Los Angeles Rams continue to face difficult decision with C.J. Anderson

With the NFL Draft right around the corner, could the Los Angeles Rams still consider giving it another go with C.J. Anderson?

The Los Angeles Rams have yet to make a decision on RB C.J. Anderson, who remains a free agent.

Even more interesting, Anderson recently tweeted some cryptic tweets that some thought was referring to negotiations going poorly between he and the team, although he would later deny that he was talking about the Rams, but a friend.

Still, since the topic has been breached, it only seems fair to consider the merits of bringing the beefy running back to Los Angeles for another season.

Last winter, the Rams signed Anderson on Dec. 19 following the team’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, when it became clear that Todd Gurley would miss some time.

Keep in mind that Malcolm Brown was already out for the year with a broken collarbone, and with Anderson being available following his release from the Oakland Raiders, despite joining the team in early December.

Right away, Anderson would start for the Rams in Week 16, and made a serious impact by gaining 167 rushing yards on 20 carries and a score against the Arizona Cardinals, including a 47-yard run.

During the following week against the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 2 seed on the line, Anderson would rush for 132 yards and a score on 23 carries, proving to have plenty of gas left in the old tank at running back.

All of a sudden, the Rams seemed to be showing a new dimension to their offense with Anderson by running first and exerting their will between the tackles, finishing the regular season in one of the strongest ways possible.

Then came the playoffs, where after a week of rest, the Rams hosted the Dallas Cowboys. Gurley was back and showed some burst, to relief some fans, but Anderson showed up too, as both running backs hit the century mark on the ground, combining for 238 rushing yards.

This seemed to display the team at their best with both a “lighting” and a “thunder” option.

The NFC Championship game and the Super Bowl would both see Gurley be severely limited, but Anderson would only run for 44 and 22 rushing yards respectively, as the team struggled in each game to run the ball.

In the end, the result was that  Anderson had three great games with the Rams, against the Cardinals, 49ers, and the playoff game against the Cowboys, proving to be a big part of each of those victories.

When Anderson was at his best, he seemed to add a dimension to the Rams’ offense they were lacking, which was a physical kind of style, where he could wear teams down as the game went on and break punishing runs toward the ends of games.

At the very least, Anderson took the Rams power running game to a new level.

However some fans still had questions in regards to Anderson, such as how much of Anderson’s success had to do with fresh legs late in the season running behind a talented offensive line?

Remember, Anderson only had 24 carries total over the first 15 weeks of the 2018 season, meaning he wasn’t as worn down as Gurley, and most top running backs in the league.

Could Brown have done something similar if he was healthy? Brown did look good early in the year, and was always a favorite of Sean McVay’s, so this isn’t as crazy as it sounds.

Also, could the Rams draft a big, fullback-style running back late in the draft and get similar results?

As it stands, Anderson remains unsigned, which leads me to several possibilities. One is that the Rams are not interested in bringing him back and are content with Gurley, Brown, and a youngster or two (like Justin Davis who they have rostered the last couple years).

Another, perhaps more likely possibility, though, is that the Rams would like to bring him back, but he and his agent are asking for more money than the Rams are willing to pay. Los Angeles may be right too, as it does not appear any other teams are trying hard to sign Anderson.

As free agency goes, we could have an answer to this question sooner rather than later. However, it is also likely that Anderson’s current status continues into summer and the fall, with him waiting for an injury to open a door for him to finally join a team for the 2019 season, whether it’s the Rams or someone else.