The flight home from New England for Eddie Royal and the Broncos was a quiet one.
Denver had just been beaten 45-10 by the Patriots in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to conclude its season. That defeat, combined with the late night departure, meant that not many players were talking or celebrating a surprisingly good season. Rather, they were left thinking and dreaming what could have been.
“(It was) probably like you would have imagined it would be -– quiet, not too many people talking,” Royal said. “I think we learned a lot from that game, just what it takes to be an elite team in this league. We know what it takes to match their intensity. It’s something that we’ll learn from and get better from.”
Indeed, the Broncos headed into this offseason hoping to improve and take the next step to be an elite team in the NFL. Royal knows the offense has to put in the work so that they can go into games against teams like New England and Green Bay and match their scoring output.
“Scoring more points,” Royal said on offensive improvement. “It was a tough game. We just have to match their intensity. They can’t come out quick and put up a lot of points on us, and they just hit us in the mouth. We have to be able to answer that better. I think in these next few years we will be able to do that.”
Still, Royal couldn’t argue with the steps the team took in 2011.
“We hadn’t been in the playoffs since 2005, I believe,” Royal said. “So, that was a great step for this organization. These fans really deserved it. I think [Head] Coach [John] Fox has done a great job coming in here and turning this team into something the fans can be proud of.”
Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway said in his season-ending press conference that Tim Tebow will be the team’s starting quarterback entering training camp, and Royal had kind words about the signal caller as he was cleaning out his locker at the end of the season.
“I think he’s a very good quarterback,” Royal said. “He did a great job with us this year. He took us — a 1-4 team — to the playoffs, and won in the first round. I think that deserves a lot of credit. I think that he’s a tough football player. He never quit until the end as you saw with those fourth-quarter comebacks and those overtime wins. He’s just a guy that you can’t doubt. A lot of people did, and he proved them all wrong.”
Tebow’s never-quit attitude was prevalent in the entire Broncos locker room throughout the season. That team mentality helped Denver win some dramatic, close games in the final moments.
It was a season Royal can’t begin to describe.
“That’s the question, where do you start?” Royal asked. “It was a great year, something you’ll always remember. They guys never gave up at all. It was an up and down season. We didn’t finish the way we wanted to, but we have a positive outlook for next year.”
-Kenny Legan
Tags: Eddie Royal, End of Season
Hope you come back Royal. You put the R in TRB. Career isn’t going quite as hoped but I still believe u are lightning in a bottle.
Hope we sign him back. Interacts with the fans alot and still has unrealized potential.
Later days, TRB out…
Gosh can August hurry up already?!?!? Lol man I’ve been pumped for the next season since the end of season press conference by EFX! Can’t wait til the draft in April! And then Training Camp! GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!
Great article Kenny. Thanks.
Don’t worry Royal, next year we will be even better. You guys will have this off season to get work that you didn’t get last season, and it will improve us in all aspects of the team.
Stay Eddie we are going to need you man!
ER has good hands and great speed, just needs to learn how to create separation. ( watch how Steve Largent did it )
I agree TRB……….While I’ve been disappointed with his output the past couple seasons, I still think there’s a ton on untapped potential.
He proved in his rookie year that he can be an elite receiver…….but injuries and underutilization by McD took him a few steps backward.
Here’s to hoping he stays in Denver and really brings his game up another level and recaptures that magic he once showed.
I `d like to have Royal come back, good WR, exceptional KR/PR. We do need a speedster WR in FA or the draft. I`d draft D altogether though except RB, Martin or Rainey.
My gut feeling is that Royal stays here in Denver.
I think I speak for everyone when i say ” Royal Needs to Come Back! ”
On a different note : is anyone here into fitness?? Im pretty out of shape and my football tryouts/practices start in 13 days. i dont want to show up and look like a bum. Is there a decent 2 week regiment i can follow to help get some cardio up in a short period of time?
Hope you stay in Denver Eddie, would hate to rip another name off of 1 of my jerseys.
Randy Moss has said that he wants to come back into the NFL after sitting out the 2011 season. I think Moss would be a good fit in Denver with our locker room. They say he`s a great team have. I could see Tebow hooking up with Randy Moss on the field and in the locker room.
Just an idea anyway, a real deep threat and healthy to boot since he sat out 1 season.
Randy Moss in DEN? Unless he has lost his selfishness, he won’t come here. He won’t stand for run blocking every other play. He wants the ball. If he could give his pride a rest, he might be a decent threat but I dont’ think he can do it.
