CJ Anderson (2 Viewers)

[JetMaxx]

Major sleeper in an usettled Denver backfield. He was impressive in the first preseason game and apparently it's indicative of his camp work. He flashes as an instinctive and powerful runner and definitely passes the initial preseason eyeball test. He's on the preseason dynasty watch list.

 

[ChainsawU]

I thought this might be a good place to mention rookie C.J. Anderson. I know Footballguy CalBear has been following him through his career and I was interested to see if anyone like Cecil had any more info on him after seeing him in practice.

The Denver Post 06/14/2013 Minicamp practice on a hot Wednesday afternoon had ended, and all but three Broncos players headed to the locker room to lighten their load for the upcoming weightlifting session. The three players who stayed behind on the field for an extra 15 minutes of work were veteran quarterback Peyton Manning and rookie running backs Montee Ball and C.J. Anderson. link

Check out the Audible from last Thursday. He got a bit of discussion there.

link @ 37:40

Broncos 2013 Training Camp Day Five

No. 39 C.J. Anderson: I liked when the Broncos picked up Anderson as an undrafted free agent earlier this year. He showed plenty of power in college and is a swift runner. However, he never showed the type of speed he did today on the run to close out practice. Anderson has a strong lower body, runs with good pad level and proper forward lean. On a run to the left he broke through on the edge and turned on the jets. He ran away from the defense and scored what would have been a 40-yard TD. Those runs have been limited to Ronnie Hillman, but today Anderson made a big play (and a big impression). Anderson also showed good leg drive near the goalline. If he continues to impress I say put him on the practice squad. I don’t think there’s enough room to fit him on the 53-man roster.

C.J. Anderson, RB, California

Anderson has a compact build (5'8", 225 lbs) and was a co-starter for the Golden Bears with Isi Sofele in their "Thunder and Lightning" backfield in 2012. After transferring from Laney College, Anderson played in all 25 possible games during his two years at Cal, including two starts. Even though Anderson was the bigger back in the Bears running back-by-committee, he still had his share of big plays. His longest career run was a 68-yard scamper against UCLA in 2012, while his longest reception came on a 74-yard catch and run against Arizona State in 2011. Anderson finished with a healthy average of 5.73 yards over the course of his college career. Anderson performed well at the scouting combine earlier this year. He ranked top three (tied) at the event in the 20-yard short shuttle. Anderson runs in the 4.5 range but it's his burst that makes him an intriguing prospect. He gets to top speed in a hurry and he can change direction and explode out of his cuts.

 

[CalBear]

Major sleeper in an usettled Denver backfield. He was impressive in the first preseason game and apparently it's indicative of his camp work. He flashes as an instinctive and powerful runner and definitely passes the initial preseason eyeball test. He's on the preseason dynasty watch list.

Personally, I never understood why Tedford had Isi Sofele as Cal's starting RB. Sofele had 146 carries for 757 yards (5.2 ypc); Anderson had 126 carries for 790 yards (6.3 ypc). In 2011 as a junior transfer he was used primarily as a short yardage back, scoring 8 TDs on 72 carries. He's a strong back who rarely goes down on first contact and is an outstanding receiver out of the backfield. His cuts aren't great but his straight line speed is pretty good for a guy of his size. I wouldn't be surprised to see him getting some reps or even competing for significant playing time, though it's a crowded backfield.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxSyBglGmeA

Certainly someone to keep an eye on.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Completely slept on this guy pre-draft and was still snoozing after preseason week one, but just caught up and really like what I can see so far. His measurables are low-end starter level (maybe a little better than C Benson, T Henry, L Jordan) and what the team/observers are reporting seems to match. Usually that's a nice combo.

If the team decides to roster him despite the injury that would speak volumes. And if they IR him he's a great stash if your league allows IRs. I suspect he's shown enough that he wouldn't clear waivers at this point, so the practice squad may not be an option.

Do teams typically make these decisions at the first cut downs (to 75, on 8/27 this year) or final cuts (to 53, on 8/31)?

Regardless, he and Hillman could be a nice pairing. And IMO it's pretty likely that Anderson, by virtue of his size, brings more to the NFL table than Ball -- who I don't believe has any NFL caliber tools to go with his vision.

ETA: it's also worth mentioning that the explanation for his UDFA status is pretty easy to find as well. Small school (tiny) transfer to Cal that had a small (tiny) role his junior year. So he wasn't on anyone's radar coming into his senior season. And his senior year still only had about 140 touches splitting time. I always like to know why a guy with NFL tools may have been missed and this one seems pretty plausible.

