Oct 6, 2012; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears tailback C.J. Anderson (9) reacts after scoring during the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Broncos have apparently seen enough of Ronnie Hillman, at least for now.
Hillman will be deactivated for the team’s game against the Washington Redskins, per multiple reports, which will pave the way for undrafted rookie C.J. Anderson of Cal to get his long-awaited playing time.
Anderson played well in the Broncos’ first pre-season game before spraining his MCL in practice shortly after his debut, and fans have been extremely eager to see what the rookie brings to the table because despite his injury, the Broncos decided to keep him on the 53-man roster, not subjecting him to waivers and risking another team snatching him away.
That move speaks volumes to the Broncos’ confidence in Anderson to produce, but they’ve still been bringing him along slowly. Since his injury, he’s been cleared to practice for quite some time and has been a healthy inactive for the team’s first seven games.
Fans have been very excited for Anderson to get his shot, but no one has been chomping at the bit like Anderson himself.
Let’s get to know Anderson a little bit, shall we?
This is a young tailback who has very intriguing size at 5’8″ 224 pounds. Built like a bowling ball, you’d expect Anderson to be a little stiff and not overly speedy, but he ran a 4.53 second 40-yard dash at the Combine and his pro day. In addition to his size and speed, Anderson showed good quickness to the edge and balance as a runner, and nice vision.
Despite playing second fiddle on Cal in terms of carries to Isi Sofele, Anderson finished first on the team in yards and has proven he can be an effective short-yardage back.
I’m personally very excited to see if Anderson gets his shot. He prides himself in pass blocking and if he can hold onto the ball, he could turn out to be a very nice addition to this team here at the mid-way point.
I’m not suggesting Anderson will steal carries from Knowshon Moreno, but that just may be the case if he gets his shot.