Broncos WR Royal discusses Cutler’s future, new head coach McDaniels
Royal says there’s no doubt he wants Cutler under center for Denver next season
Pro Football Weekly caught up with Broncos WR Eddie Royal on March 14 as trade rumors involving Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler continued to circulate. The latest reports indicate Cutler will not attend a team meeting scheduled for Monday and that his relationship with new head coach Josh McDaniels has deteriorated further after a meeting over the weekend failed to reconcile their differences. Their relationship has soured since it became known that the Broncos were in talks to trade Cutler to the Buccaneers in a three-team deal that would have sent then-Patriots QB Matt Cassel to the Broncos. The trade fell through, and Cassel was dealt to the Chiefs, leaving Cutler disgruntled, although other reports said Cutler had asked to be traded well before the Cassel deal.
Royal, who had the second-most receptions (91) in a season by a rookie in NFL history in 2008, told PFW he has been in touch with Cutler since these stories broke and that he hopes a solution can be reached that keeps Cutler in Denver. Royal also spoke about his plans for the offseason, a potential suspension for WR Brandon Marshall and how difficult it is to put the team's collapse of late last season behind him.
PFW: You led all NFL rookies in receptions and receiving yards and you were seventh in the league in receptions in 2008. It usually takes receivers a year or two to get going. Why do you think you were successful so quickly?
Royal: The supporting cast I had. The people around me helped with my development. Professionals like (former Broncos receiver) Darrell Jackson. I had a great coach who took extra time to help me with the playbook, help me with coverages and just really study my opponents, so I knew before every game what I was going up against.
PFW: When you say 'great coach,' are you talking about Mike Shanahan?
Royal: Shanahan and Jedd Fisch, my (former) receivers coach, and (ex-offensive coordinator) Jeremy Bates. They all did a great job of getting us prepared for each week.
PFW: Do you miss those guys?
Royal: We developed a good relationship from the beginning. We were a close team. I'm starting to realize they're not going to be there. I don't think I'll ever get used to it, but it was good to develop those friendships. They were great coaches, and I wish them the best.
PFW: Is there anything in particular in these few months before the start of camp that you really would like to improve on?
Royal: Just the basics. Doing the little things the right way. I think that toward the later part of the season, traditionally, your body gets tired and you start to break down. I really want to try to make sure my fundamentals are right and that I do all the little things that help turn those small plays into the big plays.
PFW: What are some of those little things that you think are so important?
Royal: Being good at the line of scrimmage. Working different releases. In the AFC and especially in our division, you see a lot of press coverage, so you need to be good at that. Looking the ball all the way in. Catching and tucking right away. Getting in and out of your break. Keeping a low pad level. There are a lot of little things you need to do to be a successful receiver.
PFW: You got a little dinged up toward the end of the season, and some people thought it looked like you were worn down. Are endurance or stamina things you're working on?
Royal: I thought I got better toward the end of the year, but injuries are going to happen. You try to prevent them. You do yoga, you do weightlifting. But in the game that we play, injuries are going to happen. It's all about bouncing back from them. You have to play hurt sometimes in this league and you got to fight through the pain. Endurance is key because it is a long season. That's why we start training so early for it. You know, that's something we work on every offseason. You want to be in the best shape toward the end of the season, and that is one thing that I'm working on.
PFW: With Josh McDaniels coming in as head coach, you'll be working in a different offense from last season's. Has he talked to you at all about what your role will be? I know some people have been drawing comparisons to the role Wes Welker played with the Patriots when McDaniels was there as offensive coordinator.
Royal: We haven't really spoken about roles. I'm not sure exactly where I'm going to be playing. I know I've been compared to Wes Welker before, but I don't really know just what (McDaniels) has in store for us just yet. I'm trying to learn the formations and the plays now. All they really told me is learn every position. To be a good offense you need to be able to move around and be in different spots to kind of keep the defense off balance. If the defense knows where you're going to be every single play, it's easier for them to cover. I'm trying to learn the whole offense and be able to play anywhere.
PFW: It sounds like you've just had some casual conversations with McDaniels so far.
Royal: I spoke with him. It was just general football talk. I'm excited about it. He's a real smart coach. You can tell that he knows football from just the little bit of time that I spent talking to him. He's excited about the season, and it seems like he knows how to win. He came from a winning team, and that's important. Just from talking to him, I could tell that we were going to find a way to win.
PFW: A major topic when he was hired was his youth, being just 32. What are your thoughts on that? Does it make him at all easier to relate to, being a young player yourself, or does it not really make much of a difference?
Royal: You know it's all in how you carry yourself and all in how you conduct yourself. From talking to him, his age doesn't pop out. He knows football way beyond his years. It doesn't really bother me at all. As long as he can point us in the right direction, I don't think age will be a factor. None of us are looking at it as being a factor. I'm excited about this upcoming season.
PFW: Have you noticed any differences between Shanahan and McDaniels in the way they approach their jobs?
Royal: Not really differences. I see a lot of similarities. Both are hard workers. The game's important to them. They spend a lot of time preparing. I can already see that. It's really hard to say right now. … I see the same positive qualities that I saw in coach Shanahan.
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Originally Posted by Jaded