 

[CalBear]

Completely slept on this guy pre-draft and was still snoozing after preseason week one, but just caught up and really like what I can see so far. His measurables are low-end starter level (maybe a little better than C Benson, T Henry, L Jordan) and what the team/observers are reporting seems to match. Usually that's a nice combo.

If the team decides to roster him despite the injury that would speak volumes. And if they IR him he's a great stash if your league allows IRs. I suspect he's shown enough that he wouldn't clear waivers at this point, so the practice squad may not be an option.

Do teams typically make these decisions at the first cut downs (to 75, on 8/27 this year) or final cuts (to 53, on 8/31)?

Regardless, he and Hillman could be a nice pairing. And IMO it's pretty likely that Anderson, by virtue of his size, brings more to the NFL table than Ball -- who I don't believe has any NFL caliber tools to go with his vision.

ETA: it's also worth mentioning that the explanation for his UDFA status is pretty easy to find as well. Small school (tiny) transfer to Cal that had a small (tiny) role his junior year. So he wasn't on anyone's radar coming into his senior season. And his senior year still only had about 140 touches splitting time. I always like to know why a guy with NFL tools may have been missed and this one seems pretty plausible.

The odds are low that they'll roster him with an MCL injury that's going to result in him missing the rest of preseason and at least the first few games. More likely they'll put him onto the practice squad. Probably his best bet for this year is an injury to one of the other RBs later in the season. Still, potentially a good stash.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Completely slept on this guy pre-draft and was still snoozing after preseason week one, but just caught up and really like what I can see so far. His measurables are low-end starter level (maybe a little better than C Benson, T Henry, L Jordan) and what the team/observers are reporting seems to match. Usually that's a nice combo.

If the team decides to roster him despite the injury that would speak volumes. And if they IR him he's a great stash if your league allows IRs. I suspect he's shown enough that he wouldn't clear waivers at this point, so the practice squad may not be an option.

Do teams typically make these decisions at the first cut downs (to 75, on 8/27 this year) or final cuts (to 53, on 8/31)?

Regardless, he and Hillman could be a nice pairing. And IMO it's pretty likely that Anderson, by virtue of his size, brings more to the NFL table than Ball -- who I don't believe has any NFL caliber tools to go with his vision.

ETA: it's also worth mentioning that the explanation for his UDFA status is pretty easy to find as well. Small school (tiny) transfer to Cal that had a small (tiny) role his junior year. So he wasn't on anyone's radar coming into his senior season. And his senior year still only had about 140 touches splitting time. I always like to know why a guy with NFL tools may have been missed and this one seems pretty plausible.

The odds are low that they'll roster him with an MCL injury that's going to result in him missing the rest of preseason and at least the first few games. More likely they'll put him onto the practice squad. Probably his best bet for this year is an injury to one of the other RBs later in the season. Still, potentially a good stash.

Will be interesting to see if he clears waivers if they try to get him on the PS. It's fairly risky if they like him -- especially since he should be back by week three or four.

 

[Adam Harstad]

Completely slept on this guy pre-draft and was still snoozing after preseason week one, but just caught up and really like what I can see so far. His measurables are low-end starter level (maybe a little better than C Benson, T Henry, L Jordan) and what the team/observers are reporting seems to match. Usually that's a nice combo.

If the team decides to roster him despite the injury that would speak volumes. And if they IR him he's a great stash if your league allows IRs. I suspect he's shown enough that he wouldn't clear waivers at this point, so the practice squad may not be an option.

Do teams typically make these decisions at the first cut downs (to 75, on 8/27 this year) or final cuts (to 53, on 8/31)?

Regardless, he and Hillman could be a nice pairing. And IMO it's pretty likely that Anderson, by virtue of his size, brings more to the NFL table than Ball -- who I don't believe has any NFL caliber tools to go with his vision.

ETA: it's also worth mentioning that the explanation for his UDFA status is pretty easy to find as well. Small school (tiny) transfer to Cal that had a small (tiny) role his junior year. So he wasn't on anyone's radar coming into his senior season. And his senior year still only had about 140 touches splitting time. I always like to know why a guy with NFL tools may have been missed and this one seems pretty plausible.

