Lammey: CJ Anderson focused on producing for Broncos in 2017
Jun 1, 2017, 9:17 PM
Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson has been through his share of ups and downs during his tenure with the team.
Anderson came out of the University of California-Berkley as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and had to work his way up the depth chart.
In 2015, after leading the NFL in postseason rushing — and helping Denver win Super Bowl 50 — Anderson entered 2016 as the clear-cut starter for the Broncos.
But a knee injury, which he suffered during his 107-yard performance in Week 7 against the Houston Texans, required surgery, which knocked him out for the remainder of the season.
He’s healthy now, but Anderson enters the 2017 campaign with more questions than last year.
Can he win the starting job?
The top running back role is an open competition according to head coach Vance Joseph. Anderson will have to fend off second-year pro Devontae Booker and star veteran Jamaal Charles.
Booker looks more comfortable in the power-gap system the Broncos will use this year, while Charles waits for his chance to showcase what he’s got left after missing most of the last two seasons with a knee injury.
Competition is not bad — or new — according to Anderson.
“We’re all going to get the opportunity to make plays. That’s what I’ve been telling people, and that’s the truth,” Anderson said this week. “We’re all going to get the chance to make plays.
“When No. 22 (Anderson) is in the game, No. 22 has to make plays. When Jamaal is in the game, he has to make plays, Book (Booker), etc. We’re all going to have the opportunity to make plays. Just when you make plays is what matters.”
And running back by committee is nothing new to the fifth-year pro.
“We played three when it was Knowshon (Moreno), Montee (Ball), Ronnie (Hillman). We played three when it was me, Montee and Ronnie. It’s the same,” Anderson said. “Now, it’s just me, Jamaal and Book.”
Can he stay healthy for a full season?
Anderson has never played a full 16-game season during his pro career. He’s gotten close, playing in 15 games in 2014 and 2015, but even during those years, he was either a bench player early (2014) or a little banged up (2015).
The language of the NFL is money. And with a $3 million cap hit in 2017, the team believes Anderson can do it.
And he’s helping himself by cycling around the city to get into top shape.
“I just think conditioning is a big part, which is why I got into cycling,” Anderson said. “I think endurance helps me a lot more, but as far as staying on the field for 16 games, I think I’ve been there.”
Now, producing for a full season, Anderson said, is a “different story.”
“Not just stay on the field, and hey, No. 22 (Anderson) is on the field. I want to be productive while I’m on the field for those 16 games. That’s the whole plan this year,” Anderson said.
“It’s not the fact of just staying healthy. Staying healthy is always the big key, but it’s not just staying healthy and being out there with my teammates. If I’m not making any plays, there’s no point. So, the goal is to be productive through those 16 games.”
How does he fit in the new offense?
Anderson learned how to fit in the zone-blocking system under former head coach Gary Kubiak, and has experience working in an offense similar to that of current offensive coordinator Mike McCoy.
In 2013, McCoy left his role as Denver’s offensive coordinator to become the head coach of the San Diego Chargers. Adam Gase replaced McCoy and utilized much of the same philosophy and terminology.
Now that McCoy is back, things look familiar to Anderson.
“A lot of it is carry-over. Myself, Emmanuel (Sanders), and Demaryius (Thomas) have all played in this offense, so that’s a good thing. We have some familiarity of it,” Anderson said.
“It helps us play fast at practice, but there are some things that we still have to know and still have to do. That’s the reason why we’re sitting here in OTAs.”
After talking to Anderson, it’s clear he’s focused on the right things for the upcoming year.
He’s got one job, and there’s no doubt in his mind what that entails.
“I have one job. That’s move the chains, get the first down, make the plays, and help my team win,” Anderson said. “The energy will come from there.”
