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Top C.J. Anderson News
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C.J. Anderson: Hanging up his cleats
Anderson is retiring from the NFL, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.
The 29-year-old Anderson wraps up a career in which he rushed for 3,497 yards and 22 touchdowns while adding 900 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver over 71 appearances after breaking into the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2013. Per Schefter, the next step on Anderson's path is a career in coaching in the college ranks.
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C.J. Anderson: Works out in Seattle
Anderson had a workout with the Seahawks on Monday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Anderson was cut by the Lions after Week 2 and has been unable to latch on with another team despite multiple workouts. The Seahawks lost Chris Carson (hip) and C.J. Prosise (arm) to season-ending injuries during Sunday's loss to the Cardinals, leaving Travis Homer as the only available running back on the roster.
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C.J. Anderson: Working out in Oakland
Anderson had a workout with the Raiders on Monday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Anderson began the season with the Lions but was let go after rushing 16 times for 43 yards through the first two weeks of the season. The 28-year-old continues to look for a new team after providing a boost for the Rams in the playoffs last season.
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C.J. Anderson: Working out for Texans
Anderson is working out for the Texans on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Anderson has been without a team since being released by Detroit on Sept. 17. The 28-year-old took 16 carries for just 42 yards (2.6 YPC) in two games with the Lions this season.
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C.J. Anderson: Cut by Lions
The Lions released Anderson on Wednesday, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
In a surprising turn of events, the Lions claimed Paul Perkins off waivers and sent Anderson packing. Anderson had a decent role in the offense Week 1 with 11 carries for 35 yards, but he was outproduced by rookie Ty Johnson (6-30-0) in Week 2 while mustering just eight yards on five carries. Kerryon Johnson will now be the unequivocal lead back in Detroit with Ty Johnson, Perkins and J.D. McKissic rotating in.
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Lions' C.J. Anderson: Downturn in playing time
Anderson rushed five times for eight yards during Sunday's 13-10 victory over the Chargers.
After comfortably out-snapping Ty Johnson 24 to eight in Week 1, Anderson was third among Lions running backs with 12 snaps behind Johnson's 13. The sixth-round rookie looked like he should have taken all of them and utimately led the team with 6.0 yards per carry. It'll be interesting to see if there's actually a changing of the guard taking place behind Kerryon Johnson when Detroit travels to Philadelphia in Week 3.
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Lions' C.J. Anderson: Significant role in season opener
Anderson rushed 11 times for 35 yards during Sunday's 27-27 tie with the Cardinals.
Kerryon Johnson ultimately led the team with 16 carries, but the workload was just about even between the two running backs throughout most of regulation. While it's still far too soon to tell if either of them is considered the team's primary goal-line back, Anderson is still an injury away from being a reliable fantasy contributor. At this point in time, he shouldn't be considered anything more than Johnson's handcuff in deeper formats.
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Lions' C.J. Anderson: Gets eight carries in dress rehearsal
Anderson rushed eight times for 24 yards and secured both of his targets for 17 yards during Friday's preseason game against the Bills.
Anderson remains second in line behind Kerryon Johnson for touches, but it's starting to seem possible that Ty Johnson could also cut into Anderson's playing time this season. Ty Johnson, who caught his only pass for an 11-yard touchdown Friday, shares some similarities with the departed Theo Riddick. Perhaps the most significant development for all Lions runners, though, is the possibility that center Frank Ragnow (leg) went down with a potential long-term injury.
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Lions' C.J. Anderson: Two carries in preseason loss
Anderson rushed twice for six yards during Saturday's preseason loss to the Texans.
Anderson served as the clear No. 2 back behind Kerryon Johnson, but there doesn't seem to be anyone else around to give Anderson competition for the job. He could see more involvement during the third preseason game Friday against Buffalo.
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Lions' C.J. Anderson: Getting reps with first-team offense
Anderson is getting work with the first-team offense during two-minute drills, Chris Burke of the Athletic reports.
