Lonestar
07-23-2009, 07:58 PM
Editor's Note: In the days leading up to training camp, DenverBroncos.com will examine several key areas on the Broncos roster to give fans an idea of what to look for as the season approaches. Fourth in the eight-part series: wide receivers and tight ends.
By Gray Caldwell
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- A talented group of wide receivers can make or break an offense. And a solid group of tight ends can break open a game with mismatches downfield and powerful blocking at the line of scrimmage.
With training camp just a little more than a week away, it looks as if the Broncos will have solid depth at both positions.
"It's great competition out there," Eddie Royal said. "Every day you've got to come out and prove yourself. Nobody's spot is guaranteed out here, so you've got to come and compete every day."
Here's a closer look at how the two groups shake out.
THE NEW GUYS
Head Coach Josh McDaniels came to the team from the New England Patriots, and Jabar Gaffney was soon to follow. The eighth-year receiver joined the club just a couple days into free agency and will look to continue with his solid statistics under McDaniels.
He hauled in a career-high five receiving touchdowns and had 36 catches for 449 yards for the Patriots in 2007, helping the team post the first 16-0 regular-season record in NFL history and advance to Super Bowl XLII. In addition, his career in New England saw him become the first player in NFL history to post consecutive 8-catch, 100-yard receiving games in the playoffs with his effort during the 2006 postseason.
It's that kind of production Gaffney and the team hope he can continue. It's a safe bet, as he has appeared in all 16 games and totaled at least 400 receiving yards in six of his seven NFL seasons.
Another free agent receiver with a tie to a current Bronco is Brandon Lloyd. The seventh-year veteran played with Kyle Orton in Chicago last season, connection for 26 receptions, 364 yards and two touchdowns. He has totaled 156 catches for 2,253 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first six years in the league.
Lloyd said it wasn't just Orton that attracted him to Denver -- it was the entire package.
"The excitement of having Coach McDaniels here and an explosive offense, the new-look defense, just the whole thing," he said. "It was very refreshing. Of course Kyle factored into it, too -- that was pretty much the icing on the cake."
But free agency wasn't the only place the team went to find productive wide receivers and tight ends. Richard Quinn and Kenny McKinley were picked up in the second and fifth rounds, respectively, of April's draft. Both players impressed McDaniels and are looking to make an impact in their first season after both signed with the team on Thursday.
Quinn was widely regarded as one of the top blocking tight ends at the college level, earning him his lofty draft position. But even with his strength in the running game, McDaniels said Quinn isn't just a one-dimensional player. He snagged 12 catches for 124 yards at the University of North Carolina, but that had a lot to do with the system and the fact that the school had three wide receivers chosen in the 2009 NFL Draft.
"He didn't catch a lot of balls at North Carolina, but that wasn't because he can't catch," McDaniels said. "They didn't use him that way very much in their system, in their scheme, but he showed very good hands during the course of the spring."
The rookie tight end said he's glad he joined a team that has such a deep corps of tight ends to learn from.
"I always try to pay attention to what the veteran guys are doing first so when it's time for me to go up, I know exactly what to do," he said. "Just try to minimize my mistakes as much as possible."
McKinley is another rookie trying to make his mark and limit his mistakes. He already made his mark at the University of South Carolina, leaving the school as the record-holder for for receptions and receiving yards in a career.
"He can really run and he's got very good hands," McDaniels said. "He's a guy that can play more than one spot in the receiver alignments. Adding a player that has sub 4.4 speed, I think anytime you add a skill player with that kind of speed, it's a good thing."
McKinley is one of only five players in Southeastern Conference history with over 200 career receptions and one of only 12 players in conference annals to amass more than 2,700 receiving yards. He said nothing but hard work and diligence can help him achieve those kind of statistics at the next level. The first step was OTAs. Next up, training camp.
"I think training camp is when you separate yourself from other guys on the team," he said. "I'm going to go out there and do my best, do whatever I can do to contribute to the team so I can get (on the field) this season."
Other players looking to separate themselves in camp are the two undrafted free agent receivers and one undrafted free agent tight end. Nate Swift, Lucas Taylor and Marquez Branson all joined the team after the draft, and the rookies are looking to prove that they have what it takes to succeed at the next level.
Swift, a University of Nebraska product, left school as the record-holder with 166 receptions and ranked second in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns with 2,476 yards and 22, respectively. He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference accolades as a senior in 2008, even returning a punt for a touchdown.
Taylor was a similarly versatile player at the University of Tennessee. He totaled 113 receptions for 1,433 yards and six touchdowns in his career, but also averaged 21.0 yards on kickoff returns and 6.2 yards per punt return. He even threw for two touchdowns -- a 56-yarder and a 48-yarder. He received second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors as a junior.