The odds are low that they'll roster him with an MCL injury that's going to result in him missing the rest of preseason and at least the first few games. More likely they'll put him onto the practice squad. Probably his best bet for this year is an injury to one of the other RBs later in the season. Still, potentially a good stash.

Word I hear is that the Broncos really like him, and they don't think they have a shot of getting him through waivers to the PS (or to injured reserve, since young players have to clear waivers prior to being put on IR, mostly to prevent teams like the Broncos from stashing a promising young RB like Anderson). I think it's possible he earns a spot on the final 53-man roster.

 

[CalBear]

Completely slept on this guy pre-draft and was still snoozing after preseason week one, but just caught up and really like what I can see so far. His measurables are low-end starter level (maybe a little better than C Benson, T Henry, L Jordan) and what the team/observers are reporting seems to match. Usually that's a nice combo.

If the team decides to roster him despite the injury that would speak volumes. And if they IR him he's a great stash if your league allows IRs. I suspect he's shown enough that he wouldn't clear waivers at this point, so the practice squad may not be an option.

Do teams typically make these decisions at the first cut downs (to 75, on 8/27 this year) or final cuts (to 53, on 8/31)?

Regardless, he and Hillman could be a nice pairing. And IMO it's pretty likely that Anderson, by virtue of his size, brings more to the NFL table than Ball -- who I don't believe has any NFL caliber tools to go with his vision.

ETA: it's also worth mentioning that the explanation for his UDFA status is pretty easy to find as well. Small school (tiny) transfer to Cal that had a small (tiny) role his junior year. So he wasn't on anyone's radar coming into his senior season. And his senior year still only had about 140 touches splitting time. I always like to know why a guy with NFL tools may have been missed and this one seems pretty plausible.

The odds are low that they'll roster him with an MCL injury that's going to result in him missing the rest of preseason and at least the first few games. More likely they'll put him onto the practice squad. Probably his best bet for this year is an injury to one of the other RBs later in the season. Still, potentially a good stash.

Word I hear is that the Broncos really like him, and they don't think they have a shot of getting him through waivers to the PS (or to injured reserve, since young players have to clear waivers prior to being put on IR, mostly to prevent teams like the Broncos from stashing a promising young RB like Anderson). I think it's possible he earns a spot on the final 53-man roster.

For his sake, I hope so. But I'm a little dubious about other teams snarfing him up on waivers if he's cut when every other team is cutting down, too. He was undrafted, after all, so it would be GMs changing their minds after one promising pre-season performance.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Messed with this a little bit more using estimated playing weights instead of combine weights and restricted it to guys under 5'10" and came up with these comps:

Travis Henry

Rudi Johnson

Domanick Williams

Anderson's college stats are actually a bit better though -- especially his receiving numbers. That could just be due to a pretty small sample (I don't have any sort of regression built in and they do get flukey sometimes) or a niche role (the goal line role in 2011 inflates them some for sure), but he's a bit straight-line faster than all those guys too so some of it might be real.

Regardless, if the team implicitly agrees with my own reading of his measurables by rostering an UDFA despite the fact that he's out until at least Week 3 or Week 4 he's a great zero-risk pickup IMO. Especially if you already had doubts about Ball/Hillman/Moreno. They wouldn't bother unless they really thought they were onto something.

 

[Biabreakable]

I like this guy a lot too. I think some other teams would like to have him as well so it will be interesting to see if he makes the 53 or not. I kind of think that he will also.

 

[JetMaxx]

If he were to make the roster while injured it would say volumes to his perceived value to the Broncos.

 

[Shutout]

If he were to make the roster while injured it would say volumes to his perceived value to the Broncos.

As would it if he is cut and another team picks him up. At present I can see teams like San Diego and Cleveland giving it a look.

 

[Adam Harstad]

Completely slept on this guy pre-draft and was still snoozing after preseason week one, but just caught up and really like what I can see so far. His measurables are low-end starter level (maybe a little better than C Benson, T Henry, L Jordan) and what the team/observers are reporting seems to match. Usually that's a nice combo.

If the team decides to roster him despite the injury that would speak volumes. And if they IR him he's a great stash if your league allows IRs. I suspect he's shown enough that he wouldn't clear waivers at this point, so the practice squad may not be an option.

Do teams typically make these decisions at the first cut downs (to 75, on 8/27 this year) or final cuts (to 53, on 8/31)?

Regardless, he and Hillman could be a nice pairing. And IMO it's pretty likely that Anderson, by virtue of his size, brings more to the NFL table than Ball -- who I don't believe has any NFL caliber tools to go with his vision.

