Jhabvala vs. Kiz: Does Jamaal Charles have the juice to kick-start Denver’s offense into high gear?

Does running back Jamaal Charles have the juice to kick-start Denver’s offense into high gear?

Kiz: Broncos Country wanted Christian McCaffrey. But when it became obvious McCaffrey was going in the top 10 of the NFL draft, trading up for him proved to be cost-prohibitive for Denver. And the offense still needs juice. Well, here’s an idea: Before there was McCaffrey, there was Jamaal Charles. Same size. Same speed. The only problem? Charles is 30 years old and damaged goods. How much does Charles have left in the tank to offer Denver’s offense?

Jhabvala: Let’s be clear that almost every team wanted McCaffrey. It became obvious early that trading up high enough to get him would be unfeasible for the Broncos, at least what they hoped to accomplish in the draft. Vance Joseph and John Elway made it clear they wanted to draft for speed and filling needs. They accomplished both — or at least, on paper they did. But they need more juice on offense. The Broncos offense the last two seasons was inconsistent and inefficient. The problems started up front, but trickled down to all facets. Mike McCoy‘s system will feature the passing game more, but an improved run game is vital to make it all work.  If — and this is a big “if” — Charles’ knees can hold up, I believe he could provide that spark they’ve sorely needed on the ground. Denver hasn’t had a rusher top 1,000 yards since Knowshon Moreno in 2013.

Kiz: In December 2005, I recall sitting at the Big 12 Conference championship game, watching in disbelief as Texas routed Colorado 70-3 and Charles ran Buffs’ coach Gary Barnett out of a job. So my respect for Charles has long been off the charts. In the NFL, he ran or caught the football more than 1,600 times for Kansas City, and averaged more than six yards per touch. After Charles was able to play only eight games during the past two seasons, however, the Chiefs cut him. His glass is half-full. But that fine crystal has been broken multiple times.

Jhabvala: His age is not the issue. His stats two years ago speak for themselves. But the last 18 months of his NFL career carry the most weight. He has had two surgeries on his right knee and one on his left and, although he looks good in the workout videos he’s recently posted on social media, games can’t be replicated. The Broncos have been eyeing him for months now, and he could be a big piece of Joseph’s juiced-up offense. But we likely won’t know just where he’s at physically until he takes the field.

Kiz: How many ways can the Broncos doubt C.J. Anderson? After he helped Denver win Super Bowl 50, John Elway was reluctant to pay Anderson a fair-market salary. Now, as Anderson recovers from a knee injury that ended his 2016 season, the Broncos go out and woo an even more broken-down running back? It would be wishful thinking to believe Charles has another 1,000-yard rushing season in him. But the mere thought of Charles might push Anderson to his first 1,000-yard rushing season.

Jhabvala: I don’t think four years and $18 million are signs of doubt. The low-round tender to Anderson was, but if the Broncos truly doubted him, they wouldn’t have matched Miami’s offer. After the draft, Elway reiterated his general philosophy to finding true starters: Let them compete. The quarterbacks will compete. The tight ends will compete. The new linemen will compete. Anderson has never been given a free pass. But he does, finally, need a complete season. His 2016 season was cut short by injury, but now that he’s healthy, his role will be dependent on his conditioning in camp and producing early and often, not only after Halloween.

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