Branon earned All-Southland Conference recognition as a senior in 2008, leading all FCS tight ends in receptions and touchdown catches. He played 23 career games in two seasons at Central Arkansas after transferring from East Mississippi Community College, and durnig that time totaled 82 career receptions for 1,236 yards and 18 touchdowns. His 18 touchdowns rank fifth in Central Arkansas history.
The most recent free agent receiver to join the team was C.J. Jones. The third-year wide receiver spent time on New England's active roster last season, and has also spent time on the Patriots' practice squad along with Cleveland's active roster and practice squad. He also spent some time in NFL Europa and the Canadian Football League. In college at the University of Iowa, Jones was a two-year starter, totaling 72 catches for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a senior, he set an Orange Bowl record when he returned the opening kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown against the University of Southern California.
THE VETERANS
As Royal said, plenty of new additions to the team mean plenty of competition, but the returning crop of Broncos pass-catchers are no slouches.
Royal himself is back for his sophomore campaign after earning all-rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly/PFWA and The Sporting News with his 91-catch, 980-yard, five-touchdown performance in 2008. All three statistics set Broncos rookie records, and the 91 catches mark the second-most by a rookie in NFL history.
He put together five plays of at least 50 yards for the team last season, and became the first player since the 1970 NFL merger to record his team's longest run (71 yards), reception (93 yards), kickoff return (95 yards) and punt return (36 yards) in the same year.
Those kind of numbers could make a first year player pretty comfortable heading into the following season. But with Royal, that's never an issue.
"You can never get comfortable in this league," he said. "You can't be complacent -- you've got to come out and try to get better every day. It was a good year last year, but there is always room to grow."
That might be a scary statement for opposing defensive backs. But that's not the only frightening part of the Broncos' receiving corps. With 91 catches, Royal didn't even catch the most passes on the team last season. That distinction belongs to Brandon Marshall, who passed the century mark in catches for the second consecutive season.
Marshall's 104 catches, 1,265 yards and six touchdowns earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl as a starter, and made him the only receiver in the league to register at least 100 catches and 1,200 yards in each of the last two seasons. His season got of to a tremendous start when he tied for the second-most receptions in a game in NFL history with a team-record 18 catches for 166 yards and one touchdown in the team's thrilling win against San Diego in the home opener.
The fourth-year receiver has been absent thus far from offseason team activities, but McDaniels said he has no doubt when training camp rolls around Marshall will have plenty of time to build a rapport with new quarterbacks Kyle Orton, Chris Simms and Tom Brandstater.
"Well, there are 40 practices before our first game starting in August," McDaniels said. "He's a smart player and I'm sure he'll be able to learn whatever he needs to learn to be able to play successfully if he's here at training camp. So I'm not concerned about that."
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9164
By Gray Caldwell
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- A talented group of wide receivers can make or break an offense. And a solid group of tight ends can break open a game with mismatches downfield and powerful blocking at the line of scrimmage.
With training camp just a little more than a week away, it looks as if the Broncos will have solid depth at both positions.
"It's great competition out there," Eddie Royal said. "Every day you've got to come out and prove yourself. Nobody's spot is guaranteed out here, so you've got to come and compete every day."
Here's a closer look at how the two groups shake out.
THE NEW GUYS
Head Coach Josh McDaniels came to the team from the New England Patriots, and Jabar Gaffney was soon to follow. The eighth-year receiver joined the club just a couple days into free agency and will look to continue with his solid statistics under McDaniels.
He hauled in a career-high five receiving touchdowns and had 36 catches for 449 yards for the Patriots in 2007, helping the team post the first 16-0 regular-season record in NFL history and advance to Super Bowl XLII. In addition, his career in New England saw him become the first player in NFL history to post consecutive 8-catch, 100-yard receiving games in the playoffs with his effort during the 2006 postseason.
It's that kind of production Gaffney and the team hope he can continue. It's a safe bet, as he has appeared in all 16 games and totaled at least 400 receiving yards in six of his seven NFL seasons.
Another free agent receiver with a tie to a current Bronco is Brandon Lloyd. The seventh-year veteran played with Kyle Orton in Chicago last season, connection for 26 receptions, 364 yards and two touchdowns. He has totaled 156 catches for 2,253 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first six years in the league.
Lloyd said it wasn't just Orton that attracted him to Denver -- it was the entire package.
"The excitement of having Coach McDaniels here and an explosive offense, the new-look defense, just the whole thing," he said. "It was very refreshing. Of course Kyle factored into it, too -- that was pretty much the icing on the cake."
But free agency wasn't the only place the team went to find productive wide receivers and tight ends. Richard Quinn and Kenny McKinley were picked up in the second and fifth rounds, respectively, of April's draft. Both players impressed McDaniels and are looking to make an impact in their first season after both signed with the team on Thursday.
Quinn was widely regarded as one of the top blocking tight ends at the college level, earning him his lofty draft position. But even with his strength in the running game, McDaniels said Quinn isn't just a one-dimensional player. He snagged 12 catches for 124 yards at the University of North Carolina, but that had a lot to do with the system and the fact that the school had three wide receivers chosen in the 2009 NFL Draft.