ETA: it's also worth mentioning that the explanation for his UDFA status is pretty easy to find as well. Small school (tiny) transfer to Cal that had a small (tiny) role his junior year. So he wasn't on anyone's radar coming into his senior season. And his senior year still only had about 140 touches splitting time. I always like to know why a guy with NFL tools may have been missed and this one seems pretty plausible.

The odds are low that they'll roster him with an MCL injury that's going to result in him missing the rest of preseason and at least the first few games. More likely they'll put him onto the practice squad. Probably his best bet for this year is an injury to one of the other RBs later in the season. Still, potentially a good stash.

Word I hear is that the Broncos really like him, and they don't think they have a shot of getting him through waivers to the PS (or to injured reserve, since young players have to clear waivers prior to being put on IR, mostly to prevent teams like the Broncos from stashing a promising young RB like Anderson). I think it's possible he earns a spot on the final 53-man roster.

For his sake, I hope so. But I'm a little dubious about other teams snarfing him up on waivers if he's cut when every other team is cutting down, too. He was undrafted, after all, so it would be GMs changing their minds after one promising pre-season performance.

He was also looking good in camps, too, and Denver had started letting him work with the twos on offense. Pat Kirwan visited Broncos camp and shared his thoughts, and he opined that Denver would find it difficult to slip him through to the PS.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/pat-kirwan/23130395/broncos-storylines-what-happens-if-von-miller-is-suspended

4. Offensive position battle: Running back -- There a lot of good backs on this team -- so many that Elway can't keep them all. Ronnie Hillman is holding off rookie Montee Ball for the time being. Knowshon Moreno came through last season when injuries plagued this team and is a 1,000-yard back if he were a full-time starter. Rookie C.J. Anderson and Jeremiah Johnson have looked good in camp (I doubt Denver gets Anderson to the practice squad without someone claiming him), and Lance Ball easily makes a number of teams if cut.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Finally catching up with some post-draft UDFA profiles and thought I'd tackle CJ Anderson here.

Like I said above, Anderson is someone that I completely missed pre-draft, missed post-draft, missed during OTAs and missed during mini-camp. In fact, he wasn't on my radar at all until the Denver v San Francisco pre-season game. But when I finally got around to plugging him into the RB model I liked what I saw quite a bit. Especially in terms of value and opportunity vs cost.

The biggest knock on Anderson is that he's an UDFA, but the "why" story here -- small school transfer to Cal to be part of a time share -- is a good one IMO. With only 72 touches his first year in Division I football Anderson couldn't have been further under the radar. And he was in a timeshare his senior year as well -- despite outperforming the other back. The NFL is skittish about using picks on relative unknowns and guys with so few NCAA touches.

In terms of finding comparables let's start with his relevant measurables (see here for more info):

Rushing and Receiving Vision: good+/outstanding+ (most likely inflated by limited touches/niche role)
Height: 68 1/8"
Size: 224 pounds/+1.49 adjusted size (big)
Speed: 4.53/+.30 (average size-adjusted speed)
Explosion: 32" vert, 119" broad (average for his size -- not explosive)

In terms of both size and explosion, Anderson benefits from being short. His considerable weight is more compact than most players, which allows him to bring more of it bear in a collision, and less is expected of bowling ball builds when it comes to the jumps.

In addition it turns out that good vision, average speed and acceptable explosion in a guy this big is a useful combination for an NFL back. Who else has a similar mix of abilities? It's a nice list for an UDFA.

Here are the players 5'10.5" or less who qualify as Big, have at least average rushing vision, but don't have elite speed or explosion (organized by the rushing metric):

Vick Ballard
C.J. Anderson
Onterrio Smith
Cedric Benson
Travis Henry

--Ballard is a borderline guy on this list. At 219 on the nose he barely qualifies as Big and his explosion numbers are suspect as well. He makes up for it with truly exceptional vision. If he were five pounds heavier and even slightly more explosive his prospects would be much better.

--Onterrio Smith had a successful NFL career and literally pissed it away. But his on-field performance in a limited role during his first two years as a pro was strong (4.9/carry, 10.3/catch).

--Cedric Benson may be Anderson's best comparable, except that Benson had 1100 high-profile touches in the NCAA and was a known commodity. Again though, Benson's NFL career looks a lot more like you'd expect from his inclusion on this list than it looks like the average career of a #4 pick.

