ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Start with the fact the Denver Broncos matched an $18 million offer sheet from the Miami Dolphins to keep running back C.J. Anderson on the roster.
Add in that coach Gary Kubiak has said he wanted to pump up the team’s run game. And then add in the news that the Broncos used a sixth-round pick to select a fullback in this year’s draft.
That would be known as all signs pointing to the Broncos running the ball more than they have in the previous four seasons with Peyton Manning at quarterback. In Manning’s four seasons, the Broncos didn’t run on more than 44.1 percent of their offensive snaps. But that percentage is headed upward.
C.J. Anderson
ESPN’s Fantasy Projection: 1,050.8 yards, 7 TDs
Over or under: Take the over because the proverbial table is set for Anderson in Kubiak’s offense. He figures to flourish in the one-cut-and-go scheme, but he has to stay healthy to do it. He has never had a 100-yard rushing game before Nov. 1 in any season and he’s had at least 20 rushing attempts in just four of his regular-season games. He says he wants the ball and the Broncos want to give it to him, but it is his first real foray into the role of lead back at the beginning of a season.
ESPN’s Fantasy Projection: 408.2 yards, 3.2 TDs
Over or under: Take the over because Booker is a high-quality receiver out of the backfield and he showed himself to be a willing and productive blocker on blitz pickups in the preseason. That all means he figures to, at minimum, get plenty of work on third down or other passing situations. And with his vision as a runner, he will get some carries spelling Anderson for a team intent on flexing its muscles in the run game.
Who else could see time: They will certainly keep fullback Andy Janovich for their bevy of two-back sets as well as Juwan Thompson, because he can play both fullback and running back to go with a full slate of special-teams work. The question remains whether they will keep a fourth running back in addition to Janovich and whether that fourth running back would be Kapri Bibbs or Ronnie Hillman.
