Denver Broncos Team Camp Day 1 - News and Notes

Can’t wait for the preseason to see these guys in action.

Is it just me or are all of you excited about what Royal could bring in 2008?

You know it’s not just you as far as I am concerned. I am real high on this kid! T.Henry high! ;)

when a rookie comes to camp, the vets quickly assess if a kid can play or not. As a native to the Washington DC era, I remember when the Skins drafted Desmond Howard that many of the vets said (after he had left the Skins) that they knew immediately that the kid wasn’t all that (4th pick in ‘92 draft). After reading posts like this and others, I’m getting the feeling that the vets and coaches believe Royal will be a player for this team. That’s really encouraging for us fans!

Is it me, or does he remind you guys of a younger stronger Steve Smith. I think this kid is going to be a huge part of our offense/special teams for years to come. And if he does what all the coaches and players say he is capable of, he is going to be a nightmare for opposing D-Cord’s. I can’t wait to see this guy in action.

Nice Zappa :) I’m supper pumped about Royal. So far he seems like a kid who really wants to be on the field. I can really get behind players like that.

This kid is going to surprise a lot of people, but not us at MHR :)

Great pun for the day, Darin.

Royal’s blazing 4.3 speed is already the stuff of training camp legend. The 5’8" speedster from West Virginia has an early lock on being a fixture for the return game. His pass catching ability?

"Eddie’s been working with us…" Cutler said, "He looks good – got a lot of speed, gets in and out of his breaks really quick. I was surprised at his hands – I didn’t know he had such great hands… I didn’t see him drop any. Adjusts to the ball well when it’s in the air."

For the fans that see him in the slot as a faster Brandon Stokely, that’s good news. People sometimes overlook the fact that Royal had the top rated route running in the combine. If you ask Coach Shanahan, Eddie Royal, along with Sweet Feet Ryan Clady, has stood out among the rookies.

"Well, we know he can return." Shanahan said. "Punt return, kickoff return. But I’ve been very impressed with his speed, his quickness, his hands, (his) ability to come in the first four days, learn a position, not make many mistakes. He’s going to help our football team."

DenverBroncos.com added this on June 2:

With quarterback camp under his belt, things are coming easier for the former Virginia Tech Hokie. He has begun to grasp the playbook, and he feels things are coming along nicely.

“It’s going good right now. We’re going back to the stuff we put in on Day 1, so it all sounds familiar, and I’m able to run the routes a lot faster and be a lot crisper coming out of my breaks,” said Royal. “I felt comfortable today.”

But the team did not make Royal their second-round pick just for his skills as a receiver. He also stood out on special teams in college, setting an ACC record for punt return yards with 1,296. He practiced catching punts as well Monday, fielding each one cleanly.

“It’s something I’m comfortable doing, so it really comes naturally,” said the 5-foot-10, 184-pound receiver. “I know I have a great group of guys in front of me blocking. It was good.”

Returners who can contribute are rare. Dante Hall’s return skills seemed to diminish as he became part of the offense, and the experiment with Cleveland’s Josh Cribbs is still not over, but Cribbs 6’1" 215 lb frame is made for punishment. At 5’8" and 170 lb, can Eddie Royal handle that load?

Just ask him.

You bet I’m excited about this kid!

BTW, he’s listed as 5’9½” on CoachScout and 5’10” on DenverBroncos.com.

as released by the press (should have known better). The source I used may have listed college numbers, and if so I apologise. I hope he can bulk to 190 w/o losing speed – he’ll be a monster. Scout.com went with 5’10 181, and ESPN with 5’9”, 184, (4.389) so I’ll happily stand corrected. Thanks for catching that.

Some good news on the issue of his WR contribution – this on FanNation Truth and Rumors -

If the Bears’ weekend minicamp can be viewed as any indicator of the future, well, Devin Hester someday may be seen similarly among wide receivers. His transition to the position - at least at this point, before the real artillery starts flying - has exceeded anybody’s highest hopes. ’’I have been around a lot of guys, a lot of really good receivers, and he has a chance to be better than all of them,’’ said Bears wide receivers coach Darryl Drake, who has worked with Hines Ward and Roy Williams. ’’That is a strong statement, but I really believe that.”

Good footsteps to walk in!

I don’t see him bumping Stokley or Marshall this year. That leaves the #2 spot. Assuming he gets that (and that’s a big hill to climb), we would certainly be in for a treat.

He needs to get past Parker, Colbert, and Jackson. A lot of folks at MHR like Jackson at #2, and have been on that bandwagon for a long time. We’ve also heard good things from Coach on Colbert. Parker may not be the #2 for this team, but he’s no slouch either and should be a terrific back-up.

While I’m not yet sold that this kid is going to start as our #2 WR, I will say this: If the team says he’s good enough to be the #2, imagine the youth core we have with Cutler, Marshall, and Royal.

Let’s hope that all of these good vibes transfer from camp to the pre-season, then to the regular season.

Worst case scenario? Look at the depth we have, and then consider how hard it’s going to be to have to cut one of these guys! Does everyone agree that Martinez is as good as gone? (Or does his STs ability and youth perhaps give him an edge over Parker?)

with what I’ve heard about Royal, and I’m somewhat pumped… but I’m gonna reserve my real excitement for the day I actually see him do his thing. Here’s to hoping he lives up to the hype.

I think he will make the team but he’ll be relegated to return duties and will probably be a backup receiver at the Slot until Stokley can’t go any longer.

i’m somewhat more comforted seeing ekuban getting reps at dt on passing downs. he is a player i can hang my hat on a little, even out of positon. as you all know, i am a little weary of our current dt depth. is there any chance of another dl helping out here instead or in addition to, or is there another player suited for the dt position that you think will make the team. i’m talking about mallard, harris, peterson… any hope there with those guys? mallard and peterson looked pretty decent last year, considering they were literally thrown into the fire. or was this position so damn bad, that these guys just looked good in comparison? who is the 5th beatle here?

increases his bench by 55 lbs in one offseason. Man. For the Orange Rush to succeed, we need that in our guards. Sounds like they have him in a caged enclosure in the back of the locker room, feeding him raw meat and are sending his togs out to be laundered once a month.

Chain Hillis to his bench, and let HIllis and Young spot for him. If his work ethic catches on, the Broncs should have a great run.

I have read in a couple of rumor-based places that JM Russell is having accuracy issues. Missed receivers, errant throws, interceptions. While that’s what training camp is for, while rumors of his weight may have been exaggerated, it doesn’t sound like he was working on his throws all offseason.

Walker has also been added as having problems. Should he fall to become the dreaded #2 receiver he has suggested that he may hold his breath until he turns blue.

All the news that’s printed to fit…