--Like O. Smith, Henry's off-field exploits got in the way of a successful NFL career -- he had over 1500 yards from scrimmage in both his 2nd and 3rd NFL seasons before the wheels started to wobble and then came off.

Worth noting is that Anderson may be a better receiver than anyone else on the list of comps above. His receiving measure is outstanding. It's helped by having a 78 yard TD as part of a limited sample to be sure, but even without the long TD his receiving measure is strong.

Summing all this up, it's not surprising that Anderson flashed in camp and the pre-season. Per his profile he's a pretty decent RB prospect despite his limited opportunity in major conference NCAA football. There's a long way to go now that he's injured, and whether he can stand up to an ongoing NFL pounding is a bigger question for him than most since he didn't do it at Cal either, but if he can stay healthy and make the roster it wouldn't be surprising to see Anderson eventually emerge as the starter. Especially given that none of the other backs in Denver have seized the role. And FWIW, the RB model hates Ball as an NFL starter (he projects as Vick Ballard lite).

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Always dependable during a running back crisis, Lance Ball was a professional to the end.Making way for undrafted rookie C.J. Anderson, the Broncos released Ball on Thursday.

"Closing another chapter in my book, thanks to the Broncos organization for the years of great memories and also the fans who supported me!" Ball wrote on his Twitter account.

The emergence of Anderson, who gained 69 yards on 15 carries in the preseason opener at San Francisco, and Ball's $1.323 million salary as a restricted free agent worked against the veteran running back.

Ball had played briefly for Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in 2008, then caught on with the Broncos in 2010.

His best game with the Broncos was a 30-carry, 96-yard plowhorse-like effort in a 17-10 victory at Kansas City on Nov. 13, 2011. That was the game in which quarterback Tim Tebow completed only 2-of-8 passes, although one was a 56-yard touchdown to Eric Decker.

Anderson will miss the next two to four weeks with a strained medial collateral ligament, but the Broncos are willing to carry the 5-foot-8, 225-pound rookie from California.

"I'm a Bronco," Anderson tweeted Friday evening. "Lets get 2 work."

Ball and Hillman better get it sorted pretty quick. No chance they'd keep an injured UDFA on the active roster unless they liked him quite a bit.

 

[JetMaxx]

If he were to make the roster while injured it would say volumes to his perceived value to the Broncos.

I'm in.

 

[chinawildman]

Niners fan here, and he definitely looked the business, a better pure runner than perhaps all the others guys on their roster.

 

[CalBear]

Go Bears.

 

[Buffaloes]

Niners fan here, and he definitely looked the business, a better pure runner than perhaps all the others guys on their roster.

running style reminded me of Jamal Anderson

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Wish there was a way to know how he is in pass protection. Strongly believe he's the best pure runner on the team right now -- especially on middle runs -- but there's no chance he'll see the field (especially playing with Manning, and playing for Fox) if he can't read his blocking assignments at game speed.

One big factor in his favor is that the Broncos aren't in a position to give Ball and Hillman unlimited rope this year despite the draft pedigree. They're favorites for the Super Bowl and if a rookie unknown can help them win he's going to play.

Have also been checking his Twitter feed from time to time and he seems like he's dying without football. Couldn't be any higher on UDFAs than I am this guy and Marlon Brown.

 

[Cecil Lammey]

Wish there was a way to know how he is in pass protection. Strongly believe he's the best pure runner on the team right now -- especially on middle runs -- but there's no chance he'll see the field (especially playing with Manning, and playing for Fox) if he can't read his blocking assignments at game speed.

One big factor in his favor is that the Broncos aren't in a position to give Ball and Hillman unlimited rope this year despite the draft pedigree. They're favorites for the Super Bowl and if a rookie unknown can help them win he's going to play.

Have also been checking his Twitter feed from time to time and he seems like he's dying without football. Couldn't be any higher on UDFAs than I am this guy and Marlon Brown.

He's bad in pass protection right now. During pass protection drills in training camp he wasn't quite as bad as Montee Ball but he was nowhere near the level of Knowshon Moreno or Ronnie Hillman.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

RB C.J. Anderson made the 53-man roster, but will miss another one to two weeks after suffering a sprained medial collateral ligament while blocking during practice Aug. 15. Anderson said Aug. 31 that he has resumed jogging in his rehabilitation.

