The Broncos had a verbal agreement earlier this offseason to trade Anderson to the Dolphins for right tackle Ja'Wuan James, Troy Renck of Denver 7 ABC reports.
The Dolphins reportedly changed their minds and decided not to acquire Anderson, who previously signed a four-year, $18 million offer sheet with Miami in March 2016 (Denver matched the deal). The 27-year-old still isn't assured of sticking with the Broncos, as he doesn't have guaranteed money remaining on the aforementioned contract. It's surprising that Miami nearly gave up one of its better linemen for a running back with a $4.5 million cap hit, especially considering how good Kenyan Drake looked in December. The Dolphins may be skeptical of Drake's ability to handle a full workload for more than a few weeks, and they didn't have real depth until they signed Frank Gore on March 22. On the other side of the nixed deal, Denver's willingness to trade Anderson hints at some degree of confidence in Devontae Booker and De'Angelo Henderson, though a glut of backfield talent in the upcoming draft may have been the larger factor. The use of an early pick on a running back likely would signal the end of Anderson's tenure in Denver.