C.J. Anderson took the starting job and ran with it in the second half of last season. There's little doubt he'll be the starter in Denver this year. It's behind him where there's uncertainty, and no clear handcuff for the position.
Given Anderson's short resume, it's reasonable to think one of the backups could make a play for the starting job at some point. But there's no clear favorite for the No. 2 job. Montee Ball has the draft pedigree and was the initial starter a year ago, but Ronnie Hillman was more successful. Hillman, however, isn't even a lock for the final roster, let alone the backup job.
Denver also has Juwan Thompson, who caught our eye last preseason, and even Kapri Bibbs, who the linked story indicates has been impressive in OTAs. That's five running backs in all, so at least one of those players and possibly two won't make the team.
Some will certainly take a flier on Ball, who was supposed to take hold of the job a year ago. But he had preseason surgery and didn't look good when he took the field, then got hurt. He's said that appendectomy last August affected him. Maybe.
Our lean is that Anderson is definitely the guy, and that Hillman seems to be the best bet for that No. 2 role. At least, it's not clear enough that Ball, who looked slow and indecisive last season, is worth a late-round pick. We'll have to see how it plays out in camp.
--Andy Richardson