 

[mere blitzianity]

Wow, that's pretty telling! He may definitely get

a shot at some point this season. Good be late season gold

 

[chinawildman]

What's the story in this denver backfield? You'd have to think management is a bit frustrated that they've invested so many high picks only to end up with a committee. And from what I've read to date, it's not like they're one upping each other with overwhelming performances. Is there ANY chance that we get to see Anderson in any extended action this season barring injury to any of the incumbents?

 

[JetMaxx]

What's the story in this denver backfield? You'd have to think management is a bit frustrated that they've invested so many high picks only to end up with a committee. And from what I've read to date, it's not like they're one upping each other with overwhelming performances. Is there ANY chance that we get to see Anderson in any extended action this season barring injury to any of the incumbents?

The RBs ahead of him have been poor at best on top of the fact that the guy is an undrafted FA and made the roster while injured because he looked terrific in the preseason. What more do you want at this point?

 

[chinawildman]

What's the story in this denver backfield? You'd have to think management is a bit frustrated that they've invested so many high picks only to end up with a committee. And from what I've read to date, it's not like they're one upping each other with overwhelming performances. Is there ANY chance that we get to see Anderson in any extended action this season barring injury to any of the incumbents?

The RBs ahead of him have been poor at best on top of the fact that the guy is an undrafted FA and made the roster while injured because he looked terrific in the preseason. What more do you want at this point?

Wanted to see if the coaching staff/management was all in on the Ball/Hillman considering they just burned 2 2nd rounders back to back. Anderson can look all world for all I know, but from my guess is Ball/Hillman have to be pretty darn disappointing for an UDFA to surpass them this year.

 

[miqws]

Bumping this thread, post #7 for why CJ was on 53 roster, post #21 from Lamney

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Grind on big fella.

As of last night he's the only player that's on all my rosters. That means I get the keys to the train right?

I'll ride it over the top of the mountain or until it's a burning husk in the valley below -- either way the ticket was free.

 

[CentralPA]

Just snatched him up to try and help my god awful RB depth. Hope he gets an opportunity.

 

[JFS171]

I'm riding shotgun, or shoveling coal into the engine of this locomotive.

 

[JetMaxx]

I'm riding shotgun, or shoveling coal into the engine of this locomotive.

 

[ebsteelers]

how many weeks till this shark move pays off?

 

[Shutout]

The answer has already been written in the Matrix.

Agent Smith: You hear that Mr. Anderson?... That is the sound of inevitability... It is the sound of your ascension... Hello, Mr. Anderson...

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

It may never pay off. But if it does the value is infinite relative to the cost. My kind of play.

 

[cmv5]

I don't know why this bothers me so much. I don't think this guy has a chance of making any serious impact at all. This year seems especially reactionary. Remember, it was just the preseason when people were lining up to lap on Zac Stacy, Jonathan Franklin, and even to some extent Mike Gillislee. How have those guys been working out so far?

This is the fantasy football equivalent of your friend who thinks it has to be an indy rock band in order for it to be good. So, so far, the safer bets this year are to say that David Wilson is done and the Broncos have decided that none of their running backs are complete enough, including their rookie second round pick that Elway has an affinity for, and the job is going to C.J. Anderson. Nope. Not going to happen.

I will say, I do think this could be a committee all season but we have all known that. Things we have known before the season started, Hillman is Hillman, he won't be great. Moreno is decent if the job is his but, he will more than likely get hurt and/or never have the job to himself. He is also just an okay runner. Montee Ball has the most to offer but we all know he needs to either get better at pass blocking, stat or he is going to only get to run in garbage time and/or when it is an obvious running situation because you don't want to have him blocking for Peyton yet, Not a good situation to be in. Ball is the only one I would bother wasting a roster spot on but I don't even think that he will even be fantasy worthwhile this year.

 

[chihawk]

It may never pay off. But if it does the value is infinite relative to the cost. My kind of play.

The cost is taking up a roster spot, so I think it depends on how big your bench is.

 

[Adam Harstad]

It may never pay off. But if it does the value is infinite relative to the cost. My kind of play.

Only if you play in a league with unlimited roster sizes, in which case, what was he doing on the street? Otherwise, opportunity cost is still a cost.

 

[ebsteelers]

I don't know why this bothers me so much. I don't think this guy has a chance of making any serious impact at all. This year seems especially reactionary. Remember, it was just the preseason when people were lining up to lap on Zac Stacy, Jonathan Franklin, and even to some extent Mike Gillislee. How have those guys been working out so far?

