CJ Anderson Has Earned Spot as Future Feature Back in Denver

The Denver Broncos have found a star at the running back position.

C.J. Anderson emerged as one of the best backs in the NFL after beginning the season as a backup player for the Broncos. There were actually three starting running backs for the Broncos in 2014 over the course of the season, but Anderson easily had the most success.

Montee Ball was the team’s second-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft. After backing up Knowshon Moreno as a rookie, Ball began the 2014 season as the starter. A groin injury in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals essentially ended his season.

Ronnie Hillman then stepped into the starter’s role. A third-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft, Hillman’s speed makes him a dangerous player in space. He had a couple of good games, but a foot injury against the Oakland Raiders in Week 10 opened the door for Anderson to take over as the lead back.

Over the last six games of the season, Anderson led the NFL in rushing yards with 648 and rushing touchdowns with eight. His power and quickness helped propel the Broncos offense during the last half of the season. Anderson proved himself as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield each week.

Denver learned they could count on Anderson, and as the season went on they counted on him more and more.

In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Anderson ran hard against the Indianapolis Colts. The Broncos lost, but Anderson finished the game with 18 carries for 80 yards and six catches for 29 yards.

Now that the season is over, Anderson is looking forward to his time off.

“Take some time off, get back to grinding and try to come back and be better. I’ve just got to be better. I had a crazy last 10 weeks, and let’s just try to put it together for 17 weeks next postseason and go from there.”

After the Colts game, John Fox and the Broncos decided to mutually part ways. Currently, the Broncos are among the six teams still looking for a head coach.

So what happens next—and who enters the 2015 season as the starting running back?

C.J. Anderson has earned a spot as the feature back in Denver.

Here we take a look at the competitors Anderson will (and could) face for the job in 2015.

Ronnie Hillman

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

In 2014, Hillman had the best season of his pro career. He got a starting opportunity after Ball’s groin injury knocked him out of the lineup and flashed in a couple of games.

His speed was a welcome addition to the Broncos offense—especially when they used tempo as a weapon. Hillman is dangerous in the open field and was able to take advantage of defenses spread out to defend the Broncos passing game.

He’s not your classic banger between the tackles, and Hillman struggled to move the chains up the middle in short-yardage situations. His limited effectiveness means there are only certain plays and formations where Hillman can best succeed.

In 2015, Hillman enters the final year of his rookie contract. He is signed for a price of $942,708 for this upcoming year—a very acceptable number for a back with his skills.

We found out in 2014 that Hillman could not hold up under a large workload. Because of that, it’s best for the Broncos to keep him around as a change-of-pace back behind Anderson.

Montee Ball

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

At the start of the 2014 season, Ball was anointed the starter for the Broncos. A ruptured appendix suffered in training camp caused him to miss most of the preseason. Ball returned to start for the team in Week 1 but never really impressed on the field.

He showed up to training camp at about 225 pounds; Ball told me at the time that the increased weight was in anticipation of a larger role. With the added pounds, Ball looked sluggish and not as explosive as he did as a rookie.

After the appendectomy, Ball trimmed down to around 215 pounds. This was around the playing weight he sustained during his record-setting college career at Wisconsin. He still wasn’t overly impressive, and the groin injury against the Cardinals ended his season.

Ball still has two years remaining on his rookie contract. In 2015, Ball will have a cap hit of $944,816 with $617,287 left in dead money.

It’s too soon to call Ball a bust. If healthy, he should be able to flash as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield. Ball is not as powerful or as quick as Anderson, so his role with the team might only be a part-time one.

Juwan Thompson

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

The Broncos picked up Thompson as an undrafted free agent after the 2014 NFL draft. Thompson was a fullback and a linebacker in college at Duke, and his knowledge of the David Cutcliffe system made him a valuable asset for the Broncos.

Thompson made the final roster in 2014 and was able to produce in a small, part-time role for the Broncos. He’s a true power back who loves to run over defenders and initiate contact. These big-collision plays (that Thompson won) made him an nearly instant fan favorite.

In 2015, Thompson is only due $510,000, and there is zero dead money owed.

Many Broncos fans would like to see more from Thompson, but the reality is that he’s likely to remain a part-time player. He’s powerful, but his skill set as a runner is fairly limited. Thompson is good in pass protection and can also be a reliable receiver out of the backfield.

2015 Draft

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This draft class has a strong group of talented running backs. We may see a running back (or two) selected in the first round for the first time in two years. The Broncos now own the 28th overall pick in the draft and are unlikely to be looking for a running back there.

Potential mid-round backs like David Cobb (Minnesota) and Josh Robinson (Mississippi State) could be interesting selections for the Broncos. There are plenty of potential late-round backs like Dee Hart (Colorado State) or Kenny Hilliard (LSU) who could also be good players to add to the roster.

However, with the current collection of backs already in place (for a good price) the team may not select a running back at all in the draft. They could go ahead (like they seem to always do) and add a couple of college free-agent running backs after the draft.

2015 Free Agents

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

There’s a chance the Broncos could address the position in free agency later this year. However, that chance is incredibly small.

First, there are the available backs. Yes, DeMarco Murray is set to be a free agent this year, but he will likely be out of the Broncos' price range. Murray could have the franchise tag placed on him by the Cowboys in order to prevent him from hitting the open market.

Take him off the list, and the talent pool drops off.

Sure, solid backs like Mark Ingram could be available for the Broncos. Lack of durability and inconsistency have been problems for Ingram throughout his pro career. Would the Broncos take a chance on a back like Ingram? The chances are slim.

Running backs like Darren McFadden or Ryan Mathews are talented but oft-injured. The Broncos don’t need to spend money at that position on players who could miss plenty of time due to an injury.

Summary

So many things are unknown with the Broncos right now. They have already lost Fox but could also be without both offensive coordinator Adam Gase and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio for the 2015 season. In addition, there’s no guarantee that future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning will return for next season.

Anderson is ready for what next season brings.

“It’s going to be fun, I know that. I’m going to get away from this, believe me. But it’s definitely going to be fun. My whole goal is just to be better next year than I was this year.”

The Broncos still need to find a head coach, but they’ve already found their star (and starting) running back.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via NFL.com or ESPN.com unless otherwise noted. Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac.com. Transaction history provided by ProSportsTransactions.com.