The Denver Broncos have reportedly decided to match the offer sheet running back C.J. Anderson signed with the Miami Dolphins.
Anderson signed a four-year offer sheet with Miami last week that was worth $18 million, according to reports. The Dolphins made the deal front-loaded to make it more difficult for the Broncos to match, but Adam Schefter reports that Denver is matching anyway.
Anderson confirmed the news himself via Twitter:
I will be apart of the Broncos for 4 more years blessed to be apart of this wonderful Organization and super blessed for this opp 32-254-22
— Cj Anderson (@cjandersonb22) March 15, 2016
The Broncos have already lost Brock Osweiler and Malik Jackson in free agency, so they have money to spend. However, they could have kept Anderson for $2.553 million in 2016 by tendering him at a higher level, as it is unlikely any team would have been willing to give up a second-round draft pick to sign him. Now, Denver will have to pay Anderson around $6 million next season, making him the third highest-paid back in the league. He will get a guaranteed $5.25 million signing bonus on March 31.
It’s hard to avoid the feeling that the Broncos overplayed their hand, but anyone who wears T-shirts like this one is worth every penny they get in our book. Denver obviously was not willing to lose Anderson in his prime.
