Raiders signing Bay Area native C.J. Anderson
The Raiders are signing former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion running back C.J. Anderson, according to a source.
Anderson, 27, is a Bethel High School (Vallejo, Calif.) product who attended Cal and spent the first 10 weeks of this season with the Panthers before they waived him on Nov. 12. He ran 24 times for 101 yards in nine games and caught one pass for a 24-yard touchdown. Anderson won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos against the Panthers and received a Pro Bowl nod in 2015 after running for 849 yards and eight touchdowns, as well as tallying 324 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Anderson’s signing comes one game after each Raiders running back lost a fumble in a 40-33 loss to the Chiefs. Doug Martin has assumed No. 1 duties after Marshawn Lynch (groin) landed on injured reserve during the Week 7 bye week, and Raiders coach Jon Gruden has referred to backup running back Jalen Richard as the possible team MVP. Thirdstringer DeAndre Washington has been ineffective, averaging only 3.5 yards per
carry on 24 rushes and losing a fumble in the second quarter on Sunday.
Anderson played for the Broncos from 2013-17, amassing 3,051 rushing yards, 20 rushing touchdowns, 859 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns over that span. As recently as last season, Anderson ran for 1,007 yards with Denver.
Anderson’s first career touchdown came against the Raiders on Nov. 9, 2014, when he ran 13 times for 90 yards and caught four passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. He then ran for three touchdowns against the Raiders in Week 17 that season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news Tuesday afternoon.
The Raiders also signed defensive end Damontre Moore Tuesday, they announced, and waived defensive end Fadol Brown in a corresponding move.
The Giants drafted Moore in the third round in 2013, and he most recently played three games for the Cowboys last season. Moore spent part of 2016 training camp with the Raiders, and has 10 sacks in his career.
Brown spent all of 2017 on the Raiders’ practice squad after signing with them as an undrafted free agent, and played in eight games this season. Gruden spoke Monday about Brown’s need to avoid penalties after he jumped offsides twice on third downs against the Chiefs. Now he’ll need to fix his bad habits elsewhere.