The Kerryon Johnson hype train has all but left the station after the Lions' recent release of Theo Riddick, but not all signs point toward Johnson being thrust into a true workhorse role. Not only does head coach Matt Patricia hail from a Patriots organization that deployed a committee approach to the running back position, but Anderson seems to have turned heads in training camp and is now getting run with the hurry-up offense. While Johnson should nonetheless earn the lion's share of snaps in 2019, it's possible Anderson could play a bigger role than most people realize -- especially if Johnson continues to struggle in pass protection as he has in recent joint practices with New England.
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Lions' C.J. Anderson: Dropping weight for 2019
Anderson promised he will be in better shape for 2019 with the Lions, Marlowe Atler of The Detroit Free Press reports.
Anderson admits he played at around 235 pounds late last season with the Rams, but the extra weight didn't prevent him from piling up 488 rushing yards and four touchdowns in five games (including playoffs). He did slow down during the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl, averaging just 2.9 yards on 23 carries. Signed to a one-year contract Monday, the 28-year-old likely will return to his listed weight of 225 pounds in preparation for a full season in the Detroit backfield alongside Kerryon Johnson, Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner. While Johnson is a clear favorite to handle the lead role, coach Matt Patricia has left no doubt about his preference for using a committee. There's been some chatter that Riddick could be released to clear out $3.7 million in cap space and leave more snaps for Johnson/Anderson.
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Lions' C.J. Anderson: Lands in Detroit
Anderson signed a one-year contract with the Lions on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Anderson began the 2018 season in Carolina, where he rushed for only 104 yards in nine games before he was released. His stock quickly rose once the Rams signed him in December as a replacement for Malcolm Brown (clavicle). With Todd Gurley tending to a knee injury, Anderson took 43 carries for 299 yards (7.0 YPC) and two touchdowns in two regular-season games, and 46 carries for 189 yards (4.1 YPC) and two touchdowns in three playoff games. The exact terms of Anderson's deal with the Lions haven't been disclosed, but he'll get a chance to produce in 2019 and hit free agency once again next offseason. The Lions likely intend to take a committee approach to the backfield, with Kerryon Johnson leading the way while Anderson, Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner compete for snaps. There is some chance Riddick could be released in a move that would clear out $3.7 million in 2019 cap space (per overthecap.com).
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C.J. Anderson: Expects to find new team
Anderson suggested Friday on Twitter that he doesn't expect to re-sign with the Rams.
While it isn't clear the two events are related, Anderson's tweet was posted about an hour after Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Rams will match Detroit's two-year, $3.25 million offer sheet for running back Malcolm Brown, who missed Weeks 14-17 and all of the playoffs after he suffered a broken clavicle in early December. His injury opened the door for the Rams to sign Anderson, who then took over the starting gig when Todd Gurley (knee) suffered an injury of his own. Anderson's strong performance in December theoretically boosted his value, but Friday's string of tweets suggest he's frustrated with an inability to find a secure workload as a free agent. The 28-year-old running back points out that he's never had the chance to handle a lead role without sharing a significant portion of carries with a younger player. Anderson should't have too much trouble drumming up interest, but he'll likely have to settle for a backup role and/or another opportunity to earn his snaps.
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Rams' C.J. Anderson: Shut down by Patriots
Anderson had seven carries for 22 yards and two catches for 12 yards on three targets in a 13-3 loss to New England in the Super Bowl.
Anderson played 34 percent of snaps on offense, while Todd Gurley handled 66 but finished with just 34 yards on 11 touches. Both running backs struggled for a second straight game, and this time the Rams' passing offense wasn't able to pick up the slack. Anderson can now prepare to hit the open market for a second straight offseason, following an unusual 2018 campaign in which he was an afterthought for the Panthers but then played a crucial role in a Super Bowl run for the Rams. He'll celebrate his 28th birthday in February and may want to ditch Los Angeles in favor of a location where he'd have a shot at a starting job. On the other hand, he might be able to prolong his career if he sticks around as the No. 2 back behind Gurley.
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Player Bio
| HT/WT: 5-8, 225 lbs |
| Birthplace: Richmond, CA, USA |
| Age: 33 |
| School: California |
| Experience: 7 |