"He didn't catch a lot of balls at North Carolina, but that wasn't because he can't catch," McDaniels said. "They didn't use him that way very much in their system, in their scheme, but he showed very good hands during the course of the spring."
The rookie tight end said he's glad he joined a team that has such a deep corps of tight ends to learn from.
"I always try to pay attention to what the veteran guys are doing first so when it's time for me to go up, I know exactly what to do," he said. "Just try to minimize my mistakes as much as possible."
McKinley is another rookie trying to make his mark and limit his mistakes. He already made his mark at the University of South Carolina, leaving the school as the record-holder for for receptions and receiving yards in a career.
"He can really run and he's got very good hands," McDaniels said. "He's a guy that can play more than one spot in the receiver alignments. Adding a player that has sub 4.4 speed, I think anytime you add a skill player with that kind of speed, it's a good thing."
McKinley is one of only five players in Southeastern Conference history with over 200 career receptions and one of only 12 players in conference annals to amass more than 2,700 receiving yards. He said nothing but hard work and diligence can help him achieve those kind of statistics at the next level. The first step was OTAs. Next up, training camp.
"I think training camp is when you separate yourself from other guys on the team," he said. "I'm going to go out there and do my best, do whatever I can do to contribute to the team so I can get (on the field) this season."
Other players looking to separate themselves in camp are the two undrafted free agent receivers and one undrafted free agent tight end. Nate Swift, Lucas Taylor and Marquez Branson all joined the team after the draft, and the rookies are looking to prove that they have what it takes to succeed at the next level.
Swift, a University of Nebraska product, left school as the record-holder with 166 receptions and ranked second in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns with 2,476 yards and 22, respectively. He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference accolades as a senior in 2008, even returning a punt for a touchdown.
Taylor was a similarly versatile player at the University of Tennessee. He totaled 113 receptions for 1,433 yards and six touchdowns in his career, but also averaged 21.0 yards on kickoff returns and 6.2 yards per punt return. He even threw for two touchdowns -- a 56-yarder and a 48-yarder. He received second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors as a junior.
Branon earned All-Southland Conference recognition as a senior in 2008, leading all FCS tight ends in receptions and touchdown catches. He played 23 career games in two seasons at Central Arkansas after transferring from East Mississippi Community College, and durnig that time totaled 82 career receptions for 1,236 yards and 18 touchdowns. His 18 touchdowns rank fifth in Central Arkansas history.
The most recent free agent receiver to join the team was C.J. Jones. The third-year wide receiver spent time on New England's active roster last season, and has also spent time on the Patriots' practice squad along with Cleveland's active roster and practice squad. He also spent some time in NFL Europa and the Canadian Football League. In college at the University of Iowa, Jones was a two-year starter, totaling 72 catches for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a senior, he set an Orange Bowl record when he returned the opening kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown against the University of Southern California.
THE VETERANS
As Royal said, plenty of new additions to the team mean plenty of competition, but the returning crop of Broncos pass-catchers are no slouches.
Royal himself is back for his sophomore campaign after earning all-rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly/PFWA and The Sporting News with his 91-catch, 980-yard, five-touchdown performance in 2008. All three statistics set Broncos rookie records, and the 91 catches mark the second-most by a rookie in NFL history.
He put together five plays of at least 50 yards for the team last season, and became the first player since the 1970 NFL merger to record his team's longest run (71 yards), reception (93 yards), kickoff return (95 yards) and punt return (36 yards) in the same year.
Those kind of numbers could make a first year player pretty comfortable heading into the following season. But with Royal, that's never an issue.
"You can never get comfortable in this league," he said. "You can't be complacent -- you've got to come out and try to get better every day. It was a good year last year, but there is always room to grow."
That might be a scary statement for opposing defensive backs. But that's not the only frightening part of the Broncos' receiving corps. With 91 catches, Royal didn't even catch the most passes on the team last season. That distinction belongs to Brandon Marshall, who passed the century mark in catches for the second consecutive season.
Marshall's 104 catches, 1,265 yards and six touchdowns earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl as a starter, and made him the only receiver in the league to register at least 100 catches and 1,200 yards in each of the last two seasons. His season got of to a tremendous start when he tied for the second-most receptions in a game in NFL history with a team-record 18 catches for 166 yards and one touchdown in the team's thrilling win against San Diego in the home opener.
The fourth-year receiver has been absent thus far from offseason team activities, but McDaniels said he has no doubt when training camp rolls around Marshall will have plenty of time to build a rapport with new quarterbacks Kyle Orton, Chris Simms and Tom Brandstater.
"Well, there are 40 practices before our first game starting in August," McDaniels said. "He's a smart player and I'm sure he'll be able to learn whatever he needs to learn to be able to play successfully if he's here at training camp. So I'm not concerned about that."
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9164