On the day he signed an $18 million contract from the Denver Broncos that will pay him $5.25 million before the end of March, running back C.J. Anderson joined Vic Lombardi to talk about his newfound wealth and the process of being tendered, receiving an offer sheet from Miami and the Broncos’ eventual decision to match.
Anderson shared some candid thoughts about his value, including his belief that he would have commanded a much higher offer as an unrestricted free agent than he did as a restricted free agent. He compared himself and his style of play to Chris Ivory, who signed a five-year, $32 million contract with Jacksonville on the opening day of free agency.
When asked if he would be a Bronco had Denver been able to retain quarterback Brock Osweiler, Anderson offered a succinct, “Nope.” Noting that if Denver had paid the $15-plus million for their quarterback, they wouldn’t have had the cap room to keep him.
The most surprising development throughout Anderson’s RFA process had to be when Broncos general manager John Elway offered a low-round tender on his Pro Bowl back – a move that set up Miami’s big offer. Anderson said he was surprised by the initial tender, saying that all he had asked for was a second-round tender, which came with a $2.5 million price tag.
Anderson offered some unique insight about the negotiations that go on behind the walls at Dove Valley, saying that he learned from his teammates that players are best-served with Elway to play out their contract and not ask for extensions in the middle of a contract.
Anderson, an avid Bowler, agreed with Lombardi that the contract situation was a bit like a 7-10 split. Luckily for Broncos fans, the team picked up the spare.