Wow randy coming back. I never thought he shoulda left. I would welcome him but like has been said, he is not gonna block. He is however the greatest decoy in football lol. And a veteran that doesn’t drop passes lol. I doubt he gets taken. Much like TO … Too many bridges burnt. Players don’t think about this when they are young and feel they will never get old or own the world. I don’t think randy was as bad as TO, but he had his own issues. Wish him the best and would love to see him on a field once more. To me he is the best receiver to ever play the game. “Faith, family, and football, that’s my M.O., bro,” Moss said on the telecast … same order as Tebow (and im sure alot of other NFL player).
TRB
The last thing Moss wants to do is blocking for a heavy dose of the running game, so I hear you on that. Denver would probably be the least likely team for him to come to. My concern for him is not his attitude but his lazy play from time to time.
and im aware theres a guy named Jerry Rice. Randy just didn’t have Jerry Rice work eithic but he is the most physically gifted ever. Only rivaled by a guy like Megatron. TRB
I don’t think Randy ever “left” the NFL, I just don’t think any team picked him up last year, and I doubt anyone does now..
It might just be me, but as long as we resign Royal, I don’t think our WR’s are all that bad… Willis hasn’t really showed me anything really, but I think Mark Dell (IR) has a chance of being a big time surprise at WR at 6’2″, 195 ibs.
no worries about the offense, it will improve tenfold if we stack the defense…i say we go safety & cb if FA then look for DL and LB help in the draft…if we stack the D and pick up an extra RB/WR/TE this team will be very beastly
The more I keep hearing about RB Doug Martin, the more i like the guy. The mocks have him going in the 2nd round. We`ll see how Martin does at the Combine. I`m curious about this RB, I want to see how he fares.
Agreed, we need to focus on the defense in the draft, since we’ve neglected it for so long going back to the Shanny days…
To my earlier comment about our WR’s, I realize that we had a lot of dropped passes last year, but I think it was due to them being a young group and switching to a young, left handed QB mid year… We do need a 4th WR to emerge, and I’m not sold at all on Willis, even though there a few bloggers out there who I know will disagree… I have a good feeling about Dell, and I hope he gets a chance in camp
If we go D in the 2nd round then it`s Rainey for sure in the 3rd or 4th round depenping his Combine #s as well. I bet Chris Rainey lights up the Combine big time and moves up the charts. Rainey emabarressed the defenses day after day during the Sr Bowl practices, made them look silly.
As long as Rainey makes it rain, I’m all for it.. LOL
My only mock agains Matthew Willis is at times he had alligator arms when attempting to catch the ball thus dropping easy catches. A WR needs to reach out with his hands rather than the ball hitting his chest. The WR`s coach should fix that real quick if we re-sign him. IMO
He`ll probably run a 4.3 40 at the Combine. Rainey might be the fastest player there this year, only guessing though. He`s a small dude.
Only knock against Willis I meant.
“Eddie Come back….” (in the tune of baby come back)…..come back to De(nver)….
Broncos Country Strong 2012!
I am very interested in what WR mark dell has to offer so as WR tim toone and at tight end we have to huge guys in cornellius ingram and julius thomas, just cant wait to see these guys show up for training camp.
oh and another speedy WR to hit the draft under the radar is travis benjamin out of the U he can be promising as well in the return game.
I like Eddie a lot but since his first season he’s been mideocre. I believe Willis’ stats are better , that just ain’t right. With a contract year you’d think Eddie may have done a little better on the field. I do think all the recievers will benefit from a real of season and it is very hard to judge their performance with Tebow having no real oppurtunity to prepare for the starting role. I do hope Eddie stays, he will give us depth but Willis may bump him out of his spot in training camp. Go Broncos!
LOL @ “Eddie come back…… Eddie come back to me”
Eddie might go to Chicago if he doesnt comeback
Has anybody in Denver thought about bringing in some one who is left handed to help develope Tim Tebow, I know it’s just a fantasy but the guy I think is the right man for the job is……Steve Young, I know I know, but all season whenever I herd him talk about Tim and it wasn’t flattering I knew what he was saying was the truth, and maybe it takes a lefty to get the best work out of another lefty, just saying is all.
Oh and Eddie, well it seems that when he is most effective is in special teams as of late, He’s just not a big reciever and gets PUNKED by allot of the bigger WO’s and Safeties in the league it seems that he has not developed as well as he might have but who could with the wheel of fortune our coaching staff has went through since 2005 Jeeeez!