Todd Gurley has been locked up long-term, but going into this offseason, there were question marks for the Los Angeles Rams in regards to who his backup would be in 2019.
Malcolm Brown was his backup for most of 2019, but when both he and Gurley got hurt late in the season, the Rams brought in veteran running back C.J. Anderson and he excelled to the tune of three straight 100-yard games.
Both Brown and Anderson hit free agency this offseason, with Brown being a restricted free agent, and it originally was unclear which guy the organization would prioritize to bring back.
Brown signed a two-year offer sheet from the Detroit Lions a few weeks ago, but the Rams cleared up their backup running back situation by matching that offer sheet and bringing Brown back on a two-year deal.
With that taking place, that left the Lions without a running back and Anderson without a home for the 2019 season. That sounds like a match made in heaven, and that appears to be the case as Anderson has reportedly signed a one-year contract with the Lions, per Adam Schefter of ESPN:
Former Rams’ RB C.J. Anderson reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions, per source. Chance to produce this season, then hit market again after this season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 1, 2019
Anderson will serve as a nice compliment to Kerryon Johnson, who had a solid rookie season for the Lions in 2018.
In his two regular-season games with the Rams last year, Anderson rushed for 299 yards on 43 carries, scoring two touchdowns. He then totaled 189 yards on 46 carriers with two touchdowns in three postseason games.
While the Rams would have liked to bring Anderson back, head coach Sean McVay recently said that he is comfortable with the team’s current running back situation with Brown backing up Gurley for the next couple years.
