Broncos Bring Back C.J. Anderson: Ryan Edwards

Broncos Bring Back CJ Anderson

Ryan Edwards

In a surprise move by John Elway and the Broncos Tuesday afternoon, Denver decided to match C.J. Anderson’s offer sheet from the Miami Dolphins. Anderson’s contract with the Broncos is now for 4 years $18 million with a $5.25 million signing bonus. He will make a total of $6 million this season.

Broncos have informed RB CJ Anderson they are matching Miami's offer sheet, per source. He stays in Denver.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2016

It’s an unexpected move by the Broncos because most thought they didn’t have any intention of bringing Anderson back based on the low, right of first refusal, tender they placed on him. Typically, if an organization wants to retain a restricted free agent, they place a 2nd round tender on him to avoid competing with suitors. The 2nd round tender means that a team would have to give up a 2nd round pick if the original team decided not to match the offer sheet. If the Broncos had spent a little under $900K more for the 2nd round tender, C.J. Anderson would have been with the Broncos on a 1-year deal for around $2.55 million. Now, the Broncos will pay him $6 million this season. As Mike Klis points out, it’s a good thing they just saved $3.5 million renegotiating DeMarcus Ware’s contract.

DeMarcus Ware's $3.5 million paycut offsets $3.45 million mistake Broncos made with low tender to C.J. Anderson. #9news #9sports

— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) March 15, 2016

Simply put, this looks to be the first misstep of John Elway’s otherwise impressive tenure as the Broncos GM. He could’ve had C.J. for a reasonable contract if he placed the 2nd round tender on him this season but instead, he will now have to pay him as a top 4 running back. If the Broncos had no intention of bringing him back, use the low, right of first refusal, tender (like they did) and when a team like the Dolphins offers to pay him, let him walk. What the Broncos have done here is very confusing. It’s possible Elway made this move because he was tired of watching the players from his Super Bowl team leave. In fact, as a result of players like Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan leaving, it allowed the Broncos to afford Anderson. For what it’s worth, C.J. Anderson epitomizes Elway’s edict of having players here that “want to be Denver Broncos.”

Here is the breakdown of C.J. Anderson’s new contract with the Broncos:

2016: $5.25 million signing bonus due March 31st* (guaranteed), $675,000 salary (guaranteed) and $100,000 workout bonus for a total of $6 million

2017: $2.9 million ($1.7 million guaranteed) and $100,000 workout bonus for a total of $3 million

2018: $4.5 million (not guaranteed)

2019: $4.5 million (not guaranteed)

*The $5.25 million signing bonus is prorated over 4 seasons so the cap hit isn’t as severe now but will go up after this season. 2016: $2.081 million, 2017: $4.3 million, 2018: $5.8 million, 2019: $5.8 million (via OverTheCap)

No matter how we got here, C.J. Anderson remains a Denver Bronco. He’s a career 4.7 ypc running back who is a very proficient pass blocker and receiver out of the backfield. Last season he had 152 carries for 720 yards and 5 TDs. He was definitely affected by turf toe and ankle injuries early in 2015 but seemed to rebound following the bye week to finish the season as the Broncos’ most effective running back. It’s GOOD to have a guy like C.J. Anderson on this roster for many reasons, despite the criticism of how John Elway handled his RFA tender.

.@markschlereth tells @wingoz that he thinks this is a panic move from the Broncos. https://t.co/Boac106C7H

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 15, 2016

Was this a panic move by John Elway, as Mark Schlereth suggested on ESPN? Perhaps. After all, the Broncos are still looking to add a QB to the roster to compete with Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian. It’s not often you see a GM flinch but Tuesday’s move by Elway should be characterized that way. Unless, of course, you buy what he told the media Tuesday afternoon that they wanted to see what Anderson’s market value was. That excuse feels a bit too convenient, under the circumstances. If a team values a restricted free agent and wants him back, they will place the 2nd round tender on him. The Broncos placed that tender on RFA Brandon Marshall. Why didn’t they want to see what his market value was too? The point is, including the Broncos, there were NINE teams interested in C.J. There was no way he was coming back here without the Broncos matching a larger contract and they had to have known that.

Ultimately, C.J. is a really good guy, a leader and a complete running back. The Broncos can use him on this team as they recently lost one of the all-time team leaders in QB Peyton Manning. Anderson can help out on offense with the future QB and, when healthy, effectively carry this team on his back. Over the past two years, he has been a big reason the Broncos saw as much success as they did. Even if we don’t agree with the way it happened, the Broncos are a better team with C.J. Anderson on the roster.

Ryan Edwards

@ryanedwards1043

TOP PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports