Current NFL free agent wide receiver Robbie Chosen Anderson knows Joe Brady and DJ Moore about as well as anyone.
Anderson played under Brady when he was the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers and alongside Moore in Carolina. In 2020, Anderson produced the best season of his career, catching 95 passes for 1,096 yards while Moore added 1,193 receiving yards.
With Brady now running the show in Buffalo and Moore joining Josh Allen and the Bills, I caught up with Robbie Chosen Anderson to talk about what makes Brady’s offense work, what he remembers about playing alongside Moore and why he believes Moore could be in for a monster season in Buffalo.
This interview has been lightly edited for grammar, clarity and length.
Joe: What were your first interactions with Joe Brady like when he became the offensive coordinator in Carolina?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: My first interaction with him was through Zoom because that was the COVID year. But I remember one of our first one-on-one meetings and just his seriousness about football. Even when we would do our online meetings, the way he ran the meetings was very serious, very structured and a very intentional process.
Joe: Was there anything about the way Brady designed or explained the offense that immediately stood out compared to previous coaches?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: The thing I liked about his offense was that I felt he explained, on certain plays, what coverages you could really capitalize on. I remember him teaching us about a particular route and saying whoever wins the job at this route is going to go for 1,000 yards. My antennas went up, and I made it an emphasis to really learn that route. When he broke it down, it was like, “This is unstoppable.” He really showed you how to win on that route.
His teaching is great. That’s what I loved about his coaching — how he teaches.
Joe: Was he your favorite offensive coordinator you’ve had in the NFL?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: Yeah, probably. I mean, how can I say he’s not if I had my career year with him?
Joe: You had more than 1,000 yards that season and so did DJ Moore. What did Brady do schematically to get the ball into your hands?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: The thing I think with Joe is that he saw what my niche was as a player. He saw what DJ’s niche was, and he emphasized our roles and what we were great at.
Joe: What was Brady like communicating with players? If you saw a matchup you liked, could you go to him with it?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: Honestly, I didn’t have to do that with him. He had the plan. We just had to listen to what he told us to do. We could communicate and ask questions, but we didn’t have to go to him and say that. He knew what was going to work, and we just had to go execute it.
Joe: Brady was only 30 years old when he arrived in Carolina. Did his age make it easier for players to relate to him?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: I wouldn’t even remember that he was 30 unless you said that, honestly, because he’s a mature person. You could be 50 years old and be a coach and still be immature. He’s a mature person, so his age wasn’t really anything I ever thought about when I would see him.
Joe: In Buffalo, we’ve heard a lot about Brady’s “everybody eats” philosophy and spreading the football around. Was that also the philosophy in Carolina?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: The first year, three of us went for 800 yards. So I felt that we all had a fair-share opportunity to touch the ball, contribute and do our thing.
Joe: Matt Rhule was the head coach in Carolina. How much freedom did he give Brady with the offense?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: I feel like Coach Rhule had a vision of what he wanted for the offense, and then he let Joe execute the vision. I think what affected us the second year was injuries.
Joe: Is there anything else that stands out to you about Brady as a coach?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: I truly enjoyed him as a coach. I truly enjoyed my time with him as my coach. Looking back, there are things that, obviously, as a man I’ve matured, and there are always things you wish you could have done better. There are some areas I feel that way in that coach-player dynamic with him. But I truly enjoyed my time with him as my coach.
Joe: You played alongside DJ Moore in Carolina. What did you see up close that makes him such a difficult receiver for defenses to handle?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: It’s just effortless. His greatness is effortless. He’s big, he’s physical, he’s fast, he can catch. He might not be the tallest, but he can still jump up and make the catch like a tall receiver. Then he turns into a running back.
He’s Mr. Do It All in receiver form.
Joe: Moore had great numbers in Carolina and then another big season during his first year in Chicago. His production dipped later. Do you have any theories about why?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: I really don’t know. I don’t know if it was just the change in scheme, because from what I’ve seen, I didn’t see any change in him as a player.
Joe: What’s something about DJ Moore that fans who only watch him on Sundays might not know?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: I think people are starting to really see his personality and how funny he is. He’s a great guy, a really great person, a family man. But he’s very, very, very funny. I think people are starting to notice that now.
Joe: Any predictions for Moore this season in Buffalo?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: I think he’s going to be a top-three receiver in the league this year with Josh Allen and with Joe’s offense, and with the success he had early in his career with Joe. I really think he’s going to reach that top-three receiver level this year. All-Pro. Pro Bowl.
Joe: Anything else Bills fans should know about Moore?
Robbie Chosen Anderson: When me and him were teammates, playing football with him was some of the most fun times of my life. He’s a great friend of mine, a great person, and I’m extremely proud of him — to see the man he’s grown into, all the success he’s having and how great of a family he has.I’m just really excited to see him succeed this season and continue to succeed.
Joe: One More Thing: How About Chosen Anderson to Buffalo?
After the interview officially ended, Chosen Anderson and I kept talking. Chosen Anderson confirmed that he’s currently a free agent and continuing to train while his agent handles conversations with interested teams.
So naturally, I had to ask about Buffalo due to the Carolina connections and how the Bills seem to always sign them. Chosen Anderson didn’t say the Bills had contacted him, but he was more than willing to entertain the idea.
Robbie Chosen Anderson: “Let’s put a nice thing that adding me to the mix might be a great idea.”
He also pointed out that there would already be some familiar faces waiting for him in the Bills locker room.
Robbie Chosen Anderson: “I have great chemistry in the locker room. Dion Dawkins, that’s one of my college best friends. C.J. Gardner, Damar... so, if it’s meant, it’ll be.”
Chosen Anderson finished the conversation with one final request:
Robbie Chosen Anderson: “Let’s start a little Bills Mafia campaign for Chosen.”
Hey, I’m just doing what the man asked.
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Let’s drop Coleman and sign Chosen -nice interview—