, $18 million deal may seem a bit steep for a running back that hasn’t totaled over 1,000 rushing yards in a season, but keeping Anderson was a must for the Broncos.