C.J. Anderson nearly became a Lion before he became a Ram

[Rampage]

C.J. Anderson had a highly unusual year in 2018, getting cut three times and assuming his season was over before joining the Rams in December and suddenly filling in for running back Todd Gurley without missing a beat. But things could have gone quite a bit differently.

That’s because the Lions strongly considered picking up Anderson before the Rams brought him in.

Anderson signed with the Lions this offseason after the Rams showed little interest in bringing him back, and Anderson says now that Lions General Manager Bob Quinn told him after a workout last year that the Lions liked him a lot but thought at the time that they’d go younger at the position.

“Bob kept it real with me,” Anderson told the Detroit Free Press. “Bob pretty much told me that he’d come get me during free agency and he was a man of his word. I went on with the Rams, had fun and then first call I got was the Lions, so it was a no-brainer.”

Anderson thinks he landed in the right place, playing for coach Matt Patricia.

“I respect coaching and I respect staff, and I think this is one of the better staffs in the league. I’m saying that highly just because situational football, football IQ, scheme. Breaking down. Compared to the other teams that was looking me during free agency, I think this is one of the respects. And then like I said, I got a lot of respect for Matt. Me and him had a lot of battles,” Anderson said.

The Lions are the fifth team Anderson has been on in the last year and a half. Anderson is hoping to stay a while.