This is the fantasy football equivalent of your friend who thinks it has to be an indy rock band in order for it to be good. So, so far, the safer bets this year are to say that David Wilson is done and the Broncos have decided that none of their running backs are complete enough, including their rookie second round pick that Elway has an affinity for, and the job is going to C.J. Anderson. Nope. Not going to happen.

I will say, I do think this could be a committee all season but we have all known that. Things we have known before the season started, Hillman is Hillman, he won't be great. Moreno is decent if the job is his but, he will more than likely get hurt and/or never have the job to himself. He is also just an okay runner. Montee Ball has the most to offer but we all know he needs to either get better at pass blocking, stat or he is going to only get to run in garbage time and/or when it is an obvious running situation because you don't want to have him blocking for Peyton yet, Not a good situation to be in. Ball is the only one I would bother wasting a roster spot on but I don't even think that he will even be fantasy worthwhile this year.

I wanna like him but by the time he is able to contribute they could have more faith in Ball. etc. And are you really gonna have any faith starting him in a big fantasy football game come November, December?

And for that matter will he have earned the trust of the Broncos over Monero when it comes to pass blocking? You need game action and game speed to improve that.

Its not like hes a first round pick that is gonna be a must start if he ever gets a shot.

In Dynasty leagues it'd probably be more worth while

 

[valhallan]

Remember, it was just the preseason when people were lining up to lap on Zac Stacy, Jonathan Franklin, and even to some extent Mike Gillislee.

Those guys cost draft picks. Anderson just costs you an end of the bench roster spot that you can reclaim at anytime, unlike that late first wasted on Stacy.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

It may never pay off. But if it does the value is infinite relative to the cost. My kind of play.

Only if you play in a league with unlimited roster sizes, in which case, what was he doing on the street? Otherwise, opportunity cost is still a cost.

Ok... fair enough.

I don't know why this bothers me so much. I don't think this guy has a chance of making any serious impact at all. This year seems especially reactionary. Remember, it was just the preseason when people were lining up to lap on Zac Stacy, Jonathan Franklin, and even to some extent Mike Gillislee.

FWIW... I had Stacy as a borderline good prospect after the combine; predicted that Franklin wouldn't be close to good enough when he was being touted as the next big thing prior to the draft, and didn't expect Ball would have long-term success as a pro even after he was drafted into a great situation.

I belive Anderson is a different category of prospect -- his size and power gives him a tool that's useful in the NFL.

The big question was whether he went undrafted just because the body of work at Cal was so small, or if there was some non-measurable flaw that would keep him from translating his physical tools into NFL production. Based on the preseason and the fact that he made the active roster as an injured UDFA I'm inclined to say his draft position was a function of the former rather than the latter.

That's just my (hopefully informed) opinion though. No one really knows at this point.

 

[ebsteelers]

It may never pay off. But if it does the value is infinite relative to the cost. My kind of play.

Only if you play in a league with unlimited roster sizes, in which case, what was he doing on the street? Otherwise, opportunity cost is still a cost.

Ok... fair enough.

I don't know why this bothers me so much. I don't think this guy has a chance of making any serious impact at all. This year seems especially reactionary. Remember, it was just the preseason when people were lining up to lap on Zac Stacy, Jonathan Franklin, and even to some extent Mike Gillislee.

FWIW... I had Stacy as a borderline good prospect after the combine; predicted that Franklin wouldn't be close to good enough when he was being touted as the next big thing prior to the draft, and didn't expect Ball would have long-term success as a pro even after he was drafted into a great situation.

I belive Anderson is a different category of prospect -- his size and power gives him a tool that's useful in the NFL.

The big question was whether he went undrafted just because the body of work at Cal was so small, or if there was some non-measurable flaw that would keep him from translating his physical tools into NFL production. Based on the preseason and the fact that he made the active roster as an injured UDFA I'm inclined to say his draft position was a function of the former rather than the latter.

That's just my (hopefully informed) opinion though. No one really knows at this point.

I feel like I've heard multiple times he didnt play at cal because of political reasons. Not sure how true that is. But kind of makes sense seeing as the guy in front of him wasnt a world beater

 

[Sarnoff]

.

 

[cmv5]

It may never pay off. But if it does the value is infinite relative to the cost. My kind of play.

Only if you play in a league with unlimited roster sizes, in which case, what was he doing on the street? Otherwise, opportunity cost is still a cost.

Ok... fair enough.

