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When Training Camp opened this past Friday, C.J. Anderson was the Broncos lead back, with Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman pushing to be his backup. However, after a few days of practice. Juwan Thompson and undrafted rookie in 2014 has began pushing for that number two job as well.
Head Coach Gay Kubiak singled out Thompson after being asked about C.J. Anderson after yesterday's practice.
"This kid (Anderson) deep down inside has got that in him. I'm really excited for him. And I tell you what he gets pushed every day. Those other kids are having real good camps. Forty looked unbelievable today."
Number 40 is running back Juwan Thompson. I have been saying all offseason that the hire of Gary Kubiak would benefit Thompson. He's a powerful, one-cut, downhill runner who has great vision. I thought he was a perfect fit for Kubiak's zone-blocking offense. This is something Kubiak believes as well.
"He's built for what we do,"
Thompson is a 5'11", 225lb running back who burst onto the scene during the team's first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. He had six carries for 59 yards(9.8 YPC).
Thompson carried that success into the season where he rushed for 272 yards and 3 touchdowns on 54 carries. That averages out to be 5.0 yards per carry. That's pretty good.
The running back competition behind C.J. Anderson will be a fun one to watch in the coming days and weeks. Running backs Montee Ball, Ronnie Hillman, Juwan Thompson, Kapri Bibbs, and Jeremy Stewart are all fighting for a roster spot.
With the Broncos probably keeping three or no more than four running backs on their 53-man roster, we could be moving forward without a few talented running backs.