Even if we sign Jackson, I think Royal, if affordable could really help this team as a slot receiver. Brown certainly isn't a slot receiver, and Brown will be filling for the injure-prone Malcolm Floyd. Royal could help with returns as well. He is second since 2008 in all purpose yards from scrimmage and returns behind Sproles.
Exactly. Very good hands & speed. Plus there's the added benefit of getting him away from a division opponent.
I'm gonna vote bad fit. We run a lot more mid-deep routes than most teams, and way more Shanahan did back when Royal had his big year. Recievers in our scheme need to be able to create seperation with very efficient route running or at least have big bodies to box out defenders when they go up for the ball. Royal is a piss poor route runner, and obviously not very big. He relies on quickness and agility to get open, but Norv has never employed the "Wes Welker" type WR in our offense, although you could argue Gates plays that role at times. Also he only had about 15 returns last year with Denver, not sure he's as explosive as we remember.
I'd say good because he'd bring a speedy deep threat to the team which is something we would lack especially if VJ left AND he'd fill the void for a punt returner. Granted what Matilack said but route running is something that can be taught but speed, like Royal has, you have to be born with.
I think the "Wes Welker" type WR in this offense could be a great fit. He'll deff be a 3rd receiver on the depth chart and be a solid slot receiver. Vincent Brown has future as a #2 receiver. He'll be Floyd's replacement this year when he's hurt and after his contract is up. He doesn't have the speed to be the slot receiver and I don't see Bryan Walters or Richard Goodman being a slot receiver either. I think this could be the "splash" in FA AJ was talking about. That's a dangerous receiving corp, Jackson-Floyd-Royal and Brown. Add Gates as well.
Just because we have him doesn't mean Norv will use him correctly, in the offense we've run since 2007 he'd be a bad fit. But if Norv feels like throwing a new wrinkle in his current scheme, a scheme that is bland, uncreative, and that is highly overrated by pundits because it goes to the well way too often IMO.......I'd be all for giving Royal a shot.
That is true but we did, at times use Sproles effectively. But i know thats part of the offense. So why can't we implement Royal? If we can sign him to a 1 year $1m deal i'd be very happy to see how it turns out. We do line Gates up in the slot/3rd receiver position a lot. Well to be honest he isn't getting any younger and the explosion and release he needs from that position is a requirement. Not so much when he's lined up as a TE. Royal could also open up the middle for those Gates post routes and routes over the middle in front and behind safeties. I think it'd be a good look.
Maybe, if Crayton didn't go into the witness protection program, you'd have actually seen more throws to the slot..... just a thought.
You ever consider that maybe Crayton disappeared because he simply doesn't fit in our offense? Norv will have to change to accomdate a WR like Royal. Which is not inspiring considering it takes him 3 months into the season before he figures out how to run the same offense he's been running for the last 13 years.
Crayton was utter garbage anyways. Royal is way more dynamic, he has speed and good vision and hands. Very good YAC. Crayton did some things that would make you scratch your head. And the same in the return game, he would call a fair catch with nobody within 10-15 feet of him but then he would try to run it back when he had a group of opponents to rip his head off. Most of the time he would just let the ball roll too..
If thats true then why can't the Broncos use him? They don't even let him return kicks anymore. I'd take Royal over Crayton for the special teams factor, but I don't think he'll impact our offense anymore than Crayton did.
Through his first two games this year he had 4 rec for 51 yards.. Then he was hurt.. Came back after the bye and the wildcat was put in place. Or the "Tebow" system whatever the hell that was. In that system he only had 15 rec for 104 yards and a TD. He did rush the ball a few times as well. His first three seasons he's had 187 rec for 1,952 yards and 8 TD's. I don't have his special teams stats but we saw what he did to us a few years back. Kid is dangerous.
I think he smoked us on MNF in 2009 (?) for a PR and KR for a TD. He is dangerous when healthy. And as mentioned by SC92, no receiver has good stats in that stupid system they were running in denver
Did you ever consider that Crayton was productive until he got injured last year, but has been a shadow of his former self since?
Oh you mean the year where our entre offensive side of the ball was either injured or holding out and Norv was forced to pass the ball 50 times a game? Sure I'll give you that, Crayton made some plays when forced to start opposite a rookie (Ajirotutu) and the slowest TE in the leeague (McMichael) who were never open. But in our normal offense with VJ, Floyd, and Gates he was active for 14 games and did jack squat. As far as injury goes, are you trying to tell me he was suffering from the ankle injury for 14 weeks (week 3 on) and nobody thought to de-activate him from the game day roster even once?
You'd rather make excuses, then give Crayton credit for playing well last year...... whatever. For some unknown reason, you seem to think that Norv has no clue what a slot WR is, or how to use one. Buster Davis was supposed to get work in the slot position, but he was never healthy. Norv not utilizing a slot receiver has more to do with the lack of a suitable player, than an inability to work it into his offense. If you'd watched the games, then you would've known that Crayton is a shell of his former self..... the ankle injury seems to have left him permanently hampered. He just can't seem to get separation anymore. I trust what I see on the field, and Crayton looks washed up.
LOL and you'd rather make excuses than give him credit for playing poorly this year, so it seems we're at an impasse. But just to clarify my point, I just watched the Dallas @ San Francisco 1993 NFC Championship game on NFL Classic Games yesterday, Norv was the OC for Dallas as you remember, and I swear it was like watching watching our offense + a better O-line. I'm not saying Norv can't figure out how to use the slot WR, I'm saying 20 years of history shows us its not his style. And therefore Royal would be a poor fit. Thats the only point I'm making so.....yeah.
Well, it would seem obvious that being injured would affect his play...... that's not an excuse, it's just a fact. Your reasoning for not giving him credit for playing well last year was rather dubious. To say that he did well because the talent around him was subpar is questionable. Sure, he may've been targeted more then, but he'd have faced more attention from the defenses as well. How worried were defenses about guys like Tutu or Goodman? An experienced WR like Crayton would've been more of a concern for opposing defenses. This year, with Jackson, Floyd, and Gates all playing, the attention would be directed elsewhere, making it easier for Crayton to get open. The fact is, he didn't get open, which reinforces the fact that he isn't the same player since his wrist and ankle injuries. I'll grant you that Norv prefers to stretch the field, rather than throw short and rely on YAC to get 1st downs. But we also haven't had a good quick WR that could fill that slot role. Buster was supposed to be that guy, but he lived up to his name. Crayton could do that initially, but he can't anymore. To utilize that role more often, you need that kind of player, and we don't have one now.
S.D. U-T Chargers @sdutChargersLuis Castillo officially free to seek other offers. Chargers want him to check back with them, but he'll likely start over somewhere else.
I see two issues here. First, he doesn't fit our offense. Second, he won't be getting paid 1 year / 1 million. If you haven't been paying attention, the WR well has dried up significantly since Sunday, which means that Royal is likely going to be seeing some kind of a 3/15 range deal, if not more. Please dismiss any delusional ideas of Eddie Royal being signed to a cheap 1 year contract. Royal is probably going to go be a number two receiver for someone else, because Denver certainly doesn't need him.
Royal was unreal his first couple of years but appears to have tailed off. Put him with Philip and I'm sure we'd see him beasting again.