I don't know why this bothers me so much. I don't think this guy has a chance of making any serious impact at all. This year seems especially reactionary. Remember, it was just the preseason when people were lining up to lap on Zac Stacy, Jonathan Franklin, and even to some extent Mike Gillislee.

FWIW... I had Stacy as a borderline good prospect after the combine; predicted that Franklin wouldn't be close to good enough when he was being touted as the next big thing prior to the draft, and didn't expect Ball would have long-term success as a pro even after he was drafted into a great situation.

I belive Anderson is a different category of prospect -- his size and power gives him a tool that's useful in the NFL.

The big question was whether he went undrafted just because the body of work at Cal was so small, or if there was some non-measurable flaw that would keep him from translating his physical tools into NFL production. Based on the preseason and the fact that he made the active roster as an injured UDFA I'm inclined to say his draft position was a function of the former rather than the latter.

That's just my (hopefully informed) opinion though. No one really knows at this point.

Good points. I do believe the Broncos like him and maybe when all is said and done he might be the most talented. I just don't see any way that he is the guy this year. My frustration comes from the tendency to say Ball is already being written off. The Audible has been very much on the C.J. Anderson love fest and it gets a bit much.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Good points. I do believe the Broncos like him and maybe when all is said and done he might be the most talented. I just don't see any way that he is the guy this year. My frustration comes from the tendency to say Ball is already being written off. The Audible has been very much on the C.J. Anderson love fest and it gets a bit much.

I doubt the team is already writing Ball off -- teams almost never give up on early draft picks too soon. Ball's going to be given every chance to succeed.

And as much of a crush as I have on Anderson I'd be surprised if he's the guy at any point this year (outside injuries).

I can see him being put into the game late though when the Broncos want to make it 2nd and 6, 3rd and 3, first and 10 a few times to run out the clock. Those situations would be ideal for him -- no need to have the pass protection down cold and he's a thumper.

 

[Mile High]

One game in and the Broncos are writing off Ball. . 95% of FF experts know no more then the posters here. They just have a bigger forum/ more exposure to prove it.

 

[Koya]

One game in and the Broncos are writing off Ball. . 95% of FF experts know no more then the posters here. They just have a bigger forum/ more exposure to prove it.

Obviously the Bronco's have a lot invested in Ball. I honestly don't know much about CJ - but I hardly knew who this Arian Foster guy was and because I had the two guys ahead of him said, what the hell, he's getting some good buzz (this was very early in the summer prior to his breakout).

Sometimes you need to get lucky, but as lotto says, you gotta be in it to win it. This is a job that is clearly in the air. Ball has not overwhelmed and is not Doug Martin or AP, certainly not at this point. It's a great offense with a good coach.

If you have space, more in a dynasty obviously, it is worth a shot. But, its a LONG shot.

 

[SCT]

One game in and the Broncos are writing off Ball. . 95% of FF experts know no more then the posters here. They just have a bigger forum/ more exposure to prove it.

Obviously the Bronco's have a lot invested in Ball. I honestly don't know much about CJ - but I hardly knew who this Arian Foster guy was and because I had the two guys ahead of him said, what the hell, he's getting some good buzz (this was very early in the summer prior to his breakout).

Sometimes you need to get lucky, but as lotto says, you gotta be in it to win it. This is a job that is clearly in the air. Ball has not overwhelmed and is not Doug Martin or AP, certainly not at this point. It's a great offense with a good coach.

If you have space, more in a dynasty obviously, it is worth a shot. But, its a LONG shot.

I'll never forget the day many years ago that fftoday had this guy named "Chad Johnson" way up the WR list that week.....nobody in my league ever heard of him. Rest is history.

 

[chinawildman]

Just what we need... one more CJ in FF.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

September 11, 2013 1:32 pmC.J. Anderson practices in pads Wednesday

by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

Broncos running back C.J. Anderson (knee) returned to practice Wednesday after sitting out Week 1. Wednesday was also the first time he was in pads since injuring his MCL in training camp.

C.J. Anderson ‏@CjAndersonRB9 3hFelt so good 2 practice 2day

 

[CalBear]

I feel like I've heard multiple times he didnt play at cal because of political reasons. Not sure how true that is. But kind of makes sense seeing as the guy in front of him wasnt a world beater

I can't think of a single case in Tedford's time at Cal where he switched starters when the backup was a better player. Marshawn Lynch sat behind JJ Arrington. Tedford was loyal to a fault to his established players.