From his social media interactions with fans, to the heart he displays on the field, C.J. Anderson is one of the most liked and respected Broncos — and has been a vital part of their success since entering the league in 2011.
For the past two years, No. 22 has been the player the people associate with the Broncos’ backfield. Midway through 2017 and heading into the future, however, that 22 could soon turn to No. 23 as the Broncos begin their transition to Devontae Booker as their new running back of the future. Since selecting him the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Broncos have consistently stated that they have faith in Booker as a player to contribute to the Broncos’ offense.
Recently, offensive coordinator Mike McCoy praised Booker as he continues to work his way into the running back rotation each week:
“I’ve been very pleased with him. Really, he is getting better… every week. Unfortunately, he missed all of training camp with the limited reps that he had before he got going there. You can see the explosiveness that he has. You want to get him the ball.”
While the Broncos began the season as a top-three rushing team through week five, the offense has cooled off significantly since then. The Broncos’ rushing offense is now ranked 14th in the NFL with 112.4 rushing yards per game, a sharp decline that includes the Broncos averaging only 93.7 yards per game over their last three games.
It’s stats like that in which a change is warranted. And just like Broncos made the switch qt quarterback from Trevor Siemian to Brock Osweiler, when production is needed, a change is usually made.
While reliable veterans Anderson and Charles have seen the bulk of the carries so far in the season, Booker actually leads the team in average yards per rushing attempt (4.6).
In their most recent game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Booker was second on the team in rushes (six) and led the team in rushing yards (21). While the Broncos were trailing for just about the entire game and focused more on throwing the ball, Booker was the primary back used in the second half of the game, even out-touching Jamaal Charles down the stretch.
Booker’s workload has increased substantially since returning from injury after missing most of the offseason with a wrist injury. It’s clear the Broncos want to see what they have in Booker, evidenced by the fact that Booker was slated as the team’s primary kick returner. In a crowded backfield shared between Anderson, Charles and Booker, the Broncos seem to have found a way to get Booker the ball via special teams.
Booker might not take the reins of the Broncos’ backfield just yet, as Anderson and Charles have more experience pass blocking then Booker, which is something the Broncos will need should they continue struggle in pass protection.
Despite the current three-way rotation at running back, the Broncos could soon have a potential decision to make about the future of their backfield. With Charles on a one-year deal and Anderson’s contract containing no guaranteed money after this season, the Broncos’ front office will be monitoring the play of Booker for the rest of the season to find out if he has the makings of a no. 1 running back.
